Charles de Gaulle: A Life of Leadership

The Early Years

Charles André Joseph Marie de Gaulle was born on November 22, 1890, in Lille, France. He attended the prestigious École Polytechnique and served as a military officer in World War I. After the war, he held various military and diplomatic posts.

Exiled Leader

In 1940, after the fall of France to Nazi Germany, de Gaulle fled to England and established the Free French Resistance movement. He became the leader of the Free French forces and played a pivotal role in the fight against the Nazis.

President of the Fifth Republic

After the liberation of France in 1944, de Gaulle served as the first president of the Provisional Republic of France. He was later elected president of the Fifth Republic in 1958. As president, he oversaw the Algerian War, the country's withdrawal from NATO, and the development of France's nuclear program.

Resignation

In 1969, de Gaulle resigned from the presidency after a referendum on his proposed constitutional reforms failed. He died on November 9, 1970, in Colombey-les-Deux-Églises, France.