The Day of the Jackal

Fiction | Novel | Adult | Published in 1971

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Summary

Background

Chapter Summaries & Analyses

Part 1, Chapters 1-4

Part 1, Chapters 5-9

Part 2, Chapters 10-14

Part 2, Chapters 15-18

Part 3

Character Analysis

Themes

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Background

Authorial and Genre Context: Frederick Forsyth and the Thriller Novel

Born on August 25, 1938, in Ashford, Kent, England, Frederick Forsyth began his career as a journalist for prominent news organizations like Reuters and the BBC. His experiences as a foreign correspondent, covering major political events and conflicts in Europe and Africa, gave him a deep understanding of international politics, espionage, and the inner workings of power structures. Forsyth’s transition to writing novels was unexpected: Faced with financial difficulties and disillusioned by the limitations of news reporting, he decided to use his knowledge of political intrigue and his journalistic skills to write a novel. The result was The Day of the Jackal, published in 1971, which would redefine the thriller genre.

The Day of the Jackal is set against a backdrop of real historical events, specifically the political turmoil in France during the early 1960s, including the conflict with Algeria and the tensions within French society over de Gaulle’s leadership. Forsyth combined a documentary-style narrative with a tightly plotted fictional story, creating an authentic storytelling style. Forsyth’s meticulous attention to detail—especially in the descriptions of espionage techniques, firearms, logistics, and intelligence operations— brought a fresh realism to the genre. The novel’s success lay not just in its realistic storyline but also in its innovative structure. Forsyth employed a dual narrative technique, alternating between the perspective of the assassin and the French authorities attempting to thwart him. This dual narrative format has since become a staple in thriller writing.

Forsyth’s dedication to realism and his exhaustive research became hallmarks of his style. In The Day of the Jackal, he uses real locations, authentic political scenarios, and plausible methods of espionage, making the fiction feel like a historical account. Forsyth’s background as a journalist played a crucial role in this approach; his ability to gather information, cross-reference facts, and present them in a compelling narrative gave his work an edge of believability. This focus on realism influenced his peers and successors in the thriller genre. Authors like Tom Clancy, John le Carré, and Robert Ludlum were influenced by Forsyth’s blend of factual precision with narrative drama. Clancy, in particular, adopted Forsyth’s detailed style in his own techno-thrillers, which meticulously describe military operations and technology.

The success of The Day of the Jackal also led to significant developments in the way thrillers were adapted for the screen. The novel was turned into a critically acclaimed film in 1973. This adaptation was noted for its faithfulness to the book’s tone and narrative style, as well as becoming a commercial and critical success, further cementing Forsyth’s influence on the genre. Forsyth’s works are often credited with inspiring real-life professionals in fields such as intelligence, law enforcement, and military strategy.

Historical Context: Charles de Gaulle and Algeria

The Day of the Jackal portrays a fictional attempt on the life of Charles de Gaulle. The French leader played a pivotal role in shaping France’s policies during the Cold War, particularly in relation to Algeria’s independence and the subsequent French reaction. When Charles de Gaulle returned to power in 1958 during the height of the Algerian War of Independence, he faced a nation deeply divided over its colonial empire. Algeria had been a French colony since 1830 and was considered a vital part of France and an integral extension of the nation itself. For many French citizens, the idea of losing Algeria was unthinkable. At the time, the conflict between the French military and the Algerian National Liberation Front (FLN) was intensifying. The FLN was fighting for Algeria’s independence, employing guerrilla tactics and acts of terrorism that were met with harsh reprisals from French forces.

Upon his return to leadership, de Gaulle’s initial statements suggested support for maintaining French Algeria. However, de Gaulle’s true intentions were more strategic: He recognized the unsustainable cost of maintaining Algeria as a colony and recognized the international and domestic pressures for decolonization. De Gaulle’s approach slowly moved from a stance of supporting a French Algeria to ultimately accepting Algerian independence. De Gaulle implemented a series of political reforms and proposed self-determination for Algeria, gradually leading the way to negotiations with the FLN. He initiated a referendum in France in 1961, where a significant majority of the French public voted in favor of Algerian self-determination.

