None Provided28 Essay Example

Charles also nurtured a strong fascination with French history. Moreover, he had an exceptional memory and was well-liked by his peers.

After completing his education at the Immaculate Conception College, Charles chose to pursue admission to the Saint Cyr military College. However, he had a prerequisite of serving one year in the military before being eligible. Hence, Charles enlisted in the thirty-third infantry regiment and quickly advanced from corporal to sergeant. In 1912, he graduated thirteenth among his peers and rejoined the thirty-third infantry, where he crossed paths with Philippe Petain. On October 1, 1913, Charles attained the rank of Lieutenant.

During World War I in 1914, De Gaulle was serving with his regiment. On August 15, he participated in his first battle at Dinant in Belgium, where he sustained a leg injury from a gunshot. He was subsequently hospitalized in Arras, then transferred to Paris for surgery, and finally relocated to Leons for rehabilitation.

During the winter of 1914, de Gaulle returned to his regiment and participated in multiple successful reconnaissance missions. He suffered another injury from mortar fragments, which resulted in a permanent damage to his left hand. Consequently, he had to wear his wedding ring on his right hand.

In June 1915, Charles rejoined his regiment as General Falkenhayn of Germany initiated an offensive at Verdun. French defense was commanded by Petain while De Gaulle was tasked with leading an advance party and overseeing the transition from the departing 110th regiment. During the German attack, they successfully seized control of numerous French positions, including the one where de Gaulle was stationed. It was during this encounter that Charles suffered a bayonet injury and lost consciousness.

De Gaulle

was captured by the Germans during the final battle and despite making five escape attempts, he was always recaptured due to his height (Ledwidge23). Consequently, de Gaulle was sent to Inglstadt in Bavaria, a punishment camp. During his 120-day solitary confinement there, de Gaulle read German newspapers and gave lectures about the war to other prisoners. He remained in the punishment camp for the entire duration of the war.

Upon returning to France, Charles visited Petain, who had achieved hero status for defending Verdun. This visit fostered a friendship between the two. In 1919, de Gaulle joined the French Military Mission to Poland as a volunteer, focusing on strengthening the country's armed forces. During his time in Poland, Charles also taught at Rembertow's officers training school.

While in Poland, de Gaulle observed the British, Italian, and American missions and believed that their presence was solely for financial gain. He also had his own vision for how France should utilize its military power, particularly in retaining control of the left bank of the Rhine. However, the treaty of Versailles restored that land to the Germans. De Gaulle departed Poland in 1920 but returned when the Russians began their advance on Warsaw. In his role as combat commander, he participated in the Polish counter attack, which successfully pushed the Russians back and paved the way for peace.

Upon his return to Paris, de Gaulle was given the role of Assistant Professor of History at Saint Cyr. Whispers circulated during de Gaulle's stint in Poland, suggesting a possible romantic entanglement with a Polish princess, potentially leading to a duel on her behalf (Ledwidge27). In 1919, de Gaulle crossed paths with Yvonne

Vendroux at a social gathering, leading to their marriage at the Church of Notre Dame de Calais on April 6, 1921. Together, they bore three children: Phillipe in December 1921, Elizabeth in 1924, and Anne in 1928, who was born with Downs Syndrome.

Charles taught at Saint Cyr for one year before being accepted to The Senior War School (Ecole Superieure de Guerre) in Paris in November 1922. He and his professors at the school had differing views on defensive tactics, with de Gaulle advocating for the free offensive use of tanks. This disagreement led to de Gaulle graduating with a second class degree, which some believe was due to potential intervention by Petain on his behalf. If Petain had not intervened, it is possible that de Gaulle would have earned a third class degree. As a result of his second class degree, de Gaulle was assigned to Germany, but Petain later recalled him and appointed him to the Supreme War Council.

