De Gaulle “My beautiful homeland! What did they do to you?! No not like this! What did you allow to be done to you?! On behalf of the people, I, General de Gaulle, Head of the Free French, order...” Then an ellipsis. This is a diary entry. At the end of May 1940, he still did not know the contents

Chapter Ten The President of France is jealous The President of France was jealous - jealous of Mick Jagger. Nicolas Sarkozy thought that his wife's eight-year affair with Mick was over long ago, but in her house, which was located in the fashionable Villa Montmorency area in

Charles de Gaulle, Savior of France, The entire modern history of France is inextricably linked with his name. Twice, in the most difficult times for the country, he took responsibility for its future and twice voluntarily renounced power, leaving the country prosperous. He was

Yvonne de Gaulle. My beloved marshal From afar came the roar of bombing, bombs were falling, apparently, closer and closer to the coast. However, they have long been accustomed to raids here, and Yvonne, who has learned to distinguish different aircraft and guns by sound, as well as approximately

De Gaulle in the Soviet Union Early morning May 14, 1960. Several members of the Politburo and some other responsible officials gathered at the ramp of the Il-18 plane at Vnukovo airport. A. Adzhubey glided briskly between them. With a stack of newspapers under his arm, he was handing out the latest issue of Izvestia.

GOLLE CHARLES DE - statesman 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. Peten, in the 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 the 2nd World War, he commanded the tank corps of the 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, 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 withdrew 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 United States and Great Britain in NATO, it withdrew from the military organization of this alliance. In 1964, the French leadership condemned the US aggression against Vietnam, and in 1967, the Israeli aggression against 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 the People's Republic of China and established diplomatic relations with it.

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

On November 9, 1970, one of the world's outstanding politicians, Charles de Gaulle, died. In memory of this figure, the site publishes it short biography And Interesting Facts from life.

Charles Andre de Gaulle (1890−1970) - a military general and an outstanding statesman, served as President of France for many years and is rightfully recognized as one of the greatest politicians of the 20th century. During World War II, he founded the Free France movement, and later strengthened his country's position as a world power and helped maintain world peace.

Outstanding military leader

Charles de Gaulle was born in Lille, into a bourgeois family with strong patriotic traditions. He graduated from the Saint-Cyr Military Academy, and then from the Higher Military School in Paris. During World War I, Charles de Gaulle proved himself to be a brave officer, and after the war he returned to the Saint-Cyr Academy - now as a teacher of military history. At the beginning of World War II, de Gaulle was appointed commander of a tank brigade, which distinguished itself in the battles on the Somme River. Quickly receiving the rank of brigadier general, he was appointed deputy minister of national defense, but the government of Marshal Petain did not intend to fight the Nazis, preferring to decide on surrender.

Petain's government sentenced de Gaulle to death in absentia. death penalty

When the fateful decision to surrender was made, the general said: “Is there really no hope? […] No! Believe me, nothing is lost yet. […] France is not alone. […] Whatever happens, the flame of French resistance cannot go out. And it won’t go out.” In response to his passionate appeal, the French rose up in an organized fight against the fascists in the occupation zone and beyond. The government of Petain, subordinate to the Nazis, sentenced de Gaulle to death in absentia.

Resistance movement

In 1943, the French National Liberation Committee was created

Not considering it possible to enter into negotiations with the Nazis, de Gaulle flew to London. On June 18, 1940, he made a radio call to his compatriots to continue the fight against the occupiers. This was the beginning of the Resistance, and de Gaulle himself headed the united patriotic forces (“Free France”, and since 1942, “Fighting France”). In 1943, the general moved to Algeria, where he created the French Committee for National Liberation, and in 1945 he became head of government.

Statesman

Marc Chagall painted the Grand Opera commissioned by de Gaulle

Charles de Gaulle was convinced that the president of the country should have very broad powers, but the majority of deputies of the Constitutional Assembly categorically disagreed with this. The result of the conflict was de Gaulle's resignation in January 1946. However, 12 years later, when the colonial war in Algeria aggravated the situation in France to the limit, the 68-year-old de Gaulle was elected president of the Fifth Republic, with a strong presidential power and a limited role for parliament. Under his leadership, which lasted until 1969. France has regained its lost position as a leading world power.

