18th President of France

Charles de Gaulle was brought up in deep patriotism; from childhood he understood what national pride was. He received his education at the Jesuit College, and then entered the Saint-Cyr Higher Military School.

After studying, Charles joined an infantry regiment and began to think about his feat for France. When did the first one come? World War, Charles went to the front, where he was promoted to captain after three wounds and captivity.

In 1924, he graduated from the Higher Military School in Paris, and wrote books about the reform of the French army: “On the Edge of the Sword” and “For a Professional Army,” which were published in 1932 and 1934. It was these books that brought Charles de Gaulle popularity among military men and politicians.

In 1937, Charles de Gaulle became a colonel and was sent to Metz as commander of a tank corps.

De Gaulle's appeal “To all Frenchmen”, 1940 (clickable)

He had already celebrated the year 1939 as the commander of tank units in one of the combined arms army of France.

In the spring of 1940, he became Prime Minister of France Raynaud, an old friend of de Gaulle, so promotion was now much easier. In the summer of the same year, Charles received the rank of brigadier general.

De Gaulle later found himself in the cabinet and became responsible for national security matters.

As a representative of the government, de Gaulle negotiated with Churchill, which were interrupted by the Wehrmacht's attack on France. In this situation, the military leaders decided to support Marshal Pétain and accepted the surrender. Reynaud's cabinet resigned, and Marshal Pétain became the head of the country.

General de Gaulle with his wife (London, 1942)

De Gaulle was not going to put up with such a situation and went to England to create a French resistance. The British government supported de Gaulle's views, so in the summer of 1940 the Free French movement was created.

The first military action of the Free French was an attempt to subjugate the western coast of Africa to the French, but it ended in failure.

Charles de Gaulle to the right of Winston Churchill

in 1941, Charles de Gaulle tried to create a movement of the French National Committee, which would carry out the functions of the government. But the colonies were not very keen to help the Allies in the war. De Gaulle led operations against Pétain's forces in Syria, and also fought against the occupiers, even the forces of the French communists.

In the winter of 1943, a representative office of the PCF operated in London, and on the territory of France itself the NSS was created under the leadership of Jean Mullen (National Council of Resistance).

Charles de Gaulle, 1946

Charles de Gaulle actively developed the Resistance movement, forming the Provisional Government.

On June 6, 1944, uprisings began throughout France. On August 25, 1944, France was liberated.

On October 21, 1945, elections were held in France, in which the communists won, but it was Charles de Gaulle who was entrusted with the formation of the new government.

Charles de Gaulle, 1965

In 1946, de Gaulle himself left his post, unable to find common language with the communists. For 12 years he was in the shadows and as soon as the country’s economic situation began to deteriorate further, he again appeared on the political arena.

In 1947, he created the “Union of the French People,” the goal of which was to establish strict presidential power in France. But in 1953 the movement was disbanded.

De Gaulle's goal of becoming president began to be realized only with the outbreak of the Algerian War. Algeria had long fought for its independence and in order to suppress resistance, it was necessary to send impressive forces. The military were supporters of de Gaulle and demanded his return.

The president and cabinet of ministers voluntarily resigned, and de Gaulle returned to politics.

On June 1, 1985, the government program was presented to the National Assembly, which was approved by 329 to 224. The general demanded the adoption of a new constitution, according to which the rights of the president largely prevailed over the powers of parliament. On October 4, 1958, a new constitution was approved. This was the establishment of the Fifth Republic. And in December of the same year, de Gaulle was elected president.

The post of Prime Minister was occupied by Michel Debreu. The National Assembly was replenished with 188 Gaullist deputies, who united in the UNR (“Union for a New Republic”). Together with representatives of the right-wing party, they formed the majority. It was a regime of personal power.

The Algerian problem occupied a primary role in de Gaulle's mind, so on September 16, 1959, the president declared Algeria's right to self-determination. After a rebellion, a series of resistance actions and attempts on de Gaulle's life, Algeria became an independent state in 1962.

