Word: bigeard
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Dates: during 1970-1979
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...court for national security that had been set up in 1963 to suppress terrorists of the O.A.S., the secret army organization of French Algerians. Soon afterward, 16 soldiers were arrested. If they are found guilty, they face a maximum often years in prison. Declared Bourges' deputy, General Marcel Bigeard: "The government has now decided to destroy those who openly advocate the destruction of our society through our army...
...Bigeard estimates that there are about 500 active left-wing extremists in the French army organized into 60 revolutionary cells. Their rebellious appeals fall on fertile soil at the parade grounds. Despite government attempts to quiet unrest in the ranks and improve morale by tripling the pay of draftees (from 600 to $1.80 a day), French troops are the lowest paid in Europe. Career officers also complain about low pay and the slow pace of advancement in spite of recent efforts to accelerate promotions...
...only the first step," said Giscard. In fact, they were really a second step. Last January he shook up France's military leadership by naming Yvon Bourges, 53, a tough, energetic and sometimes abrasive Gaullist, as Minister of Defense to replace the ineffectual Jacques Soufflet. General Marcel Bigeard, 59, a paratroop hero and one of France's most decorated soldiers, was named Bourges's deputy...