Infamous Assassinations — Season 1, Episode 18: The Attempts on De Gaulle

Episode synopsis

France, 1961: The Day of the Jackal There were three attempts to kill General de Gaulle, all of which were unsuccessful. The first was by German snipers in Paris 1945. The second was on 8 September 1961, when a plastic charge was fired at his car by a gang controlled by Raoul Salan. The third attempt was on 22nd August 1962, when his car was raked by machine-gun fire which shattered the rear window and burst two tyres. The General escaped all three attempts, but was there a fourth which was not reported?

About Infamous Assassinations

This brand-new and exclusive series takes a closer look at some of the world's most talked-about assassinations and near misses. Always a fascinating and macabre subject, assassinations can damage a nation's confidence, create wars and shock the world. Throughout this series some of the 20th century's most outrageous attempts can, thanks to rare archive footage and reconstructions, be seen first hand and viewers are brought closer to the events than ever before. From the assassinations of John F Kennedy and Mahatma Ghandi, to attacks on royalty, politicians and media celebrities, this series uncovers the real reasons behind these events and how they unfolded.

More episodes from Season 1

• E1The Assassination of Ernst Roehm
• E2The attempt on Princess Anne
• E3The Assassination of John Lennon
• E4The Assassination of Lord Louis Mountbatten
• E5The Assassination of Trotsky
• E6The Assassination of Pope John Paul II
• E7The Assassination of Sikorski
• E8The Assassination of President McKinley
• E9The Assassination of Heydrich
• E10The Assassination of Yitzhak Rabin
• E11The Assassination of Zia Al Huq
• E12The Assassination of Verwoerd