Tomb of de Gaulle, his wife and daughter in Colombey

In 1965, de Gaulle was elected to a seven-year term, but he left politics much earlier. After several unsuccessful attempts to implement reforms, Charles de Gaulle resigned.

From April 1969, when he left the presidency, de Gaulle went to his estate in Burgundy.

He was only 13 days away from his 80th birthday. He died on November 9, 1970 and was buried in the village cemetery without any ceremony in his own way. at will. Representatives from 84 states accompanied him on his final journey, and a special meeting of the UN General Assembly was organized in memory of this man.

GAULLE CHARLES DE - statesman of France, president of the Fifth Republic (1959-1969).

Born into an aristocratic family. In 1912 he graduated from the Saint-Cyr military school. A participant in the 1st World War, he was wounded three times. In 1916-1918 he was in German captivity. In 1919-1921, he was an officer in the French military mission in Poland.

In 1922-1924 he studied at the Higher Military School in Paris. In 1925-1931 he served on the staff of the vice-chairman of the Supreme Military Council of France, Marshal A.F. Petena, in Rhineland and Lebanon.

In 1932-1936, Secretary of the Supreme Council of National Defense. In 1937-1939, commander of a tank regiment.

At the beginning of World War 2 he commanded tank corps 5th French Army (1939), in May 1940 he led the 4th Armored Division and received the rank of brigadier general. On June 5, 1940, he was appointed Deputy Minister of War. After the government of A.F. came to power. Pétain (June 16, 1940) flew to Great Britain and on June 18, 1940, addressed the French on the radio with an appeal to continue the fight against Nazi Germany. While in exile, he led the Free France movement, which joined the anti-Hitler coalition.

In June 1943, after the landing of Anglo-American troops in North Africa, he created the French Committee for National Liberation (FCNL) in Algeria; he headed it until November 1943 together with General A.O. Giraud, then alone).

Since June 1944, after the FKNO was renamed into the Provisional Government of the French Republic, head of government. The cabinet led by Gaulle restored democratic freedoms in France, nationalized a number of industries and carried out socio-economic reforms.

In December 1944, he paid an official visit to the USSR and signed the Treaty of Alliance and Mutual Assistance between the USSR and the French Republic.

In January 1946, due to disagreements on major internal political issues with representatives of left-wing parties, he left the post of head of government. In 1947, he founded the Rally of the French People (RPF) party, the main goal of which was to abolish the 1946 Constitution, which transferred real power in the country to the National Assembly, and not to the president, as Gaulle wanted. The RPF advocated the slogans of creating a state with strong presidential power, France pursuing an independent policy in the international arena, and creating conditions for the “association of labor and capital.”

Having failed to come to power with the help of the RPF, Gaulle dissolved it in 1953 and temporarily retired from active political activity. On June 1, 1958, in the conditions of an acute political crisis caused by a military rebellion in Algeria, the National Assembly approved Gaulle as head of government. Under his leadership, the 1958 Constitution was developed, which narrowed the powers of parliament and significantly expanded the rights of the president. In October 1958, Gaulle's supporters united into the Union for a New Republic (UNR) party, which declared itself "totally devoted" to his "ideas and personality."

On December 21, 1958, Goll was elected president, and on December 19, 1965, he was re-elected for a new 7-year term. In this post, overcoming the resistance of ultra-colonialists and part of the military, he achieved independence for Algeria (see Evian agreements of 1962), and pursued a policy of increasing the role of France in solving European and world problems.

During Gaulle's reign, France became a nuclear power (January 1960); in 1966, having failed to achieve equality with the USA and Great Britain in NATO, it left military organization of this union. In 1964, the French leadership condemned the US aggression against Vietnam, and in 1967, the Israeli aggression against the Arab states. Being a supporter of European integration, Gaulle understood “United Europe” as a “Europe of Fatherland”, in which each country must retain political independence and national identity. Gaulle advocated rapprochement between France and Germany, and in 1963 he signed a Franco-German cooperation agreement. Twice (in 1963, 1967) he vetoed Great Britain’s entry into the EEC, not wanting to allow into this organization a strong competitor closely associated with the United States and capable of claiming leadership in Western Europe. Gaulle was one of the first to put forward the idea of ​​easing international tension. During Gaulle's reign, cooperation between France and the USSR received significant development. In 1964, France recognized China People's Republic and established diplomatic relations with her.