In 1962, the Evian Accords were signed, bringing an official end to the Algerian War. The independence of Algeria was officially declared on July 3, 1962, marking the end of 132 years of French rule. The signing of the Evian Accords and the granting of independence to Algeria were major achievements for de Gaulle, but they came at a high political cost. Over a million French settlers fled Algeria in what was known as “La valise ou le cercueil” (“The suitcase or the coffin”), indicating that they had to leave or face death in a newly independent Algeria. Additionally, the French army, which was heavily involved in the conflict, felt humiliated by the perceived loss of a war they had fought so bitterly to win.

The reaction within France to Algerian independence was mixed and tumultuous. While a significant portion of the French public supported de Gaulle’s decision as a pragmatic step toward ending a costly and divisive war, there was also considerable opposition. Many members of the military and right-wing political factions felt betrayed by de Gaulle’s abandonment of the colonial cause. This dissatisfaction led to the formation of the Organisation de l’Armée Secrète (OAS), a paramilitary group composed largely of French officers who vehemently opposed Algerian independence. The OAS launched a campaign of terrorism in both Algeria and metropolitan France, including assassination attempts on de Gaulle himself. A fictional attempt is depicted in The Day of the Jackal. Despite the domestic turmoil, de Gaulle’s decision to grant independence to Algeria marked a significant shift in French foreign policy, signaling France’s transition from a colonial empire to a modern nation-state.

Historical Context: The Cold War in France

Charles de Gaulle’s policies during the Cold War were shaped by his vision of French national sovereignty and independence. As President of France, de Gaulle sought to position his country as a major power that could act independently of the two global superpowers, the United States and the Soviet Union. His approach was driven by a desire to restore France’s influence on the global stage, rebuild its national pride, and assert its autonomy within a world dominated by American and Soviet interests.

De Gaulle’s policy was based on several key principles, collectively known as Gaullism. Central to this vision was the idea that France should be a great power, capable of acting on its own terms rather than being subordinate to any alliance or bloc. This stance led him to pursue a foreign policy that emphasized national independence, strategic autonomy, and a more prominent role for France within Europe. De Gaulle’s approach to the Cold War was also shaped by his skepticism toward both the United States and the Soviet Union. He viewed the superpowers’ dominance as a threat to Europe’s independence and sought to create a “third force” in global politics, led by a unified and independent Europe with France at its center.

One of de Gaulle’s most significant actions during the Cold War was his decision to distance France from NATO’s integrated military command structure. Although France remained a member of NATO, de Gaulle withdrew French forces from the alliance’s central military operations in 1966 and expelled NATO headquarters from French soil. He believed that NATO, under American leadership, limited France’s military sovereignty and tied it too closely to American strategic decisions. De Gaulle’s move was not an outright rejection of the Western alliance but rather a statement of independence. A critical component of de Gaulle’s Cold War policy was the development of an independent French nuclear deterrent. De Gaulle was determined to ensure that France could defend its interests independently of both NATO and American nuclear capabilities.

De Gaulle’s Cold War strategy also included a focus on European unity with a clear emphasis on intergovernmental cooperation rather than supranational control. He was a proponent of a Europe of Nations, in which sovereign states worked together while retaining their independence. De Gaulle was particularly interested in strengthening ties between France and West Germany, seeing this partnership as the cornerstone of a stable, powerful Europe that could act independently of the superpowers. While he supported European economic cooperation, de Gaulle was opposed to any move that would diminish France’s national sovereignty or lead to European institutions overriding the authority of national governments. His resistance to British entry into the European Economic Community (EEC) was partly due to his suspicion that Britain would act as a proxy for American interests within Europe.

In The Day of the Jackal, de Gaulle’s often-divisive policy decisions prompt a secret society to orchestrate an assassination attempt on his life. His singular influence on the policy of a powerful nation lends credibility to the novel’s plot, in which eliminating a single individual could change the course of the future for France.