CHARLES De Gaulle

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CHARLES De Gaulle

• MANUERVERED TO ADVANTAGE FRANCE

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TOUR de FORCE
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KNEW THE MOVERS AND SHAKERS

• WORKED WITH THEM
• BRITAIN
• GERMANY
• SOVIET UNION
• UNITED STATES
• CHINA
• CAN YOU MATCH COUNTRY WITH LEADER?

• PLAYED WITH THEM
• ROOSEVELT
• EISENHOWER
• CHURCHILL
• STALIN
• ADENAUER
• MCMILLAN
• EDEN
• KHRUSHCHEV
• MAO

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BACKGROUND MATERIAL

• SON OF CONSERVATIVE FORCES
• FRENCH SOLDIER
• WOUNDED AT VERDUN
• POW

STATESMAN WRITER ARCHITECT OF FRANCES FIFTH
REPUBLIC
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PROMOTED BY PETAIN

• PETAIN WAS THE HERO OF VERDUN
• PETAIN SIGNED AN ARMISTICE WITH THE GERMANS
• PETAIN HEADED THE GOVERNMENT OF UNOCCUPIED FRANCE
• DE GAULLE FLED TO ENGLAND-URGED RESISTENCE TO
  GERMANS
• SENTENCED TO DEATH IN ABSENTIA

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RECOGNIZED AS LEADER OF GOVERNMENT-IN-WAITING

• ROOSEVELT CONSIDERED HIM A NUISANCE
• CHURCHILL SAW HIS EGO
• EISENHOWER SAW HIM AS YET ANOTHER OBSTACLE
• ATTRACTED VOLUNTEERS TO THE FREE FRENCH FORCES
• INSPIRED THE FRENCH RESISTENCE

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HEADED PROVISIONAL GOVERNMENT OF LIBERATED FRANCE

• UNINVITED TO YALTA AND POTSDAM

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CHURCHILL SPOKE FOR FRANCE

• CHURCHILL INSISTED FRANCE BE INCLUDED IN THE
  OCCUPATION PLAN FOR GERMANY
• CHURCHILL INSISTED FRANCE BE INCLUDED IN THE
  SECURITY COUNCIL OF THE UN

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DE GAULLE WENT TO STALIN

• HE DESCRIBED STALIN
• As a Communist disguised as a Marshal, a
  dictator preferring the tactics of guile, a
  conqueror with an affable smile, he was a past
  master of deception. But so fierce was his
  passion that it often gleamed through this armor
  and gave him a certain sinister charm.

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De Gaulle wanted the RHINELAND and an
Internationalized Ruhr

• STALIN REFUSED TO BREAK WITH BRITAIN AND USA
• STALIN WAS NON-COMMITAL ON POLAND BUT WAS
  DETERMINED THAT THE FUTURE WOULD BE THE LUBLIN
  GOVERNMENT ORGANIZED IN MOSCOW

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TRUMAN REPLACED ROOSEVELT

• DE GAULLE ARGUED THAT A DISMEMBERED AND WEAK
  GERMANY WOULD REASSURE CENTRAL EUROPE THEY WOULD
  NOT TURN TO THE SOVIET UNION FOR PROTECTION

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TRUMAN DID NOT SEE A DEFEATED GERMANY AS A THREAT

• TRUMAN ARGUED THAT HARSH TREATMENT WOULD THROW
  GERMANY INTO THE SOVIET CAMP
• DE GAULLE LOST THIS ROUND

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FRANCE WAS IN DIRE STRAITS IN 1945

• HUNGER AND SEVERE COLD
• RATIONSREDUCED FROM 1000 CALORIES TO 900
• INFLATION (why?)
• DEMANDS FOR SUMMARY EXECUTIONS (Of Who?)
• RUMORS THAT DE GAULLE UNABLE TO DO BETTER THAN
  THE GERMAN OCCUPIERS

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DE GAULLE TURNED TO SOCIALISM

• NATIONALIZATION OF CREDIT
• NATIONAL HEALTH INSURANCE
• TENANT FARMERS BECAME OWNERS

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SOCIAL CONTRACT

• FACTORY COMMITTEES ELEVATED WORKERS TO IMPORTANT
  STAKEHOLDERS
• INFLATION PERSISTED

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DE GAULLE RESIGNED IN 1946

• FOURTH REPUBLIC HAD A WEAK PRESIDENCY AND STRONG
  LEGISLATURE
• COALITION GOVERNMENT CREATED GRIDLOCK
• FRANCE FACED SEVERE ECONOMIC AND INTERNATIONAL
  PROBLEMS

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FRANCE TRIED TO HOLD THEIR EMPIRE

• LOST INDO-CHINA IN 1954
• STRONG NATIONALIST FORCES OPERATED IN ALGERIA
• COMPETED WITH THE BRITISH IN THE LEVANT

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FRANCE ACCEPTED MARSHALL PLAN AID

• INDUSTRIAL PRODUCTION INCREASED
• DID THIS AID CREATE A MORAL HAZARD?
• SOCIALISM HAD SOME RIGIDITIES THAT LIMITED
  LONG-TERM GROWTH

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CRISIS IN ALGERIA

• DE GAULLE MADE A COMEBACK
• FIFTH REPUBLIC TAYLORED BY AND FOR DE GAULLE
• STRONG PRESIDENT
• Seven-year term
• WEAK ASSEMBLY
• May be dissolved after one year
• Law-making powers limited to specific areas

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PRESIDENT OF THE FIFTH REPUBLIC (1958-1969)

• ALGERIAN NATIONAL FORCES PERSISTED
• FRENCH ARMY LOSSES DRAINING
• UNDERWENT IDENTITY CRISIS
• DE GAULLE AGREED TO ALGERIAN INDEPENDENCE IN 1962
• URGED THE UNITED STATES TO ACCEPT POLITICAL
  SETTLEMENT IN VIETNAM IN1963