In May 1968, France was gripped by student unrest, which developed into a general strike (see General Strike of 1968 in France), which indicated a deep crisis in French society. Gaulle voluntarily resigned as president of the republic and withdrew from political activity after the referendum on April 28, 1969 did not receive the support of the majority of the population for his proposed projects for reforming the Senate and changing the administrative-territorial structure of France. Goll devoted the last year and a half of his life to writing memoirs.

Illustrations:

BRE Archive.

Essays:

La discorde chez l'ennemi. R., 1924;

Professional army. M., 1935;

La France et son armée. R., 1938;

Discourse et messages. R., 1970. Vol. 1-5;

Lettres, notes et carnets. R., 1980-1997. Vol. 1-13

Charles de Gaulle (Gaulle) (1890-1970) - French politician and statesman, founder and first president (1959-1969) of the Fifth Republic. In 1940 he founded the patriotic movement “Free France” (from 1942 “Fighting France”) in London, which joined anti-Hitler coalition; in 1941 he became the head of the French National Committee, in 1943 - the French Committee for National Liberation, created in Algeria. From 1944 to January 1946, de Gaulle was the head of the French Provisional Government. After the war, he was the founder and leader of the Rally of the French People party. In 1958, Prime Minister of France. On de Gaulle's initiative, a new constitution was prepared (1958), which expanded the rights of the president. During his presidency, France implemented plans to create its own nuclear forces and withdrew from the NATO military organization; Soviet-French cooperation received significant development.

Origin. Formation of worldview

Charles De Gaulle was born on November 22, 1890, in Lille, into an aristocratic family and was brought up in the spirit of patriotism and Catholicism. In 1912, he graduated from the Saint-Cyr military school, becoming a professional soldier. He fought on the fields of the First World War 1914-1918 (World War I), was captured, and was released in 1918.

De Gaulle's worldview was influenced by such contemporaries as philosophers Henri Bergson and Emile Boutroux, writer Maurice Barrès, and poet and publicist Charles Péguy.

Even in the interwar period, Charles became a supporter of French nationalism and a supporter of strong executive power. This is confirmed by the books published by de Gaulle in the 1920-1930s - “Discord in the Land of the Enemy” (1924), “On the Edge of the Sword” (1932), “For a Professional Army” (1934), “France and Its Army” (1938). In these works devoted to military problems, de Gaulle was essentially the first in France to predict the decisive role of tank forces in a future war.

The Second World War

The Second World War (World War II), at the beginning of which Charles de Gaulle received the rank of general, turned his whole life upside down. He decisively refused the truce concluded by Marshal Henri Philippe Pétain with Nazi Germany and flew to England to organize the struggle for the liberation of France. On June 18, 1940, de Gaulle spoke on London radio with an appeal to his compatriots, in which he urged them not to lay down their arms and to join the Free France association he founded in exile (after 1942, Fighting France).

At the first stage of the war, de Gaulle directed his main efforts towards establishing control over the French colonies, which were under the rule of the pro-fascist Vichy government. As a result, Chad, Congo, Ubangi-Chari, Gabon, Cameroon, and later other colonies joined the Free French. Free French officers and soldiers constantly took part in Allied military operations. De Gaulle sought to build relations with England, the USA and the USSR on the basis of equality and upholding the national interests of France. After the landing of Anglo-American troops in North Africa in June 1943, the French Committee for National Liberation (FCNL) was created in the city of Algiers. Charles De Gaulle was appointed its co-chairman (along with General Henri Giraud), and then its sole chairman.