Interesting Facts

The Paris airport, the Parisian Square of the Star, the nuclear aircraft carrier of the French Navy, as well as the square in front of the Cosmos Hotel in Moscow and a number of other memorable places are named in honor of Charles de Gaulle.

Throughout his life, according to historians, 31 attempts were made on Charles de Gaulle’s life. In the two years since Algeria gained independence alone, there have been at least six serious assassination attempts.

In his eighties, Charles de Gaulle's eyesight began to weaken. Once receiving the Prime Minister of the Congo, Abbot Fulbert Yulu, dressed in a cassock, de Gaulle addressed him: “Madame...”.

31 attempts were made on Charles de Gaulle's life

Charles de Gaulle once remarked about France: “How can you govern a country that has 246 types of cheese?”

Charles de Gaulle's military career began immediately after receiving his basic education. Charles de Gaulle entered the French military academy of Saint-Cyr (analogous to West Point in the USA), from which he graduated in 1912.

Charles de Gaulle was born on November 22, 1890 in northern France in the city of Lille, near the Belgian border. He was the third of five children in a patriotic Catholic family. His father Henri de Gaulle taught philosophy at a Jesuit college.

Charles de Gaulle came to power thanks to the fact that he managed to convince the French people that with him France would win the Algerian War. In fact, de Gaulle was pessimistic about the fate of French Algeria and his plans included capitulation.

In 1964, Marc Chagall painted the ceiling of the Paris Grand Opera, commissioned by President Charles de Gaulle.

There is not a single building on Charles de Gaulle Square.

“Historical fatalism is for cowards. Courage and luck changed the course of events more than once. This teaches us. There are moments when the will of a few people crushes all obstacles and opens new roads.”
Charles de Gaulle

General Charles de Gaulle, who saved France, united the French people, liberated Algeria and other colonies of the empire, still remains one of the most mysterious and controversial figures in the modern history of Europe. His methods were repeatedly used by many politicians, and his attitude to duty, to life, to himself, aspirations and beliefs became an example for entire generations.

Charles Andre Joseph Marie de Gaulle was born on November 22, 1890 in the town of Lille, in the house of his grandmother, although his family lived in Paris. His father's name was Henri de Gaulle, and he worked all his life as a teacher of philosophy and history. The de Gaullies were rightfully proud of their deep roots; many of their ancestors were famous teachers and philosophers. And one of the family members took part in the uprising of Joan of Arc. Following the wishes of his parents, de Gaulle received an excellent education. Young Charles read a lot, tried to write poetry, was interested in history, especially since his father constantly told him about the glorious past times. Back in In his youth, de Gaulle showed remarkable tenacity and talent in managing people. He systematically trained his memory, which would allow him later to amaze those around him by memorizing speeches of thirty to forty pages. De Gaulle also had specific fun. For example, he learned to pronounce words backwards. Execute This is much more difficult for French spelling than for English or Russian, but Charles could speak in long phrases without any problems. At school he was interested in only four subjects: philosophy, literature, history and military affairs. It was the craving for the art of war that made Charles go to Saintes -Sire, where the Military Academy was located.

In Saint-Cyr, one friend said to de Gaulle: “Charles, it seems to me that you are destined great destiny" Without a hint of a smile, de Gaulle answered him: “Yes, I think so too.” At the Military Academy, for his dryness and constant manner of “turning up his nose,” the authorities gave de Gaulle an ironic nickname - “the king in exile.” He himself would later write about his arrogance: “A real leader keeps others at a distance. There is no power without authority, and no authority without distance.”