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DE GAULLE BECAME EUROPE BOOSTER

• TREATY OF ROME (1957) EXPANDED THE SCOPE OF THE
  EUROPEAN COAL AND STEEL COMMUNITY (1951)

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GREAT BRITAIN WOKE UP TO A CHALLENGE

• THE COMMON MARKET GOT LEGS
• FRANCE
• ITALY
• GERMANY
• BENELUX

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BRITAIN TWICE REJECTED IN BID TO JOIN COMMON
MARKET

• DEGAULLE CITED BRITISH FLAWS
• TOO TIED TO NATO AND AMERICAN HEGEMONY
• THE BRITISH COMMONWEALTH MADE ECONOMIC UNION
  IMPRACTICAL
• UNWILLING TO COMMIT TO AN ALL-EUROPEAN MILITARY
  AND DIPLOMATIC FORCE

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DE GAULLE REMOVED FRANCE FROM THE MILITARY ARM OF
NATO (1966)

• FRANCE NEEDED FLEXIBILITY IF A SOVIET
  CONFRONTATION WAS IMMINENT
• FLEXIBILITY REQUIRED FRANCE HAVING A SEPARATE
  NUCLEAR CAPABILITY
• NATION STATES PREEMPT ALLIANCES

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DE GAULLE AND ADENAUER SIGNED THE ELYSEE TREATY

• GERMANY AND FRANCE PLEDGED SPECIAL RELATIONSHIP
  (1962)
• AGREED TO COORDINATE AND COOPERATE ON FOREIGN
  POLICY
• DYNAMIC DUO OF THE NEW EUROPE
• ADENAUER COMMITED TO AN ALL-EUROPEAN MULTILATERAL
  FORCE

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DE GAULLE RECOGNIZED COMMUNIST CHINA (1964)

• JOHNSON WAS INFURIATED
• DE GAULLE MINDFUL OF AFFRONT TO CHIANG-HIS WARIME
  ALLY
• NIXON AND KISSINGER ACKNOWLEDGED FORESIGHT OF
  DE GAULLE
• CHINA ENCOURAGED IN THE ONE- CHINA POLICY IN
  REGARD TO TAIWAN

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DE GAULLE JOURNEYED TO THE SOVIET UNION (1966)

• DÉTENTE WAS ESSENTIAL TO THE SURVIVAL OF EUROPE
• VIETNAM WAR SHOULD BE SETTLED DIPLOMATICALLY
• REMAINED INVOLVED IN NATO
• FRANCE CONTINUED TO ALLOW NATO PLANES TO USE
  THEIR AIRSPACE

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DE GAULLE HOPED TO WOO EASTERN EUROPE TO THE WEST

• TITO CONSIDERED INVITING DE GAULLE
  TO YUGOSLAVIA UNTIL.
• SOVIETS PUT DOWN CZECHOSLAVAKIA UPRISING IN 1968

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SOVIET UNION SAW A CHALLENGE TO COMMUNISM

• KHRUSHCHEV AND BREZHNEV RESISTANT TO HIS EFFORTS
• CULTURAL AND EDUCATIONAL EXCHANGES WERE ALLOWED

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DE GAULLE HOPED TO PROMOTE THE THIRD WAY-WORLD
PEACE

• VISITED LATIN AMERICA AND WAS WARMLY RECEIVED
• SEEMED TO BE CRITICAL OF AMERICAN HEGEMONY
• CLAIMED HE WAS NOT ANTI-AMERICAN
• REMAINED AN ALLY OF THE US

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DEGAULLE STEPPED DOWN IN 1969

• DOMESTIC PROBLEMS MORE IMPORTANT TO THE FRENCH
  THAN INTERNATIONAL PRESTIGE
• LOW WAGES AND HIGH PRICES
• SMALL BUSINESS OVERTAXED
• POOR HOUSING
• STUDENTS DISSATIFIED WITH EDUCATIONAL SYSTEM

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DE GAULLE DIED IN 1970

• CRITICIZED AS AN AUTHORITARIAN
• ACCUSED OF SEEKING PERSONAL POWER
• BORED WITH ECONOMICS AND PROBLEMS OF EVERYMAN
• MAN OF IDEAS WHO LOVED FRANCE
• SAW A FUTURE WORLD THAT FEW COULD READILY
  CONCEIVE

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COLD WAR DIVIDED EUROPE INTO TWO ARMED CAMPS

• NATO v WARSAW PACT
• UNITED STATES v SOVIET UNION
• COMMUNISM v CAPITALISM
• NEW MAGINOT LINEIRON CURTAIN
• NUCLEAR WEAPONS INSTALLED
• BERLIN WAS GROUND ZERO
• COULD THE USA HAVE EUROPEAN SENSITIVITY?

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THE COLD WAR WAS ALSO AN OPPORTUNITY

• DE GAULLE, ADENAUER, CHURCHILL, MCMILLAN, EDEN
  THE NAMED AND UNNAMED GO ON
• KNEW THAT EUROPE COULD NEVER AGAIN BE A
  BATTLEGROUND
• THEY DID WHAT THEY COULD, WHEN THEY COULD AND
  WERE MAINLY HEROIC

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THEIR LEGACY

• THE EUROPEAN UNION-15 MEMBER STRONG
• NOW 27 STRONG
• EASTERN EUROPE COUNTRIES ARE NEW MEMBERS
• MONETARY UNION
• RUSSIA GOES WEST TO MEET FRANCE AND GERMANY
• ATLANTIC ALLIANCE SHAKEN BUT STILL INTACT