In the second place, France was constantly and repeatedly hampered in her Algerian policy by the intervention (generally immoderate) of the hyper-articulate pied noir lobby. The pieds noirs were never strictly honest, even to themselves, as to what they really wanted. Despite all the brouhaha, it was not Algérie française; what the majority wanted was a pied noir Algeria, ranging between South Africa at its best and its worst, but under the umbrella of French protection.

XREF: Parallels the Rhodesian artisan class who backed Ian Smith — a comparative historical pattern linking settler communities facing decolonization.

Horne, Alistair, A Savage War of Peace- Alge…, loc. 1652