There is an opinion that military service takes away a person’s ability to think independently, forces him to mindlessly follow orders, turns him into a stupid martinet. One can hardly find a more graphic refutation of this nonsense than the life of Charles de Gaulle. Every day was not in vain for him. He did not stop reading, carefully followed the structure of the French army and noted its shortcomings. In his studies, de Gaulle was diligent and responsible, but among his classmates he behaved arrogantly. For his character and tall stature, his comrades nicknamed him “long asparagus.” In 1913, junior lieutenant Charles de Gaulle was sent to serve in an infantry regiment. As soon as the war began, he was wounded twice, fell into German captivity, in which he made five unsuccessful escape attempts and was released only three years after the armistice. After this, de Gaulle took part in the intervention in Russia as an instructor Polish troops, then served in the troops that occupied the Rhine and was among the troops that invaded the Ruhr. He warned his superiors about the stupidity of this operation, which ultimately ended in a deafening fiasco, leading to a decrease in France's share of reparation payments. At the same time, Charles wrote a number of books, including “Discord in the Enemy’s Camp,” which he began while still in captivity and was a sharp criticism of the actions of the German government and army during the First World War. It should be noted here that in France at that time the organization of the German military machine was considered an ideal. Charles clearly pointed out the significant miscalculations of the Germans. In general, de Gaulle’s views on tactics and strategy, on the structure of the army as a whole, were very different from the beliefs of the bulk of the French headquarters.

In 1921, Charles de Gaulle married Yvonne Vandroux, the twenty-year-old daughter of a major entrepreneur, owner of a number of confectionery factories. The girl was distinguished by her modesty, beauty and excellent upbringing. Until the moment the young people met, Yvonne was firmly convinced that she would never become a military wife. They got married six months later and had three children: son Philip and daughters Elizabeth and Anna.

Charles liked to repeat: “Before philosophizing, it is necessary to win the right to life.”

While in disgrace, de Gaulle managed to successfully implement his initiatives. He was also perhaps the only career military man who allowed himself open conversations in the press. Of course, this was not welcomed by his superiors, but it significantly added to his popularity in the country. Historians know that when faced with difficulties, de Gaulle often turned to politicians, repeatedly compromising his principles in order to achieve his goal. He was seen among representatives of ultra-right forces, and, despite all his upbringing and habits, among socialists. Already at this period of time, two main character traits of de Gaulle could be detected - a tendency to win the main thing through small tactical defeats and a craving for innovation. Also, the most important component of Charles’s methodology was the breadth of his strategic plan. For this man there was only one scale - the scale of his country.

Not all of de Gaulle's innovations were in vain, but their overall effect was negligible. The reorganization carried out had virtually no effect on the state of the army. And de Gaulle, who by that time had risen to the rank of colonel, was, as if in mockery, appointed to command the only tank regiment, the creation of which he so defended. The unit was short-staffed, and the existing tanks were very outdated. However, after Germany attacked Poland on September 1, 1939, and Great Britain and France declared war on it, de Gaulle, at the cost of incredible efforts, managed to stop the Nazi advance from the north and even push back some of it. Charles was immediately promoted to brigadier general, a rank he preferred to retain for the rest of his life. Despite the successes of his hastily organized Fourth Panzer Division, general progress It had no significant impact on the war effort, and within days most of French soil was occupied.

The French say: “Charles de Gaulle will forever remain in our history as a sacred figure. He was the first to draw his sword."

In June 1940, Paul Reynaud appointed de Gaulle to a high position in the Ministry of Defense. Charles concentrated all his strength to continue the fight, but it was already too late. Reynaud's government resigned, and Marshal Pétain signed the document of France's surrender. De Gaulle reached London, where in a matter of days he created the Free France organization and demanded that the British authorities provide him with a radio broadcast that broadcast to the lands captured by the Nazis, as well as to the territory of the Vichy regime. Long years for thousands of his compatriots, participants in the Resistance movement, his voice, the voice of freedom, which was first heard on June 18, 1940 and delivered five-minute speeches twice a day, remained the only hope for future victory. He began his first message in the manner of French kings: “We, General de Gaulle, address ourselves to France.”

This is how de Gaulle’s biographers described him in the 1940s: “Very tall, thin, of strong build. A long nose over a small mustache, a receding chin, an imperious gaze. Always dressed in a khaki uniform. The headdress is decorated with two brigadier general's stars. The step is always wide, the arms are usually at the sides. Speech is slow but sharp, with sarcasm at times. Amazing memory."

