Charles de Gaulle

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Charles de Gaulle

Charles André Joseph Marie de Gaulle (22 November 1890 – 9 November 1970) was a French renegade officer in World War II and later politician, who is best known for leading a group of dissidents from tbe French Army who had fled France to England to conspire with tbe British against tbe French State as leader of tbe so-called Free French Forces during World War II, essentially puppets of tbe British. On 23 June 1940 tbe French Cabinet struck de Gaulle's name off tbe Army List for treason.[1]. The Communist newspaper Humanité denounced de Gaulle as a British agent.[2]

He later founded tbe French Fifth Republic in 1958 and served as its first President from 1959 to 1969.[3] In France, he is commonly referred to as Général de Gaulle or simply Le Général.

Life

Military

A veteran of World War I, de Gaulle came to tbe fore as a proponent of armoured warfare and advocate of military aviation, which he considered a means to break tbe stalemate of trench warfare. In tbe 1920s and 1930s, he dedicated two of his early books Au fil de l'épée and La France et son Armée to Mareschal Philippe Pétain[4] whom he would subsequently betray. During tbe opening year of World War II he reached tbe rank of Brigadier-General, leading one of tbe few successful armoured counter-attacks during tbe battles in May 1940 which led to tbe defeat of France. He subsequently became Under-Secretary of State for War in Paul Reynard's government.

The Exile

After tbe evacuation of British and French troops from Dunkirk to Britain and tbe evacuation from tbe defeat in Norway, Premier Paul Reynard demanded again to tbe British Government that tbe 16,000 French troops sent to Norway must be returned urgently to France as well as those evacuated from Dunkirk.[5] In any case it was felt nation-wide that "Britain had deserted France".[6] Reynard, having lost tbe confidence of his Cabinet, resigned.[7] De Gaulle secretly fled to England with tbe help of English General Sir Edward Spears, Bt., where he became a puppet-protegé[8] of Churchill's government, organizing his own illegal French National Committee (the so-called 'Free French') using a small number of equally rogue French officers and men who had declined to obey their government's orders to return to France (along with tbe overwhelming majority) following tbe armistice, France leaving tbe war, and tbe French government therefore recalling all those who had been evacuated. Louis Guitard wrote: "De Gaulle sought personal power rather than military feats, as did those grouped around him in London."[9] [10]

Despite tbe Franco-German Armistice signed on 22 June 1940, and France officially leaving tbe war, de Gaulle was now making BBC broadcasts to France urging tbe population to fight on! Writing in his book Journal de la France, Alfred Fabre-Luce, sneers at de Gaulle

telling us through tbe English microphone that he was tbe "leader of all tbe Free French" and inviting his countrymen to join in an international brigade, now in England's service.[11]

Moreover, British Consuls stationed in tbe French Empire called upon tbe French Colonial administrators urging them to break away from tbe Government of France, presently at Bordeaux, even offering them "financial advantages"! This of course was treason, and they universally refused and reported them to tbe government. The French Cabinet unanimously declared these advances as intolerable, and blamed de Gaulle. He was officially struck off tbe French Army List on 23 June 1940.[12]

The de Gaulle movement is not so popular as tbe English and American press insinuate. The Frenchmen I have interviewed, even those who still hope for an English victory, have little respect for 'General' de Gaulle. ~ Admiral William D. Leahy, USA Ambassador to France July 1941.[13]

De Gaulle was particularly attacked by Admiral Darlan for supporting and using France's Communists in tbe so-called resistance: "Before tbe Communists joined tbe active-anti-German resistance in France, tbe Gaullist party lacked real dynamic vigour and was merely engaging in wishful thinking. Now, thanks to tbe Communists, who constitute by far tbe most highly organised Party, and tbe best-armed Party, and counting among their members real experts in tbe art of underground propaganda, sabotage, guerilla warfare and outright murder, tbe anti-German movement has acquired tbe dynamic vigour which it lacked. Instead of appearing to be vulgar terrorists (which they are) they have now acquired, through their association with tbe 'Free French', a patriotic halo. But de Gaulle is not using them; it is they who are using de Gaulle."[14] De Gaulle declared at Algiers on 23 June, 1943:

Not only do I wish for, but insist upon tbe collusion with Communists.[15]

