Charles de Gaulle

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First World War
Born in Lille 22 November 1890, de Gaulle’s early career was in the army where he did well and served under Colonel Philippe Pétain of whom he later wrote in his memoirs "My first colonel, Pétain, taught me the art of command".

During the First World War, de Gaulle saw action from the very start. He was wounded several times and promoted to captain. In 1915 he received the Croix de Guerre for his bravery in the trenches.

Finally he was captured at the battle of Verdun on 2 March 1916 and spent the rest of the war as a prisoner. However, he attempted to escape five times before being moved to a high-security prison. Having learned German at school, he used his time to read German newspapers and write his first book - The Enemy's House Divided.

The Inter-war Years
After the First Word War, de Gaulle served with a French military mission to Poland becoming involved in the Poland Russia war in 1920. He received Poland’s highest military award for his exploits.

By 1937 he had been promoted to full Colonel and put in command of the 507th Tank Regiment. He found himself working again with Marshal Pétain but the relationship was bumpy.

De Gaulle started to become involved in the relationship between the Government and the army, developing his ideas on military strategy. He made contacts with important people including Paul Reynaud, who would become President of the Council during the Second World War.  De Gaulle became a celebrity in France and wrote four more books.

Second World War
In early 1940 De Gaulle was looking for a place in Reynaud’s government but by the time of the German offensive in May 1940, he was in command of an armoured division. Despite some successes, he failed to have a significant impact on the German advance. However, he was promoted to Brigadier-General.

In early June 1940, De Gaulle was given his first Government post by Reynaud as Secretary of State for War and National Defense. In meetings where Churchill was in attendance, he seemed impressed with De Gaulle’s fighting spirit compared to other French leaders at the time.

On 17 June, De Gaulle left France and flew to London, in disagreement with the government of Marshal Pétain who signed the submission to Nazi Germany on June 22. On 18 June, De Gaulle gave his now famous “Appel du 18 Juin 1940”. This broadcast is more well-known now than it was at the time - at least in France where very few people heard it.

Shortly after this, on 28 June, the British Government recognised De Gaulle as leader of the Free French although he had far from unanimous support from either British or French leaders. In fact, the Vichy regime sentenced him to four years’ imprisonment and later condemned him to death by court martial. Pétain, then President of the Council, and De Gaulle had very different views on the future of France. The British attack on the French fleet at Mers el-Kebir on 3 July 1940 did not help matters but the British had agreed to fund the Free French albeit in the form of a  debt to be repaid after the war.

De Gaulle now set about organising Free French forces and Resistance in France.

De Gaulle and Churchill
De Gaulle could be autocratic and harsh and his relationship with Churchill was often difficult. There are some stories that later in the war Churchill wanted to remove De Gaulle who was distrusted by President Roosevelt of the United States. The Americans had little faith in the security of French codes and so limited the information passed to the Free French. De Gaulle’s main interest was France and its independence. He also feared that the British wished to get their hands on French colonies.

However, it must be remembered that in 1940 it was Churchill who recognised and funded De Gaulle as leader of the Free French, against the wishes of many in the British Government. Following the liberation of France, Churchill was warmly welcomed in Paris. It would appear that while De Gaulle did not trust British intentions, he recognised that without the British and in particular, Churchill’s determination to fight on, the war could not have been won.

Post War
De Gaulle, now heading a provisional Government, had the difficult task of governing France after its liberation. There were several different factions in France seeking power; many French men were still being held prisoner; collaborators were being harshly treated; and the aftermath of the Vichy regime had to be dealt with.

In November 1945, De Gaulle was elected leader of the new Government, only to resign in January 1946. He would remain out of power until 1958.

With severe problems in Indochina and Algeria, France was in trouble - possibly on the brink of civil war. De Gaulle was once again called upon to be Head of State with a mission to replace the Fourth Republic and create a Presidency with significant powers.

In 1958, a referendum brought into existence the Fifth Republic and De Gaulle was elected President.

1968
The events of 1968 are a story in themselves and were the undoing of De Gaulle. In 1969 he resigned following the rejection of a referendum to reform the Senate and local government. By then, De Gaulle was unpopular with the people. De Gaulle is now unpopular. His aloof character and politics no longer suit the new era and it is time for him to go.

De Gaulle's mark on France is still noticeable today. There remains the Fifth Republic and the powerful presidency; reconciliation between France and Germany; the end of the Algerian war and decolonization; France's investment in the atomic bomb in order to be part of the nuclear powers, then the considerable development of civilian nuclear power, which is greater than in all the neighbouring countries.