August 25, 1963

August 25, 1963, is the day the novel identifies as the closest Charles de Gaulle ever came to death. The date gives the story’s assassination threat a precise historical setting and introduces the contrast between the President’s apparent disregard for danger and the peril approaching him unseen.

Date and Immediate Significance

The narrative places the danger on Sunday, August 25, 1963. Charles de Gaulle had long scorned the possibility of dying by an assassin’s bullet and at times seemed almost deliberately to make himself an accessible target. On this date, however, he came closer to death than he knew: the threat was real, even though the President remained unaware of its proximity.

Role in the Narrative

The date anchors the novel’s central suspense in a specific day rather than an abstract warning. Its significance lies in the gap between the President’s confidence and the danger described by the narration. That gap establishes the stakes of the story: a man who appears exposed to attack does not recognize how near death has come.