Various reasons have already been suggested for the F.L.N.'s recruitment successes in 1955. There was, first of all, the anger provoked by the excessive zeal of French repressive measures, in disregard of Machiavelli's axiom, "An enemy should be destroyed or bought—and never made a martyr." Then, perhaps more important still, there was the success of success itself: the mere fact that the F.L.N. had survived through that first winter against all the might of France was in itself a most potent recruiting agent. In the eyes of a people regarding baraka as a heaven-sent attribute, this was also greatly increased by the sheer audacity with which the moudjahiddine carried out their forays, made their proclamations and struck down those earmarked for liquidation.

Horne, Alistair, A Savage War of Peace- Alge…, loc. 402