In June 1944, the FKNO was renamed the Provisional Government French Republic. De Gaulle became its first head. Under his leadership, the government restored democratic freedoms in France and carried out socio-economic reforms. In January 1946, de Gaulle left the post of prime minister, disagreeing on major domestic political issues with representatives of the left parties of France.

Charles de Gaulle during the Fourth Republic

That same year, the Fourth Republic was established in France. According to the 1946 Constitution, real power in the country belonged not to the president of the republic (as de Gaulle proposed), but to the National Assembly. In 1947, de Gaulle again became involved in political life France. He founded the Rally of the French People (RPF). The main goal of the RPF was to fight for the abolition of the 1946 Constitution and the conquest of power through parliamentary means to establish a new political regime in the spirit of de Gaulle's ideas. Initially the RPF had big success. 1 million people joined its ranks. But the Gaullists failed to achieve their goal. In 1953, de Gaulle dissolved the RPF and withdrew from political activities. During this period, Gaullism finally took shape as an ideological and political movement (ideas of the state and “national greatness” of France, social policy).

Fifth Republic

The Algerian crisis of 1958 (Algeria's struggle for independence) paved the way for de Gaulle to power. Under his direct leadership, the 1958 Constitution was developed, which significantly expanded the prerogatives of the country's president (executive branch) at the expense of parliament. This is how the Fifth Republic, which still exists today, began its history. Charles de Gaulle was elected its first president for a seven-year term. The priority task of the president and government was to resolve the “Algerian problem.”

De Gaulle firmly pursued a course towards Algerian self-determination, despite serious opposition (rebellions of the French army and ultra-colonialists in 1960-1961, terrorist activities of the OAS, a number of assassination attempts on de Gaulle). Algeria was granted independence with the signing of the Evian Accords in April 1962. In October of the same year, the most important amendment to the 1958 Constitution was adopted in a general referendum - on the election of the president of the republic by universal suffrage. On its basis, in 1965, de Gaulle was re-elected president for a new seven-year term.

Charles de Gaulle sought to implement his foreign policy in line with his idea of ​​the “national greatness” of France. He insisted on equal rights for France, the United States and Great Britain within NATO. Having failed to achieve success, the president withdrew France from the NATO military organization in 1966. In relations with Germany, de Gaulle managed to achieve noticeable results. In 1963, a Franco-German cooperation agreement was signed. De Gaulle was one of the first to put forward the idea of ​​a “united Europe”. He thought of it as a “Europe of fatherlands,” in which each country would retain its political independence and national identity. De Gaulle was a supporter of the idea of ​​détente. He set his country on the path of cooperation with the USSR, China and third world countries.

Domestic policy Charles de Gaulle paid less attention than to the external. The student unrest in May 1968 indicated a serious crisis engulfing French society. Soon the president put forward a project on a new administrative division of France and Senate reform to a general referendum. However, the project did not receive the approval of the majority of the French. In April 1969, de Gaulle voluntarily resigned, finally abandoning political activity.

How General de Gaulle defeated America

In 1965, General Charles de Gaulle flew to the United States and, at a meeting with American President Lyndon Johnson, announced that he intended to exchange 1.5 billion paper dollars for gold at the official rate of $35 per ounce. Johnson was informed that a French ship loaded with dollars was in the New York port, and a French plane had landed at the airport with the same cargo on board. Johnson promised the French President serious problems. De Gaulle responded by announcing the evacuation of NATO headquarters, 29 NATO and US military bases from French territory and the withdrawal of 33 thousand alliance troops.

Ultimately, both were done.

Over the next 2 years, France managed to buy more than 3 thousand tons of gold from the United States in exchange for dollars.

What happened to those dollars and gold?

De Gaulle is said to have been very impressed by an anecdote told to him by the former Minister of Finance in the Clemenceau government. At an auction for a painting by Raphael, an Arab offers oil, a Russian offers gold, and an American takes out a wad of banknotes and buys it for 10 thousand dollars. In response to de Gaulle's perplexed question, the minister explains to him that the American bought the painting for only 3 dollars, because... The cost of printing one $100 bill is 3 cents. And de Gaulle unequivocally and definitively believed in gold and only gold. In 1965, de Gaulle decided that he did not need these pieces of paper.

