General Charles de Gaulle came to power in France twice. For the first time - in 1944, when he faced difficult tasks in organizing the post-war life of the state. In the second - in 1958, when events intensified in Algeria, which at that time was a colony of France.
For several years, there was a war in Algeria, which led to the fears of the French ultras fighting there that the government would abandon the African colony. On May 13, 1958, they seized the colonial administration building and sent a telegram to de Gaulle in Paris asking him to break the silence and set up a new government of popular unity.
Heeding the requests of the military, two days later the main symbol of the Resistance turned to the French with an appeal:
“For 12 years now, France has been trying to solve problems beyond the power of the party regime, and is heading towards disaster. Once, in a difficult hour, the country trusted me to lead it to salvation. Today, when the country faces new trials, let it know that I am ready to assume all the powers of the Republic,” de Gaulle said.
These strong words were followed by decisive actions. Fearing that the general might use the power of the military loyal to him, the then President of France, Rene Coty, invited de Gaulle to form a new government of the country. “De Gaulle was able to offer himself as the only alternative to the coup of the extreme right and the establishment of a fascist regime. And the republic fell at his feet,” write the authors of the book “The Beginning of the End. France. May 1968" by Angelo Catrocci and Tom Nyme.
De Gaulle did not stay long as prime minister - from June 1958 to January 1959. In January 1959, he was elected president. In this position
he managed to achieve the main thing - the constitutional reform, which led to the popular election of the president and the separation of the functions of the president and parliament. The reform was supported by almost 80% of the vote. And although de Gaulle himself was first elected president under the old system, with his arrival to this post the Fifth Republic was born.
Returning to power in the wake of the situation in Algeria, de Gaulle at the same time did not seek at all costs to keep this African territory under French influence. However, the President General decided to offer the public several options for resolving the situation - from giving Algeria the status of a territory associated with France, to a complete break in relations and the creation of a government friendly to Paris in this country.
in Moscow without
In 1962, the military conflict in Algeria ended, which marked the beginning of the formation of an independent Algerian state. Despite the fact that Algerian independence had many opponents who made several attempts on de Gaulle's life, France agreed with the new president. In 1965, the country again chooses de Gaulle as its leader.
The second presidential term of de Gaulle was marked by active steps in foreign policy. Confirming the independent nature of French foreign policy, he withdraws France from the military organization of NATO. The organization's headquarters are moved from Paris to Brussels.
Everything happens in a hurry, one of the most powerful organizations in the world receives a residence permit for many years in a nondescript building of a former hospital. NATO officers, who gave a Gazeta.Ru correspondent a tour of the alliance's headquarters, half-jokingly admit that they "still have a grudge against the French president."
If in Washington de Gaulle's actions are condemned, in the USSR, on the contrary, they are treated with undisguised enthusiasm, welcoming the French opposition in every possible way. In 1966, the President of France goes to the USSR on his first official visit, but this was his second trip to the USSR. He first visited Moscow in 1944 as a leader fighting the Nazis in France.
Never having any sympathy for communist ideas, De Gaulle always treated Russia warmly enough.
However, it is primarily politics that attracts him to Moscow. “De Gaulle needed a“ counterweight ”and therefore went to meet the USSR and its allies,” say the then Soviet heavyweights of politics, Vadim Kirpichenko and.
Following the visit of the French President to the USSR, several key documents were signed. In addition, "détente" was mentioned, and it was also emphasized that "the USSR and France are responsible for maintaining and ensuring both European and world peace."
Of course, there was no talk of a real rapprochement between the USSR and France - the political and economic approaches of the two countries were too different. However, de Gaulle saw in Russia not only a major world power, but also a part of Europe. "The whole of Europe - from the Atlantic to the Urals - will decide the fate of the world!" de Gaulle declared in his historic 1959 speech in Strasbourg.
In addition to the USSR, de Gaulle's France built relations with Eastern European and developing countries and worked to improve relations with Germany. Once hostile to France, Germany, which fought against this country during the war, became a major trading partner of Paris.
From revolution to revolution
However, despite his successes in the international arena, de Gaulle, by the end of his first presidential term, faced a crisis within the country.
After the expiration of the first seven-year term, the general was going to be re-elected to the presidency of France. These elections, according to the amendments to the Constitution, should have been popular. De Gaulle, as expected, won the election, however, only in the second round, defeating his main critic, the socialist.
