Charles de Gaulle
French general and statesman who led Free France and founded the Fifth Republic.
Charles André Joseph Marie de Gaulle (22 November 1890 – 9 November 1970) was a French general and statesman. Born in Lille, he was the third of five children in a devoutly Catholic, conservative, and monarchist family. His father, a professor of history and literature, encouraged debate and instilled in him a deep knowledge of French history. De Gaulle was a decorated officer in World War I, wounded multiple times and captured as a prisoner of war. During the interwar period, he became a proponent of mobile armoured divisions. In May 1940, he led an armoured division in a counterattack against the German invasion and was subsequently appointed Undersecretary for War. Refusing to accept the armistice, he fled to England and issued the Appeal of 18 June, exhorting the French to continue fighting. He led the Free French Forces and later the French National Liberation Committee, becoming the undisputed leader of Free France. He chaired the Provisional Government from 1944 to 1946, restoring democracy and introducing a dirigiste economic policy of state-directed control over a capitalist economy, which preceded three decades of unprecedented growth known as the Trente Glorieuses. He resigned in 1946 but remained politically active, founding the Rally of the French People. After retiring in the early 1950s, he wrote his War Memoirs, which became a staple of modern French literature. During the May 1958 crisis, when the Algerian War threatened the Fourth Republic, President René Coty appointed him Prime Minister. He commissioned a new constitution, approved by referendum, establishing the Fifth Republic with a strong presidency. Elected president later that year with 78% of the vote, he granted independence to Algeria, angering the Pieds-Noirs and military. In the Cold War, he pursued a policy of "national independence," withdrawing France from NATO’s integrated command and developing an independent nuclear strike force, making France the world’s fourth nuclear power. He restored cordial relations with West Germany through the Élysée Treaty, opposing a supranational Europe in favor of sovereign nations. He criticized US intervention in Vietnam and the dollar’s exorbitant privilege, and his vetoes of British entry into the European Economic Community sparked controversy. Reelected in 1965, he faced the May 1968 protests but won early elections with an increased maj
- field
- Military general, statesman
- nationality
- French
- known_for
- Leading Free France in WWII, founding the Fifth Republic, ending the Algerian War, withdrawing from NATO's integrated command
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Lore & Background
Charles de Gaulle stood exceptionally tall for his era, with a lanky frame and a prominent nose, often described as bearing an air of aloof dignity. His range of influence extended from his birthplace in Lille, through the battlefields of World War I where he was wounded and captured, to the corridors of power in interwar France where he championed the then-unconventional concept of mobile armored divisions. During World War II, his habitat shifted from a government post in metropolitan France to exile in England, from which he broadcast his Appeal of 18 June, rallying the French to resist. He later operated from Algiers as head of the French National Liberation Committee, before returning to liberated Paris to lead the Provisional Government. Defining characteristics include his unwavering refusal to accept the 1940 armistice, his establishment of the Free French Forces as a legitimate fighting entity, and his early introduction of a dirigiste economic policy that placed substantial state control over a capitalist economy. He was a devout Catholic from a conservative, monarchist family, a voracious reader of philosophers such as Bergson, Péguy, and Nietzsche, and a writer who began composing poetry and plays in his teens. His military career was marked by personal bravery and strategic vision, while his political legacy is defined by the founding of the Fifth Republic with a strong presidency, his pursuit of national independence through withdrawal from NATO’s integrated command and development of an independent nuclear force, and his vision of a Europe of sovereign nations rather than a supranational entity.
Reader's Guide
De Gaulle's significance lies in his role as the symbol of French resistance during World War II and his reshaping of French political institutions. He granted independence to Algeria, angering the Pieds-Noirs and armed forces, and acted progressively towards other French colonies. In the Cold War, he pursued a 'politics of grandeur,' withdrawing France from NATO's integrated military command and launching an independent nuclear strike force, making France the world's fourth nuclear power. He restored cordial France–Germany relations via the Élysée Treaty and opposed supranational Europe, favouring sovereign nations. His later years saw controversy over his 'Vive le Québec libre' speech and two vetoes of Britain's entry into the European Economic Community. Many French political parties and leaders claim a Gaullist legacy, and numerous streets and monuments worldwide were dedicated to his memory.
Did You Know?
- De Gaulle was wounded several times and taken prisoner of war by Germany during World War I.
- He wrote his War Memoirs during retirement in the early 1950s, which became a staple of modern French literature.
- He introduced a dirigiste economic policy as head of the Provisional Government, followed by 30 years of unprecedented growth.
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