Charles de gaulle
French general and first president of the Fifth Republic 1958–69. He organized the Free French troops fighting the Nazis 1940–44, was head of the provisional French government 1944–46, and leader of his own Gaullist party. In 1958 the national assembly asked him to form a government during France's economic recovery and to solve the crisis in Algeria. He became president at the end of 1958, having changed the constitution to provide for a presidential system, and served until 1969.
Born in Lille, he graduated from Saint‐Cyr in 1911 and was severely wounded and captured by the Germans in 1916. In June 1940 he refused to accept the new prime minister Pétain's truce with the Germans and on 18 June made his historic broadcast calling on the French to continue the war against Germany. He based himself in England as leader of the Free French troops fighting the Germans 1940–44. In 1944 he entered Paris in triumph and was briefly head of the provisional government before resigning over the new constitution of the Fourth Republic in 1946. In 1947 he founded the Rassemblement du Peuple Français, a non‐party constitutional reform movement, then withdrew from politics in 1953. When national bankruptcy and civil war in Algeria loomed in 1958, de Gaulle was called to form a government. As prime minister he promulgated a constitution subordinating the legislature to the presidency and took office as president in December 1958. Economic recovery followed, as well as Algerian independence after a bloody war. A nationalist, he opposed ‘Anglo‐Saxon’ influence in Europe.
Re‐elected president in 1965, he pursued a foreign policy that opposed British entry to the European Economic Union (EEC), withdrew French forces from the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) in 1966, and pursued the development of a French nuclear deterrent. He violently quelled student demonstrations in May 1968 as soon as they were joined by workers. The Gaullist party, reorganized as Union des Democrats pour la Cinquième République, won an overwhelming majority in the elections of the same year. In 1969 he resigned after the defeat of the government in a referendum on constitutional reform. He retired to the village of Colombey‐les‐Deux‐Eglises in northeastern France.
Quotations Charles André Joseph Marie de Gaulle (1890–1970)French general and first president of the Fifth Republic 1958–69 Diplomats are useful only in fair weather. As soon as it rains they drown in every drop.
Newsweek 1 October 1962
France has lost a battle. But France has not lost the war!
Proclamation 18 June 1940
A great country worthy of the name does not have any friends.
Time 28 May 1965
How can you govern a country which has 246 varieties of cheese?
E Mignon Les Mots du Général
If I am not France, what am I doing in your office?
Making claim to Winston Churchill to lead the Free French 1940
I respect only those who resist me; but I cannot tolerate them.
Quoted in The New York Times Magazine May 1966
No country without an atom bomb could properly consider itself independent.
The New York Times 1968
Patriotism is when love of your own people comes first; nationalism, when hate for people other than your own comes first.
Life 9 May 1969
Since a politician never believes what he says, he is quite surprised to be taken at his word.
E Mignon Les Mots du Général
To govern is always to choose among disadvantages.
The New York Times 14 November 1965
"de Gaulle, Charles André Joseph Marie (1890–1970)." Helicon Encyclopedia of World History. 2010. History Study Center. Web. 21 Dec. 2013.
Born in Lille, he graduated from Saint‐Cyr in 1911 and was severely wounded and captured by the Germans in 1916. In June 1940 he refused to accept the new prime minister Pétain's truce with the Germans and on 18 June made his historic broadcast calling on the French to continue the war against Germany. He based himself in England as leader of the Free French troops fighting the Germans 1940–44. In 1944 he entered Paris in triumph and was briefly head of the provisional government before resigning over the new constitution of the Fourth Republic in 1946. In 1947 he founded the Rassemblement du Peuple Français, a non‐party constitutional reform movement, then withdrew from politics in 1953. When national bankruptcy and civil war in Algeria loomed in 1958, de Gaulle was called to form a government. As prime minister he promulgated a constitution subordinating the legislature to the presidency and took office as president in December 1958. Economic recovery followed, as well as Algerian independence after a bloody war. A nationalist, he opposed ‘Anglo‐Saxon’ influence in Europe.
Re‐elected president in 1965, he pursued a foreign policy that opposed British entry to the European Economic Union (EEC), withdrew French forces from the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) in 1966, and pursued the development of a French nuclear deterrent. He violently quelled student demonstrations in May 1968 as soon as they were joined by workers. The Gaullist party, reorganized as Union des Democrats pour la Cinquième République, won an overwhelming majority in the elections of the same year. In 1969 he resigned after the defeat of the government in a referendum on constitutional reform. He retired to the village of Colombey‐les‐Deux‐Eglises in northeastern France.
Quotations Charles André Joseph Marie de Gaulle (1890–1970)French general and first president of the Fifth Republic 1958–69 Diplomats are useful only in fair weather. As soon as it rains they drown in every drop.
Newsweek 1 October 1962
France has lost a battle. But France has not lost the war!
Proclamation 18 June 1940
A great country worthy of the name does not have any friends.
Time 28 May 1965
How can you govern a country which has 246 varieties of cheese?
E Mignon Les Mots du Général
If I am not France, what am I doing in your office?
Making claim to Winston Churchill to lead the Free French 1940
I respect only those who resist me; but I cannot tolerate them.
Quoted in The New York Times Magazine May 1966
No country without an atom bomb could properly consider itself independent.
The New York Times 1968
Patriotism is when love of your own people comes first; nationalism, when hate for people other than your own comes first.
Life 9 May 1969
Since a politician never believes what he says, he is quite surprised to be taken at his word.
E Mignon Les Mots du Général
To govern is always to choose among disadvantages.
The New York Times 14 November 1965
"de Gaulle, Charles André Joseph Marie (1890–1970)." Helicon Encyclopedia of World History. 2010. History Study Center. Web. 21 Dec. 2013.