Envoys of the Free French visited all the free French colonies and countries of the modern Third World, seeking recognition of Charles de Gaulle as the leader of the Free French. The closest contact was also established with the Resistance, the general supplying them with all the little resources that he had. In relation to the Allied leaders, de Gaulle set himself up as an equal from the very beginning. With his obstinacy, he constantly infuriated Churchill and Roosevelt. By sheltering the general, the British Prime Minister first of all hoped to manipulate the internal resistance and free colonies, but he was cruelly mistaken. When their views converged, everything went well, but as soon as differences arose, a furious argument began. It is known that de Gaulle often reproached Churchill for his irrepressible passion for alcohol, and the prime minister in response shouted to him that the general imagined himself to be the new Joan of Arc. Once their conflict almost ended in the deportation of de Gaulle. In letters to Roosevelt, Churchill called the arrogant the Frenchman “an quarrelsome personality who imagines himself the liberator of France,” complaining that “the unbearable impudence and rudeness in his behavior are complemented by active Anglophobia." Roosevelt also did not remain in debt, calling de Gaulle a “capricious bride” and suggesting that Churchill send Charles “as governor to Madagascar " However, the cunning combinations of Roosevelt, who set Churchill against the general, ran into the firm position of the British Cabinet, which announced to its prime minister: "At the risk of allowing, from any point of view, completely unjustified interference in the purely internal affairs of the French, we may be accused of seeking to turn this country into an Anglo -American protectorate."

Once, in a conversation with the American President, de Gaulle said: “Churchill believes that I identify myself with Joan of Arc. He is mistaken. I take myself only for General Charles de Gaulle.”

Despite all the difficulties, Charles de Gaulle, practically from scratch, with stunning speed, created a centralized organization, completely independent of the allied forces and generally from anyone else, with its own information headquarters and armed forces. Each of the people practically unknown to him before, whom the general gathered around him, signed the Act of Accession, which signified not only entry into “Free (later Fighting) France,” but also unconditional submission to de Gaulle. From 1940 to 1942, the number of soldiers alone fighting under the Free French banner increased from seven to seventy thousand. As a result of the military and political struggle, by the beginning of D-Day, June 7, 1944, Charles ensured that the National Liberation Committee subordinate to him was recognized by all allied countries as the provisional government of France. Further more. Thanks to the efforts of only one person, France, which in fact entered into an alliance with the Nazis, received the right as the victorious country to its own occupation zone in Germany, and a little later, a seat in the UN Security Council. Such successes can, without exaggeration, be called fantastic, especially considering that at the very beginning of the struggle, de Gaulle was actually a deserter warmed up by England, whom a military tribunal of the French army sentenced to death for treason.

Andrei Gromyko, former Minister of Foreign Affairs Soviet Union recalled: “De Gaulle never answered a sensitive question in essence. In such cases, he usually used the phrase “anything can happen.” ...De Gaulle was an excellent speaker. When speaking at official receptions, he spoke fluently and almost never used written text. And it really made an impression. People close to him said that he easily memorized long speeches written the day before...”

De Gaulle loved to play on the enmity of his allies. Both the seat in the Security Council and the occupation zone went to France only because the general was supported by Stalin. De Gaulle managed to convince him that France would help establish a balance of power in the UN that was leaning towards the Soviets. After the end of the war, de Gaulle's provisional government came to power in France. His main slogan in domestic policy was: “Order, law and justice,” and in foreign policy: “The Greatness of France.” Charles's main tasks were not only the resurrection of the country's economy, but also its political restructuring. Today we can firmly say that the general successfully coped with the first one - the nationalization of the largest enterprises was carried out, social reforms were carried out with the simultaneous targeted development of the most important industries. It turned out much worse with the second one. Following his convictions, de Gaulle did not openly support any of the existing parties, including the “Gaullists” - active supporters of the general. When the provisional parliament proposed a constitution for the Fourth Republic with a unicameral parliament appointing the government and a president with limited powers, De Gaulle, who waited until the last moment, presented to the world his own version, distinguished by the functions of a president vested with a strong executive power. Despite his high authority among the people, his previously taken position above the political struggle (“supra-class arbitration” in his own words) played a cruel joke on Charles. He was defeated in the battle for a new constitution; the version proposed by parliament was adopted in a referendum, and in the elections to the National Assembly representatives of the “Gaullists” received only three percent of the votes. In January 1946, Charles de Gaulle resigned of his own free will.

The French general owns the famous phrases: “I respect only my opponents, but I am not going to tolerate them,” “Politics is too serious a matter to entrust it to politicians.”