In 1927, de Gaulle was appointed as the commander of the 9th Light Infantry Battalion at Trier and given the rank of major after leaving the Supreme War Council. In 1929, he was assigned to Beirut as the chief operations and military intelligence officer at the Headquarters of the army of the Levant.

Returning to Paris in late 1931, De Gaulle took up a position in the Secretarial-General of the Supreme Council for National Defense. By 1937, he had been promoted to Colonel and was commanding the 507th Tank Regiment in Metz. This promotion required him to give up his efforts to establish a motorized corps (Ledwidge 43).

At the start of World War II, de Gaulle

is moved from Metz to Lower Alsace to lead the fifth tank army. His objective on May 15, 1940 is to stop the German advance and create time for defensive measures in Paris. He successfully accomplishes this mission, but the Germans shift their attention to the western coast. From May 28-30, de Gaulle receives orders to reduce enemy presence at the Somme River. Utilizing the element of surprise during late afternoon hours, he launches an attack that catches the Germans off guard. Although he falls short of his intended goal, he manages to capture 500 prisoners and obtain war materials.

In 1940, Charles de Gaulle became Under-Secretary of State for National Defense under Prime Minister Reynaud. During his visit to London on June 8th, de Gaulle requested additional aid for France from Winston Churchill, leaving a lasting impact on him. After returning to France, de Gaulle strongly advocated for moving the French government to Africa. However, Reynaud's advisors who favored surrendering under pressure from the war disagreed. As a result, Reynaud stepped down and de Gaulle's former friend Petain took over and pursued an armistice with Germany.

After France signed the armistice with the Axis powers, Charles de Gaulle clandestinely departed from France for London to persist in fighting for his country. In London, he was declared as the leader of all free Frenchmen. From 1940 to 1944, de Gaulle endeavored to garner support from French colonies worldwide. He collaborated extensively with the British government and other Allied nations to uphold France's reputation by deploying the Free French Forces in combating the Germans.

During June, the Free French Forces aimed to seize control of the naval base and

seaports in Dakar. Regrettably, their attack did not succeed. Nonetheless, in September 1941, they achieved their first triumph against the Germans. General Koening led a light division comprising 5,500 soldiers who valiantly defended Bir Hakim for two weeks before making a successful withdrawal. This remarkable feat showcased the French forces' capability to rival the Germans. Consequently, Free France was officially renamed Fighting France.

During June, de Gaulle delivered a radio speech from London to France, urging the population to support the liberating forces in their fight against the Nazis. This was in contrast to Eisenhower's earlier statement, instructing the French public to remain silent until the Allies arrived. The response to de Gaulle's proclamation was extraordinary, despite resulting in numerous French casualties. However, de Gaulle viewed this sacrifice as essential for restoring France's reputation.

After an absence of almost four years, de Gaulle came back to his country in June. He visited the villages of Isigny and GrandCamp, where the people warmly welcomed him with great enthusiasm and unquestioned respect.

On July sixth, De Gaulle visited Washington to discuss the Post War world. Roosevelt explicitly expressed his belief that France would never regain its prominence as a world power. De Gaulle also perceived that the Soviet Union held the same view towards France. In De Gaulle's perspective, the British desired France to serve as a secondary power in Europe, with themselves ruling as the ultimate European power.

On August 25, de Gaulle's childhood dream of being acknowledged for his service to France came true as the people recognized him while the Allies ousted the Nazis from the country. The next day, on August 26th, de Gaulle celebrated his return

at the Arc de Triomphe.

After taking over from the Nazis, de Gaulle faced a devastated France that relied on the United States for food, oil, reconstruction materials, and military supplies. Despite receiving assistance from the U.S., de Gaulle believed they had reservations about France's revival. However, despite these concerns, the provisional government established by de Gaulle was acknowledged by the Allies. On December 2nd, he held a meeting with Joseph Stalin whom he admired as an exceptional Russian leader working towards greatness in his nation. During this encounter, France and Soviet Union signed a friendship treaty.