De Gaulle's victory was Pyrrhic. He himself lost his post. And the dollar took the place of gold in the global monetary system. Just a dollar. Without any gold content.

Biography

Charles de Gaulle(Gaulle) (November 22, 1890, Lille - November 9, 1970, Colombe-les-deux-Eglises), French politician and statesman, founder and first president of the Fifth Republic.

Origin. Formation of worldview.

De Gaulle born into an aristocratic family and raised in the spirit of patriotism and Catholicism. In 1912 he graduated from the Saint-Cyr military school, becoming a professional military man. He fought on the fields of the First World War 1914-1918, was captured, and was released in 1918. De Gaulle's worldview was influenced by such contemporaries as philosophers A. Bergson and E. Boutroux, writer M. Barres, poet S. Peguy. Even during the interwar period, he became a supporter of French nationalism and a supporter of a strong executive power. This is confirmed by books published de Gaullem in the 1920-30s - "Discord in the Land of the Enemy" (1924), "At the Edge of the Sword" (1932), "For a Professional Army" (1934), "France and Its Army" (1938). In these works devoted to military problems, de Gaulle was essentially the first in France to predict the decisive role of tank forces in a future war.

The Second World War.

The Second World War, at the beginning of which de Gaulle received the rank of general, turned his whole life upside down. He resolutely refused the truce concluded by the Marshal A. F. Pétain with Nazi Germany, and flew to England to organize the struggle for the liberation of France. June 18, 1940 de Gaulle He spoke on London radio with an appeal to his compatriots, in which he called on them not to lay down their arms and to join the Free France association he founded in exile (after 1942, Fighting France). At the first stage of the war, de Gaulle directed his main efforts towards establishing control over the French colonies, which were under the rule of the pro-fascist Vichy government. As a result, Chad, Congo, Ubangi-Shari, Gabon, Cameroon, and later other colonies joined the Free France. Free French officers and soldiers constantly took part in Allied military operations. De Gaulle sought to build relations with England, the USA and the USSR on the basis of equality and upholding the national interests of France. After the landing of Anglo-American troops in North Africa in June 1943, the French Committee for National Liberation (FCNL) was created in the city of Algiers. De Gaulle was appointed its co-chairman (along with General A. Giraud), and then as sole chairman. In June 1944, the FCNO was renamed the Provisional Government of the French Republic. De Gaulle became its first head. Under his leadership, the government restored democratic freedoms in France and carried out socio-economic reforms. In January 1946, de Gaulle left the post of prime minister, disagreeing on major domestic political issues with representatives of the left parties of France.

During the Fourth Republic.

That same year, the Fourth Republic was established in France. According to the 1946 Constitution, real power in the country belonged not to the president of the republic (as de Gaulle proposed), but to the National Assembly. In 1947, de Gaulle again became involved in the political life of France. He founded the Rally of the French People (RPF). The main goal of the RPF was the fight for the abolition of the 1946 Constitution and the conquest of power through parliamentary means to establish a new political regime in the spirit of ideas de Gaulle. The RPF was initially a great success. 1 million people joined its ranks. But the Gaullists failed to achieve their goal. In 1953, de Gaulle dissolved the RPF and withdrew from political activities. During this period, Gaullism finally took shape as an ideological and political movement (ideas of the state and “national greatness” of France, social policy).

Fifth Republic.

