The OAS Search for Money

This flow follows the financial desperation that turns ordinary criminal raids into the hidden budget for a presidential assassination.

increasingBearing stren­gth in each eventdecreasing

A Movement Running Short

A Movement Running Short Declining support The OAS is losing sympathizers, safe houses, and funding as its campaigns fail and senior figures retreat into exile. René Montclair, responsible for finances, sees that ideological commitment cannot sustain the organization indefinitely. The need for results Rodin argues that another failed attempt will accelerate the movement’s collapse. A successful assassination might bring political power and reopen the purse strings of wealthy supporters.

Robberies Across France

Robberies Across France A sudden crime wave Armed groups rob banks, post offices, and jewellers in multiple regions. The attacks are often crude and violent, leading police to suspect an organized source even when the robbers themselves understand little. Criminal labor for politics The OAS uses loosely connected men to raise money without revealing the purpose. The distance between the gunmen and the assassination plan protects the secret, but also creates a trail of unexplained proceeds.

Bouvier Follows the Proceeds

Bouvier Follows the Proceeds An accounting anomaly Maurice Bouvier compares reports of stolen money and valuables, estimating that the total is too large to be explained by the direct expenses of the robberies. His routine financial analysis becomes an early sign that the OAS has a major purpose. The missing explanation Bouvier can see that money is being accumulated, but cannot yet connect it to The Jackal. The financial clue becomes meaningful only after intelligence links the OAS leaders to a foreign professional.

The Advance Payment

The Advance Payment Funds transferred The OAS accounts in Switzerland reach the required advance, and Marc Rodin arranges the transfer to The Jackal. André Casson urges delay until he can supply a useful contact in Paris. Timing cannot be controlled The Jackal has already fixed his own schedule and is proceeding with preparations. The OAS leaders’ financial and intelligence arrangements matter less than they imagine because their hired operator has already separated himself from their timetable.

The Price of Failure

The Price of Failure A contract without control After the plot is exposed, Rodin wants The Jackal to stop, but has no dependable way to reach him. The money has purchased an attempt, not command over the person carrying it out. No return on investment The assassination fails and The Jackal dies, leaving the OAS without its hoped-for political victory. The money raised through the robbery wave has bought only another defeat and further exposure.

Spring 1963

June and July 1963

Late June to July 1963

August 5 to 8, 1963

August 12 to 25, 1963