His vacation from the political life of the country lasted twelve years. During this time, the general was engaged in public activities and simply enjoyed life with his wife in the family home located in the town of Colombey-les-Deux-Eglises, two hundred and fifty kilometers from Paris. Charles communicated with journalists from different countries, wrote memoirs, and traveled a lot. He enjoyed playing solitaire (“solitaire” means patience in French). The country was torn apart by crises at that time. In 1954, France suffered a crushing defeat from the national liberation movements in Indochina. Unrest arose in Algeria and a number of other North African countries that are French colonies. The exchange rate of the franc was falling, the population suffered from inflation. There were strikes throughout the country, successive governments. De Gaulle preferred to remain silent, without commenting on the current situation. In 1957, the situation worsened even more: right-wing and left-wing extremist movements strengthened in society, the government was in an acute crisis, and the military, waging war against the rebels in Algeria, threatened a coup.

After a similar coup almost happened on May 13, 1958, on May 16, the French President, with the approval of parliament, asked de Gaulle to take the post of prime minister. And in December 1958, de Gaulle was elected president with an unusually wide range of powers for France. The general could declare a state of emergency and dissolve parliament, call new elections, and personally oversee all issues relating to foreign policy, defense and the most important domestic ministries.

Despite the apparent ease and speed with which the general found himself at the helm of power for the second time, historians have unearthed facts indicating the hard work of Charles himself and his followers. IN last years he constantly negotiated through intermediaries with parliamentarians and leaders of far-right parties. This time, de Gaulle relied on the psychology of the crowd’s admiration for the mystery, secrecy, brevity and emotional charm of the leader. “I am a man who belongs to no one and belongs to everyone,” de Gaulle said on the steps of parliament, while Gaullist rallies took place in Paris calling on the government to resign. De Gaulle's new constitution was approved by almost eighty percent of the vote and for the first time in French history introduced a presidential form of government, limiting parliament's legislative rights. Charles’s authority soared to the skies, and the retracted “parliament” could not prevent him from communicating directly with the people through self-appointed referendums.

The text of the Russian constitution, approved in 1993, coincides in many points with the constitution of Charles de Gaulle, which, according to a number of experts, domestic reformers used as a model.

Trying to solve problems of an economic, foreign and domestic political nature, his goal was still the same - to turn France into a great power. De Gaulle carried out the denomination, issuing a new franc in denominations of one hundred old ones. At the end of 1960, the economy demonstrated the fastest ever post-war years growth indicators. Realizing the futility of a military solution to the Algerian issue, de Gaulle spent four years preparing the country for the inevitability of Algeria's independence and sought a compromise that would allow France to maintain access to oil sources and other natural resources in the Sahara. The Algerian operation ended in March 1962 with the recognition of the country's rights to self-determination and the signing of agreements in Evian on a ceasefire, transfer of sovereignty and further relations between states.

And here is another interesting aphorism from Charles de Gaulle: “In politics, sometimes you have to betray either your country or your voters. I choose the second one."

In foreign policy, Charles advocated for Europe to gain independence and independence from the United States and the Soviet Union. Offended during the war years by Churchill's arguments about the status of France, he refused to recognize the British as full-fledged Europeans. When the Common Market was created in Europe, the general managed to block Great Britain's entry into it. Deciding on the election of the French President by direct and universal suffrage, de Gaulle had to dissolve parliament. On December 19, 1965, the general was re-elected to a new seven-year term, and soon he announced that the country was turning to real gold in international payments. He said: “…I consider it necessary to establish international exchange on an indisputable basis that does not bear the stamp of any particular country…. It is difficult to imagine any other standard other than gold. Gold never changes its nature: it can be in bars, bars, coins; has no nationality; has long been accepted by the whole world as an unchangeable value.” Soon, Charles, in accordance with the Bretton Woods Agreement, demanded that the United States exchange one and a half billion dollars for real gold at thirty-five dollars per ounce. In case of refusal, de Gaulle threatened to withdraw the country from NATO by eliminating all (about two hundred) NATO bases on its territory and removing thirty-five thousand NATO soldiers from France. Even in economics, the general worked using military methods. The US capitulated. Nevertheless, France nevertheless left NATO after Eisenhower rejected de Gaulle’s proposal to organize a tripartite directorate in the military-political bloc, which would include the United States, England and France. After France's separation from the North Atlantic Alliance was completed by the fall of 1967, de Gaulle proposed the concept of “national defense in all azimuths,” which made it possible to repel an attack from any side. Shortly thereafter, France successfully tested a hydrogen bomb in the Pacific Ocean.

