OAS (Organisation Armée Secrète)

The Organisation Armée Secrète (OAS) was a clandestine paramilitary group formed in France in the early 1960s during the Algerian War of Independence. Composed mainly of French military officers and settlers, the OAS opposed Algerian independence and sought to maintain French colonial rule. They used violent tactics, including bombings and assassinations, to achieve their goals. The OAS is infamous for its radical actions and played a significant role in the conflicts surrounding decolonization, reflecting broader tensions over national identity and political power in France and Algeria during that turbulent period.