The Algerian crisis of 1958 (Algeria's struggle for independence) paved the way for de Gaulle to power. Under his direct leadership, the 1958 Constitution was developed, which significantly expanded the prerogatives of the country's president (executive branch) at the expense of parliament. This is how the Fifth Republic, which still exists today, began its history. De Gaulle was elected its first president for a seven-year term. The priority task of the president and government was to resolve the “Algerian problem.” De Gaulle firmly pursued a course towards self-determination of Algeria, despite the most serious opposition (rebellions of the French army and ultra-colonialists in 1960-1961, terrorist activities of the OAS, a number of assassination attempts de Gaulle). Algeria was granted independence with the signing of the Evian Accords in April 1962. In October of the same year, the most important amendment to the 1958 Constitution was adopted in a general referendum - on the election of the president of the republic by universal suffrage. On its basis, in 1965, de Gaulle was re-elected president for a new seven-year term. De Gaulle sought to pursue foreign policy in line with his idea of ​​the “national greatness” of France. He insisted on equal rights for France, the United States and Great Britain within NATO. Unable to achieve success, the president withdrew France from the NATO military organization in 1966. In relations with Germany, de Gaulle managed to achieve noticeable results. In 1963, a Franco-German cooperation agreement was signed. De Gaulle one of the first to put forward the idea of ​​a “united Europe”. He thought of it as a “Europe of fatherlands,” in which each country would retain its political independence and national identity. De Gaulle was a supporter of the idea of ​​détente. He set his country on the path of cooperation with the USSR, China and third world countries. De Gaulle paid less attention to domestic policy than to foreign policy. The student unrest in May 1968 indicated a serious crisis engulfing French society. Soon the president put forward a project on a new administrative division of France and Senate reform to a general referendum. However, the project did not receive the approval of the majority of the French. In April 1969 de Gaulle voluntarily resigned, finally abandoning political activity.

Awards

Grand Master of the Legion of Honor (as President of France) Grand Cross of the Order of Merit (France) Grand Master of the Order of Liberation (as founder of the order) Military Cross 1939-1945 (France) Order of the Elephant (Denmark) Order of the Seraphim (Sweden) Grand Cross of the Royal Victorian Order (Great Britain) Grand Cross decorated with the ribbon of the Order of Merit of the Italian Republic Grand Cross of the Order of Military Merit (Poland) Grand Cross of the Order of St. Olaf (Norway) Order of the Royal House of Chakri (Thailand) Grand Cross of the Order of the White Rose of Finland

Charles André Joseph Marie de Gaulle was a French general and politician, known primarily as a tank battle tactician before World War II. Leader of the Free French Forces in World War II, head of the provisional government in 1944-46. Inspirer of the new constitution and first president of the Fifth Republic from 1958 to 1969.

Origin and beginning of military career

Charles was the third child of a morally conservative but socially progressive Catholic bourgeois family. His father came from an old aristocratic family from Normandy. The mother belonged to a family of wealthy entrepreneurs from the industrial region of Lille in French Flanders.

The young de Gaulle chose a military career and studied for four years at the prestigious military school of Saint-Cyr. During World War I, Captain de Gaulle was seriously wounded at the Battle of Verdun in March 1916 and captured by the Germans.

After the end of the war, he remained in the army, where he served on the staff of General Maxime Weygand and then General Philippe Pétain. During the Polish-Soviet war of 1919-1920. de Gaulle served in the Polish army as an infantry instructor. He was promoted to major and received an offer to build a further career in Poland, but chose to return to France.

The Second World War

By the outbreak of World War II, de Gaulle remained a colonel, arousing hostility from the military authorities with his bold views. Following the German breakthrough at Sedan on 10 May 1940, he was finally given command of the 4th Armored Division.
On May 28, de Gaulle's tanks stopped German armor in the battle of Caumont. The colonel became the only French commander to force the Germans to retreat during the invasion of France. Prime Minister Paul Reynaud promoted him to acting brigadier general.

On June 6, 1940, Reynaud appointed de Gaulle Under Secretary of State for national defense and responsible for coordination with the UK. As a member of the cabinet, the general resisted proposals to surrender. Attempts to strengthen the resolve of those in the French government who favored continuing the war failed, and Reynaud resigned. Pétain, who became prime minister, intended to seek an armistice with Germany.

