why did the geneva convention not apply to french military operations in algeria
Torture during the Algerian War of Independence Thus, the military did not consider themselves tied by the Geneva Conventions, ratified by France in 1951.[citation needed] Besides prohibiting the use of torture, the Geneva Conventions gave the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) access to the detainees. Detainees, who included not only FLN members but also old men, women and children, were thus not granted prisoner of war (POW) status. On the contrary, they were considered as "terrorists" and deprived of the rights to which belligerents are legally entitled during a war, including cases of civil wars under Geneva Convention Protocol II.
Military history of France According to historian Niall Ferguson: "of the 125 major European wars fought since 1495, the French have participated in 50 â€“ more than Austria (47) and England (43). Out of 168 battles fought since 387BC, they have won 109, lost 49 and drawn 10." [1]