The second round and the popularity of Mitterrand testified to the decline in the popularity of the Resistance legend itself. This was caused by problems in the economy, an arms race and criticism of the general's largely authoritarian style of government.
De Gaulle's opponents note that he actively used the power of state television to legitimize his power, although this did not rule out sharp criticism of his rule, which came from the pages of the print media.
The political crisis led to a real revolutionary situation - dissatisfied with the state of affairs in the field of education, students at the University of Paris and the Sorbonne revolted. It was headed by radical left activists, who were later joined by trade unions. Tens of thousands of people block the streets and clash with the police and gendarmes. The events will become the most massive unrest in Europe and will be called "May 1968".
Many of the slogans of that time - for example, "It is forbidden to prohibit" - will be repeated decades later by opponents of the president.
De Gaulle, despite the persuasion of some ministers to start negotiations with the protesters, was quite tough and did not want to go into negotiations, but the situation looked threatening. “By turning politics into theatre, de Gaulle today stood up to the movement that turned the theater into politics,” writes presidential biographer Julian Jackson.
The combat general seems confused for the first time, but he addresses the nation and demands broad powers, as the country, in his words, is "on the verge of civil war."
At the same time, not feeling sympathy for his opponents, the president will still tell them: "I understand you."
After the appeal, de Gaulle flies out of the country to Baden-Baden, however, not to bask in the resort, but to visit the French troops stationed nearby in Germany. Soon the president returns to France, and his next step is the dissolution of the National Assembly and the announcement of early elections, where the Gaullist party Rally for the Republic receives the majority of votes. However, the victory turns out to be pyrrhic.
As a leading researcher at the Institute of Europe notes, de Gaulle's conservatism began to slow down the development of France. “His time was running out, the reform of the Senate failed, and attempts to do something led to a crisis,” says the expert to Gazeta.Ru. It's about on the reform of the upper house of parliament, which he planned to turn into a body representing the interests of trade unions and business. However, this reform failed. De Gaulle stated that if the reform did not take place, he would step down from his post. As befits a military man and a man of honor, the general keeps his word and leaves power.
After his resignation, De Gaulle did not live long and died of an aortic rupture on November 9, 1970. The head of the government, and then the President of France, Georges Pompidou, will say: "De Gaulle is dead, France is widowed." The coffin of the military general, politician and world statesman was seen off by thousands of people. Over the years, Charles de Gaulle remains one of the most revered French politicians - many still consider him the most powerful president of the Fifth Republic.
GALL 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. Member of the 1st World War, was wounded three times. In 1916-1918 he was in German captivity. In 1919-1921 he was an officer of the French military mission in Poland.
In 1922-1924 he studied at the Higher Military School in Paris. In 1925-1931 he served in the headquarters of the vice-chairman of the Supreme Military Council of France, Marshal A.F. Peten, in the Rhineland and Lebanon.
In 1932-1936 the secretary Supreme Council national defense. In 1937-1939 he was commander of a tank regiment.
At the start of World War II, he commanded tank corps 5th French Army (1939), in May 1940 he headed 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. Pétain (16/6/1940) flew to Great Britain and on 18/6/1940 addressed the French by radio with an appeal to continue the fight against Nazi Germany. While in exile, he led the Free French movement, which joined the anti-Hitler coalition.
In June 1943, after the landing of the Anglo-American troops in North Africa, created in Algeria the French Committee of National Liberation (FKNO; headed it until November 1943, together with General A.O. Giraud, then alone).
Since June 1944, after the renaming of the FKNO into the Provisional Government of the French Republic, the head of government. Golle's cabinet restored democratic freedoms in France, nationalized a number of industries, and carried out social and 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 domestic political issues with representatives of the left parties, he left the post of head of government. In 1947, he founded the Unification of the French People (RPF) party, the main goal of which was the abolition of the 1946 Constitution, which transferred real power in the country to the National Assembly, and not to the president, as Goll wanted. The RPF acted under the slogans of creating a state with a strong presidential power, pursuing an independent policy by France in the international arena and creating conditions for an "association of labor and capital."
