Jamal Awil

← A Savage War of Peace- Algeria 1954-1962

De Gaulle's cabinet disappointed his activist supporters with limited rewards. [fact]

As de Gaulle arrived in his special Caravelle, the sky, recalls Lartéguy, was of "that evangelic blue depicted on certain pious faces". But in that blue there were already clouds apparent. Those on the Committee of Public Safety who had brought about the advent of de Gaulle were not happy with his first cabinet list; there seemed to be too much concession to the Left (Guy Mollet had been appointed vice-premier); there were too many little-known functionaries among the new ministers (of the activists of May only Michel Debré, made Minister of Justice, had been rewarded). The faithful Delbecque received no post, having offended by openly criticising the first choices, while even Soustelle, as too-dedicated an apostle of Algérie française, had been appointed nothing more than "Minister-Delegate" (or "Minister-Relegate", as the punsters muttered).

Horne, Alistair, A Savage War of Peace- Alge…, loc. 915