Hidden War: The Enigmatic Tale of Plan Bleu and France’s Secret Stay-Behind Army

In the chaotic world of post-WWII Europe, when Cold War tensions were just beginning to simmer, clandestine networks thrived beneath the surface. One of these hidden entities was Plan Bleu, a covert stay-behind army in France, the existence of which was officially acknowledged by Interior Minister Édouard Depreux in 1947. This tale will reveal the intricate labyrinth of secret warfare in France, from the inception of Plan Bleu to its entanglement in NATO’s secret warfare structure and the tumultuous Algerian War of Independence.

Plan Bleu: An Initial Perspective

Plan Bleu emerged as an answer to the perceived Soviet threat post-WWII. France, having experienced the debilitating effects of Nazi occupation, was keen to develop a strategy that would ensure the rapid mobilization of resistance in the event of another foreign invasion. To achieve this, a clandestine stay-behind army was assembled in utmost secrecy, a move ratified by the highest echelons of power.

The soldiers involved in Plan Bleu were expected to stay behind enemy lines in an invasion scenario, engaging in guerrilla warfare and sabotage, gathering intelligence, and acting as a liaison with allied forces. The force consisted primarily of experienced resistance fighters and military personnel, trained for their dangerous and covert role.

The Western Union Clandestine Committee and NATO Integration

Following the revelation of Plan Bleu in 1947, the Western Union Clandestine Committee (WUCC) was created the next year to coordinate these secret, unorthodox warfare activities. The Western Union, composed of five Western European countries including France, was an early precursor to the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO).

In 1949, the Western Union transformed into NATO, resulting in the integration of WUCC as the Clandestine Planning Committee (CPC). The core goal remained unaltered: preparing for a potential Soviet invasion and enabling resistance movements in such an event. NATO’s headquarters were established in France, allowing close coordination with Plan Bleu. By 1958, the CPC had evolved into the Allied Clandestine Committee (ACC), further ingraining Plan Bleu within the larger NATO structure.

Support and Resistance: SDECE and the 11th Choc Regiment

Critical to Plan Bleu’s operation was the support of the Service de Documentation Extérieure et de Contre-Espionnage (SDECE), France’s external intelligence agency. The SDECE provided logistical support and shared intelligence, facilitating Plan Bleu’s covert operations. Moreover, the 11th Choc Regiment, an elite French army unit, contributed additional military support to bolster the stay-behind network’s effectiveness.

However, the relationship between the SDECE, 11th Choc Regiment, and Plan Bleu wasn’t without contention. Notably, in a 1992 interview with The Nation, Admiral Pierre Lacoste, a former director of DGSE (the successor to the SDECE), alleged that certain elements from the network were involved in terrorist activities against President Charles de Gaulle and his Algerian policy.

The Algerian Crisis: Évian Accords and the OAS

The Algerian War of Independence, which took place from 1954 to 1962, sparked a significant division within the 11th Choc Regiment and, by extension, the Plan Bleu network. The Évian Accords in 1962, which ended the war and acknowledged Algeria’s independence, were contentious for many within the regiment. Some members refused to accept the peace accords, splintering off to join the Organisation Armée Secrète (OAS), a far-right paramilitary group opposed to Algerian independence.

While it remains uncertain whether these dissenting members were directly involved in the French stay-behind network, their actions underscored the fraught political environment of the time and how it impacted even the most covert of operations.

Network Affiliations: La Rose des Vents, Arc-en-ciel, and Gladio

Plan Bleu wasn’t an isolated entity. It was part of a larger network of covert operations spread across Europe, known collectively as Operation Gladio. Two other groups, La Rose des Vents and the Arc-en-ciel (“Rainbow”) network, also fell under this umbrella.

Gladio’s regional leader for the area around Lyon in France was François de Grossouvre until his alleged suicide on April 7, 1994. As an influential figure in the shadowy world of French intelligence, Grossouvre played a significant role in maintaining the operation and its regional activities.

Return to Activity: Constantin Melnik and the Order of the Solar Temple

Intriguingly, Grossouvre sought the assistance of Constantin Melnik, a prominent figure in French intelligence during the Algerian War, who was living in comfortable exile in the U.S. Melnik was known for his connections to the Rand Corporation, an American global policy think tank.

Melnik’s return to the fray hinted at deeper complexities within the network. Notably, he was alleged to have been involved in the creation of the Ordre Souverain du Temple Solaire in 1952, an ancestor of the Order of the Solar Temple. This occult group, created by former members of the Ancient Mystical Order Rosae Crucis (A.M.O.R.C.), attracted interest from the SDECE due to potential strategic value, adding another layer to the intricate narrative of Plan Bleu and its affiliations.

Conclusion

Plan Bleu’s saga, steeped in the shadows of post-WWII European politics, provides a compelling illustration of how the political, military, and even occult intersect in the realm of secret warfare. Through its twists and turns, this story offers a unique perspective on the era’s broader geopolitical landscape and France’s role within it. Ultimately, it underscores the unpredictable nature of secret warfare, where alliances are as fluid as they are complex, and where nothing is ever as it seems.