Having failed to come to power with the help of the RPF, Goll dissolved it in 1953 and temporarily withdrew from the active political activity. On June 1, 1958, in the context of an acute political crisis caused by a military mutiny in Algeria, the National Assembly approved Gaulle as head of government. Under his leadership, the Constitution of 1958 was developed, which narrowed the powers of parliament and significantly expanded the rights of the president. In October 1958, Gaulle's supporters merged into the Union for a New Republic (UNR) party, which declared itself "entirely devoted" to his "ideas and personality."
On December 21, 1958, Goll was elected president, on December 19, 1965 he was re-elected for a new, 7-year term. In this position, having overcome the resistance of the ultra-colonialists and part of the military, he achieved independence for Algeria (see the Evian Accords of 1962), pursued a policy of increasing the role of France in solving European and world problems.
During the Gaulle period, France became a nuclear power (January 1960); in 1966, having not achieved equality with the USA and Great Britain in NATO, she withdrew from the 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, Gaull understood "United Europe" as "Europe of Fatherland", in which each country must preserve political independence and national identity. Gaull advocated a rapprochement between France and the FRG, and in 1963 he signed a Franco-German agreement on cooperation. Twice (in 1963, 1967) he vetoed the entry of Great Britain into the EEC, not wanting to allow a strong competitor closely connected with the USA and capable of claiming leadership in Western Europe to this organization. Gaulle was one of the first to put forward the idea of detente of international tension. During the reign of Gaulle, cooperation between France and the USSR was significantly developed. In 1964, France recognized the People's Republic of China and established diplomatic relations with it.
In May 1968, student unrest swept France, which escalated into a general strike (see General Strike of 1968 in France), which testified to a deep crisis in French society. Gaulle voluntarily resigned as president of the republic and retired from political activity after the referendum on April 28, 1969, did not receive the support of the majority of the population for his proposals 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.
Compositions:
La discorde chez l'ennemi. R., 1924;
professional army. M., 1935;
La France et son armee. R., 1938;
Discours and messages. R., 1970. Vol. 1-5;
Letters, notes and carnets. R., 1980-1997. Vol. 1-13
Childhood. Carier start
House in Lille where de Gaulle was born
Poland, military training sessions, family
Monument to de Gaulle in Warsaw
De Gaulle is released from captivity only after the armistice of November 11, 1918. From to 1921, de Gaulle was in Poland, where he taught the theory of tactics at the former school of the Imperial Guard in Rembertow near Warsaw, and in July-August 1920 he fought for a short time on the front of the Soviet-Polish war of 1919-1921 with the rank of major (by the troops of the RSFSR in this conflict is commanded, ironically, by Tukhachevsky). Having rejected the offer of a permanent position in the Polish Army and returning to his homeland, on April 6 he marries Yvonne Vandru. On December 28 next year, his son Philip is born, named after the chef - later sadly known traitor and de Gaulle's antagonist Marshal Philippe Pétain. Captain de Gaulle teaches at the Saint-Cyr school, then admitted to the Higher Military School. May 15, daughter Elizabeth is born. In 1928, the youngest daughter, Anna, was born, who suffered from Down syndrome (the girl died in; later de Gaulle was a trustee of the Foundation for Children with Down Syndrome).
Military theorist
It was this moment that became a turning point in de Gaulle's biography. In Memoirs of Hope, he writes: “On June 18, 1940, answering the call of his homeland, deprived of any other help to save his soul and honor, de Gaulle, alone, unknown to anyone, had to take responsibility for France ". On this day, the BBC broadcasts de Gaulle's radio speech calling for the creation of the Resistance. Soon, leaflets were distributed in which the general addressed "To all the French" (A tous les Français) with the statement:
“France lost the battle, but she did not lose the war! Nothing is lost, because this war is a world war. The day will come when France will return freedom and greatness ... That is why I appeal to all French people to unite around me in the name of action, self-sacrifice and hope.
The general accused the Pétain government of betrayal and declared that "with full consciousness of duty he acts on behalf of France." Other appeals of de Gaulle also appeared.
So de Gaulle stood at the head of " Free (later - "Fighting") France"- an organization designed to resist the invaders and the collaborationist Vichy regime.
