Failed 1962 OAS Assassination Plot Against Charles de Gaulle

In 1962, the Organisation armée secrète (OAS), a clandestine group of far-right French military officers and pieds-noirs, attempted to assassinate President Charles de Gaulle. The plot stemmed from de Gaulle's decision to grant Algeria independence, which they viewed as betrayal. On August 22, 1962, twelve attackers ambushed de Gaulle's Citroën DS19 near Paris, firing 187 rounds. Fourteen bullets struck the vehicle, but de Gaulle and his wife survived unharmed. The OAS formed in late 1961 after the failed Generals' Putsch of April 1961, which had sought to overthrow de Gaulle. De Gaulle had returned to power in 1958 amid the Algerian War, initially seen as an ally by settlers and the military, but his shift toward self-determination for Algeria led to the break. France signed the Evian Accords in March 1962, granting independence. Most conspirators were quickly arrested; the plot's leader was executed, and the OAS dissolved soon after.