Mollet's action meant, in effect, that he was espousing Soustelle's "testament" and that the crushing of the rebellion would now take precedence over all else. Militarily, there were good enough reasons for it. Despite the considerable infusions of troops during Soustelle's year, which had brought the total to nearly 200,000, the situation had steadily deteriorated. The "smallpox chart" had spread to cover most of the country; the Tunisian frontier had become a running sore, and establishment of a barrier there would take a long time to be completed. An increasing number of Tirailleurs were deserting — together with their even more valuable weapons — and now Moroccan units serving with the French had taken to refusing orders. Several senior French officers had resigned, pointedly, including one, General Zeller, Inspector-General of the ground forces, who would make his mark briefly five years later. In one of his last reports to Faure, Soustelle had stressed in January: "It would be pointless to pretend that the morale of the army is not at present at rock bottom. The general feeling is that we are going to 'do a deal' and that, consequently, present sacrifices are to no purpose."

Horne, Alistair, A Savage War of Peace- Alge…, loc. 467