At first, he had to face considerable difficulties. “I ... at first did not represent anything ... In France - no one who could vouch for me, and I did not enjoy any fame in the country. Abroad - no trust and justification for my activities. The formation of the Free French organization was rather protracted. Who knows how de Gaulle's fate would have turned out if he had not enlisted the support of British Prime Minister Winston Churchill. The desire to create an alternative to the Vichy government led Churchill to recognize de Gaulle as "the head of all free French" (June 28) and to help de Gaulle "promote" internationally. Nevertheless, in his memoirs about the Second World War, Churchill does not give a very high assessment of de Gaulle and considers his cooperation with him forced - there was simply no alternative.
control of the colonies. Development of the Resistance
Militarily, the main task was to transfer to the side of the French patriots the "French Empire" - vast colonial possessions in Africa, Indochina and Oceania. After an unsuccessful attempt to capture Dakar, de Gaulle creates in Brazzaville (Congo) the Council of the Defense of the Empire, the manifesto on the creation of which began with the words: “We, General de Gaulle (nous général de Gaulle), head of the free French, decide,” etc. The Council includes anti-fascist military governors of the French (usually African) colonies: Generals Catrou, Eboue, Colonel Leclerc. From that moment on, de Gaulle emphasized the national and historical roots of his movement. He establishes the Order of the Liberation, the main sign of which is the Lorraine cross with two crossbars - an ancient, dating back to the era of feudalism, a symbol of the French nation. The decree on the creation of the order resembles the statutes of the orders of the times of royal France.
The great success of Free France was the establishment of direct ties with the USSR shortly after June 22, 1941 (the Soviet leadership decided without hesitation to transfer Bogomolov, their ambassador under the Vichy regime, to London). For 1941-1942 the network of partisan organizations in occupied France also grew. From October 1941, after the first mass executions hostages by the Germans, de Gaulle calls on all the French to a total strike and mass actions of disobedience.
Conflict with allies
Meanwhile, the actions of the "monarch" irritated the West. Roosevelt's apparatus spoke openly about the "so-called free French" who were "sowing poisonous propaganda" and interfering with the conduct of the war. On November 7, 1942, American troops landed in Algiers and Morocco and negotiated with local French commanders who supported Vichy. De Gaulle tried to convince the leaders of England and the United States that cooperation with the Vichy in Algeria would lead to the loss of moral support for the allies in France. “The United States,” said de Gaulle, “introduces elementary feelings and complex politics into great things.” The contradiction between de Gaulle's patriotic ideals and Roosevelt's indifference in the choice of supporters ("all those who help solve my problems are suitable for me," as he openly stated) became one of the most important obstacles in conducting coordinated actions in North Africa.
At the head of the state
"First in France," the president was by no means eager to rest on his laurels. He poses the question:
“Can I make it possible to solve the vital problem of decolonization, begin the economic and social transformation of our country in the age of science and technology, restore the independence of our politics and our defense, turn France into a champion of the unification of all European Europe, to return to France its halo and influence in the world, especially in the countries of the “third world”, which it has enjoyed for many centuries? There is no doubt: this is the goal that I can and must achieve.
Decolonization. From the French Empire to the Francophone Community of Nations
De Gaulle puts the problem of decolonization in the first place. Indeed, in the wake of the Algerian crisis, he came to power; now he must reaffirm his role as national leader by finding a way out of it. In an attempt to carry out this task, the president ran into a desperate confrontation not only between the Algerian commanders, but also the right-wing lobby in the government. Only on September 16, 1959, the head of state proposes three options for resolving the Algerian issue: a break with France, "integration" with France (completely equate Algeria with the metropolis and extend the same rights and obligations to the population) and "association" (Algerian national composition a government that relied on the help of France and has a close economic and foreign policy alliance with the mother country). The general clearly preferred the latter option, in which he met with the support of the National Assembly. However, this further consolidated the ultra-right, which was fueled by the unreplaced military authorities of Algeria.
A special scandal erupted during a visit to Quebec (francophone province of Canada). The President of France, concluding his speech, exclaimed at a huge gathering of people: “Long live Quebec!”, And then added the words that instantly became famous: “Long live free Quebec!” (fr. Vive le Quebec libre!). De Gaulle and his official advisers subsequently proposed a number of versions that allowed the charge of separatism to be deflected, among them that they meant the freedom of Quebec and Canada as a whole from foreign military blocs (that is, again, NATO). According to another version, based on the entire context of de Gaulle's speech, he had in mind the Quebec comrades in the Resistance, who fought for the freedom of the whole world from Nazism. One way or another, this incident has been referred to for a very long time by supporters of the independence of Quebec.