De Gaulle can be accused of being tough, but he was never cruel. Even after in August 1962, an entire detachment of militants shot with machine guns a car in which his wife was sitting with the general, de Gaulle commuted five of the six death sentences handed down by the court to life imprisonment. Only the leader of the gang is a thirty-six-year-old colonel air force Bastien-Thiery - received a refusal to request a pardon, and only because he, an officer of the French army, holder of the Cross of the Legion of Honor, in de Gaulle's opinion, did not know how to shoot accurately. In total, historians know of thirty-one attempts on his life. Next to the general, grenades and bombs exploded, bullets flew, but, fortunately, they all missed. But the proud and arrogant president did not allow himself to be afraid of such “little things.” One incident, during de Gaulle's visit to central France, when the police caught a sniper waiting for him to speak to the population, served as the basis for the plot of Forsythe's novel The Day of the Jackal.

However, in calm years, all of de Gaulle’s abilities and talents were not revealed in all their glory; the general always needed a crisis in order to show the world what he was really capable of. Charles’s “dirigisme” in the life of the country ultimately led to the crisis of 1967, and his aggressive foreign policy, in which he publicly condemned the dangerous militaristic actions of NATO countries, fiercely criticized the Washington administration (especially for the Vietnam conflict) , sympathized with Quebec separatists and Arabs in the Middle East, undermined de Gaulle’s status in the domestic political arena. In May 1968, the streets of Paris were blocked off with barricades, the population went on strike, and posters “It’s time to leave, Charles!” hung on the walls everywhere. For the first time, de Gaulle was confused. After parliament rejected the general’s next legislative proposals, he ahead of schedule, April 28, 1969, left his post for the second time. “The French seem to be tired of me,” Charles joked sadly.

At sixty-three, de Gaulle quit smoking. The general's secretary, who decided to follow suit, asked how he did it. De Gaulle replied: “Tell your boss, your wife and your friends that from tomorrow you will not smoke. It would be enough".

Having retired, Charles de Gaulle returned to his modest home in Colombey de les Eglises. He did not ask for any pension, security or benefits for himself. De Gaulle died at home on November 9, 1970. According to his will, he was buried in a small local cemetery without public ceremonies. However, over eight hundred thousand people took part in the mourning events on the day of the funeral in Paris. Representatives from eighty-five countries around the world flew in to express their condolences.

In fact, one can talk endlessly about de Gaulle’s merits, as well as about his mistakes. Being a gifted military theorist, he did not participate in any historically important battles, but was able to lead France to victory where it seemed to be facing inevitable defeat. Unfamiliar with economics, he successfully led the country twice and twice brought it out of crisis primarily due to his ability to organize the work of the structures entrusted to him, be it a rebel committee or the government of an entire state. For his compatriots, Charles de Gaulle is the greatest hero along with Joan of Arc. He managed to write more than a dozen books, both memoirs and theoretical works on military affairs, some of which are still considered bestsellers. This man, who twice voluntarily went into military service resignation, was respected and feared by the allies, believing that he represented a new dictator of the Hitlerite type.General Charles de Gaulle left to his descendants one of the most stable European political systems, called the Fifth Republic, under whose constitution the country still lives.

Information sources:
http://x-files.org.ua/articles.php?article_id=2765
http://www.hrono.ru/biograf/bio_g/goll_sharl.php
http://www.peoples.ru/state/king/france/gaulle/
http://www.c-cafe.ru/days/bio/29/gaulle.php

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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 the 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 carried out plans to create its own nuclear forces, 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 during the interwar period, Charles became a supporter of French nationalism and a supporter of a strong executive. 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 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.

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. 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. 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.

Charles de Gaulle paid attention to domestic policy less attention than external. The student unrest in May 1968 indicated a serious crisis engulfing French society. Soon the president put forward a draft for a new administrative division France and Senate reform. 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, they say, was very impressed by one anecdote told to him former minister 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.