President of the Fifth Republic
The French government, known as the Fourth Republic, began to
crumble in the late 1950s, and de Gaulle once again returned to public
service to help his country. He helped form the country's next
government, becoming its president in January 1959. Establishing
France's Fifth Republic, de Gaulle dedicated himself to improving the
country's economic situation and maintaining its independence. He sought
to keep France separate from the two superpowers—the United States and
the Soviet Union. To show France's military relevance, de Gaulle
successfully campaigned for the country to press on with its nuclear
weapons program.
De Gaulle was not afraid to make controversial decisions. After
coping with uprisings in Algeria for years, he helped the French colony
achieve independence in 1962. This move was not widely popular at the
time. De Gaulle supported the idea of a united Europe, but he wanted
Europe to be free from the superpowers' influences. He fought to keep
Britain out of the European Economic Community because of its close ties
to the United States. In 1966, de Gaulle also pulled his country's
forces out of the North American Treaty Organization, acting again on
his concerns with the United States. To some, de Gaulle came off as
anti-American. Though he may have been, to some extent, his actions
seemed to truly reflected his deep nationalistic views.
Sometimes inflexible and intractable, de Gaulle nearly saw his
government toppled by student and worker protests in 1968. He managed to
restore order to the country, but left power soon after, following a
battle over political and economic reforms. In April 1969, de Gaulle
resigned from the presidency.
Death and Legacy
After his resignation, de Gaulle retired to his home in
Colombey-les-Deux-Eglises. He had little time to enjoy the quiet life of
this village, as he died of a heart attack on November 9, 1970. French
President George Pompidou, who had worked closely with de Gaulle before
succeeding him, delivered the terrible news to the public, saying
"General de Gaulle is dead.
France is a widow." France mourned the loss of its famous statesman and
military leader; the country had lost one of its greatest heroes—a hero
who had seen his people through war,
and proved to be instrumental in his country's recovery.
Other world leaders offered up words of praise for de Gaulle. Queen Elizabeth II
said that his "courage and tenacity in the allied cause during the dark
years of the Second World War will never be forgotten." Two American
presidents, Lyndon B. Johnson and Harry S. Truman, sent their condolences to the people of France, as well as to Soviet Premier Aleksei Kosygin. President Richard Nixon
was among the foreign dignitaries who attended a special service for de
Gaulle, held shortly after his death, at the Notre Dame Cathedral in
Paris.
Charles de Gaulle rose from French soldier in World War I to exiled
leader and, eventually, president of the Fifth Republic, a position he
held until 1969. De Gaulle's time as a commander in World War II would
later influence his political career, providing him with a tenacious
drive. His time as president was marked by the student and worker
uprisings in 1968, which he responded to with an appeal for civil order.
Early Military Career
The son of a philosophy and literature professor, famed
French leader Charles de Gaulle was born in 1890, into a patriotic and
devoutly Catholic family. De Gaulle was a well-educated and well-read
child. Early on, he dreamed of being a military leader. He enrolled at
the country's top military academy, Saint-Cyr, in 1909. In 1912, he
completed his studies and joined an infantry regiment that was commanded
by Colonel Philippe Pétain, serving as a lieutenant.
During World War I, de Gaulle distinguished himself on the
battlefield. He was wounded twice early on, and received a medal for his
service. Promoted to captain, de Gaulle fought in one of the war's most
deadly confrontations—the Battle of Verdun—in 1916. During the fight,
he was injured and, subsequently, taken prisoner. After several failed
escape attempts, de Gaulle was freed at the end of the war.
A bright and skilled soldier, de Gaulle enrolled in a special
training program at the École Supérieure de Guerre after the war. He
later worked with Pétain and served on France's Supreme War Council.
Gaining some international experience, de Gaulle spent time in Germany
and the Middle East.
Also an insightful writer, de Gaulle explored a number of military
issues in his books. He published his examination of Germany, La Discorde chez l'ennemi, in 1924. Another important book was Vers l'armée de métier
(1932), in which he made suggestions for creating a better army. This
critical work was largely ignored by French military officials, but not
by the Germans. According to some reports, the German military followed
some of de Gaulle's recommendations in World War II. He and his mentor,
Petain, had a falling out over another book, a military history piece
entitled La France et son armée (1938).
World War II
At the time fighting broke out between Germany and France, de
Gaulle was leading a tank brigade. He was temporarily appointed the
brigadier general of the 4th Armored Division in May of 1940. Continuing
to rise up professionally, de Gaulle became the undersecretary for
defense and war for French leader Paul Reynaud that June. A short while
later, Reynaud was replaced by Pétain. Pétain's new government,
sometimes called the Vichy government, worked out a deal with Germany to
avoid further bloodshed. The Vichy regime became infamous for
collaborating with the Nazis.
A dedicated nationalist, de Gaulle did not accept France's surrender
to Germany in 1940. He instead fled to England, where he became a leader
of the Free French movement, with the support of British prime minister
Winston Churchill.
From London, de Gaulle broadcast a message across the English Channel
to his countrymen, calling for them to resist the German occupation. He
also organized soldiers from French colonies to fight alongside the
allied troops.
De Gaulle sometimes irritated other allied leaders with his demands and perceived arrogance. American President Franklin D. Roosevelt reportedly could not stand him. In fact, at the war's end,
de Gaulle was purposely left out of the Yalta Conference, as Germany
negotiated its surrender. He did, however, secure his nation an
occupation zone in Germany and a seat on the United Nation's Security
Council. De Gaulle enjoyed wide support at home and, in 1945, became
president of France's provisional government. In a dispute over greater
power for the country's executive branch, de Gaulle resigned this post.
For several years, de Gaulle led his own political movement, "Rally
for the French People," which did not gain much momentum. He retired
from politics in 1953.