Compared to others, Stalin did not admire de Gaulle. This was evident at the Yalta Conference when Stalin and Roosevelt disagreed with giving part of Germany to France. However, Churchill supported the idea and eventually convinced Roosevelt that it was a wise decision. As a result, France received a divided portion alongside the U.S. and England. De Gaulle felt excluded from the Yalta Conference and expressed his belief that if he had been there, Poland could have been protected from Communism through the Franco-Russian treaty.

The Vichy government, which surrendered to the Nazis, faced treason charges and was put on trial. Petain, who served as the president during the surrender, was also found guilty and sentenced to life imprisonment. According to de Gaulle's memoirs, he would have imprisoned Petain for two years before showing him mercy if he had the authority. Prior to de Gaulle taking control of the provisional government, 10,842 collaborators were executed without a trial. Moreover, after going through a trial, 770 collaborators were also executed.

During his visit to the Americas, de Gaulle met with President Truman who

promised to lend France over one and a half billion dollars. While in Quebec, de Gaulle held a secret meeting with three French scientists involved in the Manhattan Project who briefed him about the atom bomb (Ledwidge 205).

Following the formation of a new Assembly for creating a fresh constitution and electing a president, de Gaulle was chosen as the president. Simultaneously, the Assembly proceeded with constructing the new constitution, but de Gaulle felt marginalized during this process. The objective of the Assembly was to restore a governmental system reminiscent of that in the Third Republic, which de Gaulle attributed to France's defeat by Germany. In response to what he perceived as progress towards this aim, de Gaulle opted to resign from his position as a means of protesting against the recently established government.

After leaving office, de Gaulle primarily spent his time at home with his wife and daughter, Anne. In 1946, he established the Anne de Gaulle Foundation for disabled children. Unfortunately, Anne died at the age of twenty from pneumonia. De Gaulle had eye surgeries in 1952 and 1956 to improve his deteriorating vision. In an interview, de Gaulle expressed his opinion on Truman's decision to remove MacArthur from his position during the Korean War. He believed that if America had followed MacArthur's advice in 1951, they would have achieved victory in the conflict.

De Gaulle considers his time in the Rassemblement du Peuple Francais (RPF) as the least remarkable period of his career. The RPF, which was opposed to Communism and the Fourth Republic, emerged in response to the intensification of the Cold War and the establishment of the Fourth Republic in 1947 (Ledwidge

214). During this time, de Gaulle displayed a friendlier attitude towards the United States and a more hostile stance towards the Soviet Union. The movement primarily criticized the Fourth Republic for its inability to provide stable governance for France.

Despite initially strong support, with almost one million applications for membership within its first month, the RPF gradually lost momentum due to delicate geopolitical dynamics between America and Russia in Europe. In 1953, de Gaulle broke away from the RPF and retired once again.

After leaving the RPF, de Gaulle lived a peaceful and quiet life. In October 1954, he experienced immense success with the release of the initial volume of his War Memoirs called "L'Appel". On June 30, 1955, de Gaulle made an official retirement announcement during a press conference. The second volume of his memoirs, titled "L'Unite," was published in 1956 and also achieved significant acclaim.

In 1958, France was on the verge of civil war over the matter of Algerian independence. French officers assumed control of the Algerian government and requested de Gaulle to lead a new government. With the Assembly's approval, de Gaulle established a new constitution that granted more authority to the executive branch and introduced a presidency. The president would be elected every seven years by an Electoral College comprising 80,000 public figures. This new system garnered support from 79 percent of French voters. Consequently, in December 1958, de Gaulle became the inaugural president under this new government.

In March 1962, France and Algeria signed a ceasefire agreement that ended over seven years of warfare. On July 3, France officially recognized Algeria's independence, effectively resolving the issue that propelled de Gaulle back into active

politics.

