Fly Whisk Incident: Hussein Dey strikes French consul Pierre Deval in Algiers

Background. Hussein Dey ruled the Regency of Algiers from 1818, having been elected by the Divan. He was involved in long-standing financial disputes, specifically the Bacri-Busnach affair, in which two Jewish traders of Algiers had sold 14 millions of wheat to the French Republic in 1797 without repayment. Deval, a French Consul-General since 1814, was suspected by the Dey of collaborating with the merchants against him, creating a volatile diplomatic environment.

The Incident. On 29 April 1827, Hussein Dey demanded payment for a 28-year-old debt contracted in 1799. Pierre Deval refused to provide satisfactory answers, leading to an outburst of anger. The Dey struck the consul with his fly whisk, an act known as the Fly Whisk Incident or Fan Affair, which was viewed as a significant diplomatic slight against the French representative.

Diplomatic Aftermath. Charles X used the incident to demand an apology and initiate a blockade against the port of Algiers. Tensions escalated further when the Dey fired cannons at a blockading ship in response to a French ambassador's proposal for negotiations in 1829. This standstill led the French government to determine that more forceful action was required, setting the stage for military intervention.