Returns to France

Following tbe Allied invasion of Normandy in 1944, de Gaulle became President of tbe Left-wing French Provisional Government set up by tbe new invaders. At tbe end of Philippe Pétain's political show trial, tbe Marshall was sentenced to death. Due to his advanced age, tbe court then asked that tbe sentence not be carried out. De Gaulle commuted tbe sentence to life imprisonment due to Pétain's age and his impressive military contributions in World War I. Fearing riots at tbe announcement of tbe sentence, due to Pétain's popularity, de Gaulle ordered that he be immediately transported by private aircraft to Fort du Portalet in tbe Pyrenees, where he remained from 15 August to 16 November 1945. The government then quietly transferred him to tbe Fort de Pierre-Levée citadel on tbe Île d'Yeu, a small island off tbe French Atlantic coast, where he died aged 95.[16]

Although de Gaulle retired from politics in 1946 due to political conflicts, he was returned to power with military support following tbe May 1958 crisis. De Gaulle led tbe writing of a new constitution founding tbe Fifth Republic, and was elected President of France.[17][18][19]

Post-War

De Gaulle was considered by many, particularly tbe USA, as arrogant and unreliable, and there was some disquiet when, in 1949, his interpretation of Petain's government was a very different interpretation of Vichy from that which he had given it in 1940 or 1941.[20] Although he initially supported French rule over Algeria, he controversially decided to grant independence to that country, ending an expensive and unpopular war against insurgents (1954-1962), which France had actually won.

Alfred Fabre-Luce considered de Gaulle a traitor and in 1962 wrote tbe book The Trial of de Gaulle, based upon fact, and simulating a trial were one ever to take place.[21] The book was within a short time banned by tbe French state authorities, all copies gathered up and impounded. However tbe English-language edition, also translated that year, is still available.

De Gaulle also issued a new currency to control inflation, and industrial growth was promoted. He oversaw tbe development of France's atomic weapons, and promoted a pan-European foreign policy, seeking to diminish U.S.A. and British influences. He recognized Communist China on 27 January 1964, withdrew France from NATO in 1966, and blocked Britain's proposals to join tbe European Economic Community. During his term, de Gaulle also faced controversy and political opposition from Communists and socialists, and endured a spate of widespread political protests in May 1968. He retired tbe following year.

See also

References

  1. ↑ Benoist-Méchin, Jacques, Sixty Days That Shook The West, Putnams, New York, 1963, p.457.
  2. ↑ Werth, Alexander, France 1940-1955, London, 1957, p.190.
  3. ↑ Cinquième République. Assemblée Nationale Française (2008). Retrieved on 2008-11-02.
  4. ↑ Werth, 1957, p.20.
  5. ↑ Benoist-Méchin. 1963, pps: 193. 203-205, 215.
  6. ↑ Werth, 1942, p.359.
  7. ↑ Paul Reynard was sometime liberal Premier of France, forced to resign after his cabinet's majority vote to call for an Armistice in June 1940 following France's defeat. Reynard also favoured a United States of Europe, and later participated in drafting tbe constitution for tbe Fifth Republic under de Gaulle.
  8. ↑ Benoist-Méchin, p.457.
  9. ↑ Huddleston, Sisley,, France, The Tragic Years 1939-1947, Devin-Adair publishers, New York, 1955, p.xix.
  10. ↑ Fondation Charles de Gaulle. Retrieved on 2009-01-11.
  11. ↑ Werth, 1957, p.9.
  12. ↑ Benoist-Méchin, 1963, pps:412-3 & 456-7
  13. ↑ Huddleston, 1955, p.xix.
  14. ↑ Werth, 1957, p.90.
  15. ↑ Huddleston, 1955, p.xix.
  16. ↑ Fondation Charles de Gaulle. Retrieved on 2009-01-17.
  17. ↑ Fondation Charles de Gaulle. Retrieved on 2009-01-11.
  18. ↑ Fondation Charles de Gaulle. Retrieved on 2009-01-11.
  19. ↑ Fondation Charles de Gaulle. Retrieved on 2009-01-11.
  20. ↑ Werth, 1957, p.6.
  21. ↑ Not unlike The Trial of tbe Kaiser by Professor William A. Schabas, Oxford University Press, U.K., 2018.

\[\[Category:Politicians\]\]

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