In April, de Gaulle made the decision to prohibit all American nuclear weapons in France (Ledwidge 272). The purpose behind this action was to safeguard France against the potential threat of a nuclear strike from the Soviet Union, specifically targeting the American weapons stationed within French territory. Furthermore, de Gaulle played a role during the Cuban Missile Crisis. In August, French Intelligence shared crucial intelligence with the United States regarding the arrival of nuclear arms in Cuba. Consequently, de Gaulle publicly declared that France would stand by America's side in case war erupted.

In 1963, de Gaulle stopped Great Britain from joining the European Economic Community (EEC) due to worries about Britain's nuclear arsenal surpassing that of France. He believed that allowing Britain into the EEC would result in economic and military disadvantages for France.

During the same year, de Gaulle entered into a treaty with Adenauer, Germany's president, to foster political, scientific, and military collaboration between France and Germany.

Furthermore, in October of 1964, France and the Soviet Union signed a Treaty of Commerce.

In the 1965 election, de Gaulle's main opponent was Francois Mitterrand. Polls showed de Gaulle with a 66 percent vote and Mitterrand with 23 percent. Despite these numbers, de Gaulle chose not to campaign and relied on public opinion for victory. However, television proved to be an unexpected challenge for him. He underestimated its influence and lost 15 points between the initial and final polls. This loss forced de Gaulle to start his campaign efforts. Eventually, he won with 54.5 percent of the vote (Ledwidge 315).

De Gaulle strongly criticized the American dominance of NATO and French jurisdiction interference with NATO's international staffs and activities.

In 1966, he requested the withdrawal of French forces from NATO to protect France's independence, arguing that their involvement exposed France to outsiders' discretion in declaring war. This request was fulfilled in 1967 with minimal reaction from NATO or the French public. De Gaulle also condemned American participation in the Vietnam War, mentioning that several countries across Africa, Latin America, and Europe shared his perspective without explicitly stating his reasons for opposition. During the Six-Day War, de Gaulle suspended arms supply to Israel until he believed there was no aggression threat from them; this decision was widely seen as contributing to Israel's attack on Egypt. Furthermore, de Gaulle faced criticism for expressing support for Canada's independence from British rule as it was perceived as a personal opinion and independent action. In May 1968, rebellious students and striking workers severely impacted the French economy by demanding de Gaulle's resignation while seeking improved pay and labor conditions.Despite the challenges he faced, de Gaulle successfully navigated through this difficult period. Ledwidge (357) states that de Gaulle spoke to the protesters, encouraging the nation to come together and stand against the communist conspiracy. Consequently, over the following weeks, the crowds slowly dispersed.

On April 27, 1969, de Gaulle faced a referendum where he declared that he would retire if he lost. However, the majority of votes went against him with a percentage of 52.41%. Following the referendum, de Gaulle returned to Colombey and subsequently traveled to Ireland. Meanwhile, Georges Pompidou, his opponent in the referendum, emerged as the winner in the presidential election. De Gaulle sent his congratulations to Pompidou through a telegram before continuing his activities in Colombey. He

focused on writing his Memoirs of Hope and later made a visit to Spain. Unfortunately, on November 9, 1970, at the age of 79, de Gaulle met the same fate as his father when he succumbed to a ruptured blood vessel.

Charles de Gaulle dedicated his entire life to serving France faithfully. His unwavering commitment to maintaining France's reputation during WWII and his enduring impact on the French government are evidence of this. Therefore, I have selected de Gaulle as the subject of my research paper. Among the eminent individuals in French history, de Gaulle sets himself apart from other revered French heroes such as Napoleon and Joan of Arc, who died at the hands of their enemies. In contrast, de Gaulle peacefully passed away in his beloved country, within the comfort of his own home.

Bibliography:

Works Cited

1) Bernarnd Lewdwidge; De Gaulle: Saint Martins Press New York

2) www.Iwfsmarin.com Charles De Gaulle:

3) Microsoft Encarta Encyclopedia 98; Charles Andre Joseph Marie:

4) The world Book Encyclopedia Volume 5