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Appeal of General Challe, April 22, 1961
[announcer] Radio-France Algiers.
General Challe talks to the Armed Forces.
Go ahead !
[Maurice Challe] Officers, non-commissioned officers, gendarmes,
soldiers, sailors, airmen from the Armed Forces in Algeria,
General Challe here talking to you :
I'm in Algiers together with Generals Zeller and Jouhaud
and in liaise with General Salan
to take our oath, the army's oath to keep Algeria
so that our dead did not died for nothing.
An abandoning government has advocated successively :
French Algeria, Algeria within France, Algerian Algeria,
independent Algeria associated with France.
It is now preparing to deliver definitely Algeria
to the external Organization of the rebellion.
Would you deny your promises ?
Would you abandon our Muslim and European brothers ?
Would you abandon our Muslim cadres, soldiers and auxiliaries
to the vengeance of the rebels ?
Do you want Mers El Kébir and Algiers
to be Soviet bases as soon as tomorrow ?
Would you once again, for the last time, take down your flag ?
Then you would have lost everything, even honor.
But I know you all, I know your courage,
your pride, your sense of honor and duty.
The discipline that makes our strength
can in no circumstances lead to dishonor.
The Army is foremost in the service of France
and it is the guarantor of national territory.
The Army will not fail in its mission and the orders
that I will give you will never have any other goals.