(1890–1970). A military leader and statesman, Charles de Gaulle led France through several difficult periods. In 1959 he became president under a new constitution that he helped write. Throughout his career De Gaulle was guided by his belief in the greatness of France.

Early life

Charles De Gaulle was born on November 22, 1890, in Lille, in northern France. He came from an upper-middle-class family that had produced historians and writers, and his father taught philosophy and literature. De Gaulle graduated from the Military Academy of St-Cyr in 1911.

Military career

De Gaulle fought as an infantry officer in World War I. He fought at Verdun in 1916 and was captured by the Germans. He made five unsuccessful attempts to escape. He was finally released after the war ended. In 1921 De Gaulle married Yvonne Vendroux, the daughter of a biscuit manufacturer from Calais. They had three children.

Between the two world wars De Gaulle taught military history at St-Cyr. He served on a military mission to Poland and later became aide to Marshal Philippe Pétain. He also wrote several books on military subjects. When Germany invaded France in 1940 at the beginning of World War II, De Gaulle was made a brigadier general and was given command of an armored division. France failed to stop the German advance, and Pétain signed a truce with Germany's leader, Adolf Hitler.

De Gaulle flew to London for several meetings with Winston Churchill, Britain's prime minister. With Churchill's approval De Gaulle took control of the Free French resistance movement and led the movement from England. De Gaulle kept in constant touch with the French underground.

Public life

After the American invasion of North Africa, De Gaulle joined General Henri Giraud in Algiers to serve as co-president of the French Committee of National Liberation. De Gaulle later became sole president of the committee and chief of the armed forces. He returned to Paris as a national hero in 1944 after the Germans had retreated. He formed a government and tried to unite France's many political parties into a strong national administration. He disapproved of the government that formed instead. His proposals also were met with increased hostility, and he resigned in 1946.

De Gaulle still worked to form a strong central government. In 1947 he founded a new political party called the Rally of the French People, but the party was dissolved in 1953. In the years that followed, no French government was able to stay in power for more than a few months. Much of the political uproar was due to a civil war that developed in Algeria, one of France's colonies in North Africa.

Return to power

De Gaulle was popular with the French army. In 1958 a group of officers in Algeria requested that he bring back order to the French government. De Gaulle met with President René Coty about forming a new government with De Gaulle having executive powers. France's Fifth Republic, based on a new constitution, was formed in December, and De Gaulle took office as its first president on January 8, 1959.

After he became president, De Gaulle promoted peace negotiations in Algeria. An overwhelming majority of French voters supported a cease-fire. De Gaulle finally declared Algeria's independence on July 3, 1962.

De Gaulle also increased his efforts to make France a leading world power. His proposal that future presidents be chosen by popular election was approved in a national referendum. At his urging the French developed nuclear weapons and a space program. In international affairs De Gaulle rejected a nuclear test ban treaty and granted formal recognition to Communist China. At the beginning of his second term he withdrew France from the military operations of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO).

Last years

In the 1967 parliamentary elections De Gaulle's control of the National Assembly was weakened when some of his allies lost their seats. His control was threatened further by a students' and workers' revolt in 1968. On June 23 De Gaulle dissolved the National Assembly and called new elections. His party won, but dissatisfaction continued to grow. On April 27, 1969, the people of France voted down his proposals for constitutional changes. The following day De Gaulle resigned. He retired to his home at Colombey-les-Deux-Églises, where he died on November 9, 1970.