On the morning of June 17, with 100 thousand gold francs from secret funds provided to him the night before by Paul Reynaud, the general fled Bordeaux by plane and landed in London. De Gaulle decided to abandon the surrender of France and begin to create a Resistance movement.

On July 4, 1940, a military tribunal in Toulouse sentenced de Gaulle in absentia to four years in prison. At the second military tribunal on August 2, 1940, the general was sentenced to death for treason.

At the Liberation of France, he quickly established the authority of the Free French Forces, avoiding the Allied military government. Returning to Paris, the general proclaimed the continuity of the Third Republic, denying the legitimacy of Vichy France.

After the end of the war, de Gaulle became president of the provisional government from September 1944, but resigned on January 20, 1946, complaining of conflict between political parties and disapproving of the draft constitution of the Fourth Republic, which, by giving too much power to the hands of parliament with its shifting party alliances.

1958: Collapse of the Fourth Republic

The Fourth Republic was marred by political instability, failures in Indochina and the inability to resolve the Algerian question.
On May 13, 1958, settlers took over government buildings in Algeria. Commander-in-Chief General Raoul Salan announced on the radio that the army had temporarily assumed responsibility for the fate of French Algeria.

The crisis deepened as French paratroopers from Algeria captured Corsica and discussed landing troops near Paris. Political leaders of all parties agreed to support de Gaulle's return to power. The exception was communist party Francois Mitterrand, who condemned the general as an agent of a fascist coup.

De Gaulle still intended to change the constitution of the Fourth Republic, blaming it on France's political weakness. The general made the condition of his return the provision of broad emergency powers within 6 months and the adoption of a new constitution. On June 1, 1958, de Gaulle became prime minister.

On September 28, 1958, a referendum was held, and 79.2% of voters supported new constitution and the creation of the Fifth Republic. The colonies (Algeria was officially part of France, not a colony) were given a choice between independence and a new constitution. All colonies voted for the new constitution, with the exception of Guinea, which became the first French African colony to gain independence, at the cost of immediately cutting off all French aid.

1958-1962: Foundation of the Fifth Republic

In November 1958, de Gaulle and his supporters gained a majority, and in December the general was elected president with 78% of the vote. He promoted tough economic measures, including the issuance of a new franc. On August 22, 1962, the general and his wife narrowly escaped an assassination attempt.

At the international level, he maneuvered between the USA and the USSR, promoting an independent France with its own nuclear weapons. De Gaulle began to build Franco-German cooperation, as cornerstone EEC, making the first state visit to Germany by a French head of state since Napoleon.

1962-1968: politics of greatness

In the context of the Algerian conflict, de Gaulle was able to achieve two main goals: to reform the French economy, and to maintain a strong French position in foreign policy, the so-called “policy of grandeur.”

The government actively intervened in the economy, using five-year plans as its main tool. Thanks to the unique combination of Western capitalism and state-oriented economics, major projects were implemented. In 1964, for the first time in 200 years, France's GDP per capita overtook that of Great Britain.

De Gaulle was convinced that a strong France, acting as a balancing force in the dangerous rivalry between the United States and Soviet Union, was in the interests of the whole world. He always tried to find counterbalances to both the USA and the USSR. In January 1964, France officially recognized the PRC, despite US opposition.

In December 1965, de Gaulle was elected president for a second seven-year term, defeating François Mitterrand. In February 1966, the country left the NATO military structure. De Gaulle building independent nuclear forces, did not want to depend on decisions made in Washington.

In June 1967, he condemned the Israelis for their occupation of the West Bank and Gaza after the Six-Day War. This was a major change in French policy towards Israel.

1968: leaving power

The demonstrations and strikes of May 1968 were big problem for de Gaulle's presidency. He dissolved parliament, in which the government had almost lost its majority, and held new elections in June 1968, which were a great success for the Gaullists and their allies: the party won 358 of 487 seats.

Charles de Gaulle resigned on April 28, 1969 after the failure of the referendum he initiated. He went to Colombey-les-deux-Eglises, where he died in 1970 while working on his memoirs.