Charles de Gaulle 1890 – 1970

Biography

Charles de Gaulle was a French general and statesman who led Free France during the Second World War and later founded the Fifth Republic. Born in Lille in 1890, he served with distinction in the First World War and rose to prominence in 1940 when, refusing defeat, he broadcast from London calling on the French to continue fighting. After the liberation of Paris he headed the provisional government, then retired, only to return in 1958 amid the Algerian crisis. As president from 1959 to 1969 he ended the Algerian War, restored political stability, pursued an independent foreign policy, and withdrew France from NATO’s integrated command. He resigned in 1969 after losing a referendum and retired to his home at Colombey-les-Deux-Églises, where he died the following year. His wartime broadcasts and his post-war constitution left a lasting mark on modern France, and his name remains synonymous with national independence and resolve.