France and Europe. Special relations with Germany and the USSR
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Life, a true patriot, the Frenchman Charles de Gaulle.
Charles de Gaulle himself explained his feelings as follows: love for France was instilled in him and his sister by their father and mother, and from childhood, the children could not even imagine how it could be otherwise.
Biography of Charles de Gaulle
De Gaulle was born in the autumn of 1890 in the city of Lille, at his grandmother's house. He spent his childhood in Paris, along with his parents and sister.
Charles de Gaulle received the profession of a military man, studied at a military school. He was a participant in the First World War, and was even captured.
By the Second World War, he was already a general in the armed forces of France. During World War II, Charles was against any compromise with the pro-fascist government.
It was at this time that his path as a successful politician began. He met several times in London with Winston Churchill, discussing with him the possibilities of French resistance. Churchill called General de Gaulle the honor of France.
With his successful example and speeches, he raised the spirits of the French and encouraged them to continue resisting the Nazis, despite the official policy of France.
He becomes the organizer of the free France movement, to which the French colonies agitate to join, many of which do so.
Such as Chad, Congo, Gabon, Cameroon. Since the Second World War, de Gaulle has been trying with all his might to limit the interference of the United States and England in French politics.
At that time, the goal of Anglo-American policy was to exclude France from the leading countries of Europe, to completely subordinate it to its influence.
And how could de Gaulle, brought up on the principles of nationalism, allow this? Therefore, he had to, being a military man, also become a politician and defend the freedoms of the French people.
The contribution that Charles de Gaulle made to the history of France, his success in the political arena cannot be overestimated.
He was with her in the most difficult years of the country, organized resistance during the Second World War, for ten years, from 1959 to 1969, he was president of the Fifth French Republic.
He was one of the authors of the French constitution, which is still used today. Nicolas Sarkozy, the sixth president of the Fifth French Republic, in one of his speeches spoke of de Gaulle as the savior of France, who returned the country's independence and, no less important, its prestige in the world community!
By the way, it was during the time of de Gaulle in France that the question of creating their own nuclear weapons.
The first nuclear weapons tests were carried out in 1960 in the Sahara desert. The tests were terminated by President Mitterrand.
During de Gaulle's time, France leaves NATO. De Gaulle already at that time understood that the dollar was just a piece of paper with a very low cost and was already trying to convert dollars into gold and thus reduce the influence of the United States on France. In part, he succeeded at that time.
He collected US paper dollars that were in France, took them by plane to Washington and exchanged them for gold there, which discouraged the American top leadership and eventually forced them to abandon the peg of the dollar to gold.
November 22 brings together the presidents of France and the United States. Charles de Gaulle's birthday, John F. Kennedy's day of tragic death
At the same time, Soviet-French cooperation was actively developing. De Gaulle in the USSR saw his ally in the fight against the Anglo-American alliance, and his dislike of communism is a thing of the past, in order to successfully promote his national interests.
De Gaulle stands for a united Europe, it is in such a Europe that he sees an opportunity to resist NATO, and this is why he openly supports Germany.
However, leading an active successful foreign policy, inside the country the situation was difficult: huge unemployment, the standard of living of the population was low.
All this led to dissatisfaction among the French with de Gaulle's tough policy. And in 1969 he leaves his post. And already in 1970, General de Gaulle dies.
In honor of the world-famous de Gaulle, the main French airport is named - Airport Paris - Charles de Gaulle, or as it is also called Roissy - Charles de Gaulle and the pride of France - the first nuclear aircraft carrier and the only one operating, on this moment French Navy aircraft carrier Charles de Gaulle.
And also a rose from the family is named after him. hybrid tea roses, rose of lilac varieties "Charles de Gaulle".
Another little known fact from the life of General de Gaulle that he was a trustee of a medical foundation in France, which helped families with children with Down syndrome.
Here is such an interesting, versatile developed person world famous politician public figure, a true patriot of his country.
His personal success came from the goal, from the dream of the success of his country, a country with independent thinking. De Gaulle from a simple military man became a successful respected politician, thinker, business executive.
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