Special Organisation (Algeria)

As an organization Spéciale be designated a paramilitary organization Algerian nationalists in French North Africa. It existed from 1947 until 1950.

History

The organization was founded by Spéciale as a paramilitary organization under the Party of Messali Hadj, the MTLD. Messali Hadj himself created the organization at the urging of younger party members. A driving force behind the creation of the OS was Hocine Aït Ahmed which they prevailed against Messali on a secret party congress in Algiers on 15 February 1947. Another prominent proponent within the party planner and the OS was the future president of Algeria, Ahmed Ben Bella. Messali even saw mass political campaigns and elections as a more promising path to independence from France. The organization consisted of approximately 1,000 - 1,500 members. The OS was trying to get money with robberies. 1949 captured the organization through a raid on the main post office in Oran 3 million francs. The French authorities were shattered by the arrest of 363 members of the organization until 1950. The Organisation Spéciale preferred recruited young, far more unpolitisierte men to the existing official networks of the party not to compromise.

Many members of the OS were found later in the Front de Libération Nationale again. Much of the leadership of the FLN worked previously in the OS.