Ben Bella claimed that the F.L.N. started the revolt with only 350 to 400 miscellaneous firearms, and virtually nothing heavier than a machine-gun. Not a weapon, it is worth noting, at this stage or for several years to come, was provided by the Communist bloc; nor was more than a modest quantity of guns acquired elsewhere abroad with the F.L.N.’s slender funds. Thus, from the very beginning the theft of French arms from depots or their recovery on the battlefield became a prime military objective.

XREF: Connects to broader literature on asymmetric warfare and insurgents arming themselves through captured enemy equipment, contrasting with externally-funded insurgencies. DEFINE: Clarifies that the F.L.N. (National Liberation Front) relied on captured French arms rather than external supply, redefining how this revolt was equipped.

Horne, Alistair, A Savage War of Peace- Alge…, loc. 257