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Born
Charles André Joseph Marie de Gaulle was born in Lille, France. His father was a teacher and was a veteran Franco-Prussian War. This fueled his hate towards Germany. A hate that is passed down to his sons, especially Charles.From his earliest years, both his father and mother immersed de Gaulle in French history. For many centuries de Gaulle's ancestors had played a role in French history, almost always as patriots defending France from invaders. -
Joined Military
De Gaulle's career in the military of France began in the summer of 1909.That summer he was admitted in to the elite military academy of Saint-Cyr. In school he was called "the big asparagus" because of his height. Among his classmates was the future marshal of France, Alphonse Jun. -
Graduated Academy
After graduation he became a Second Lieutenant and reported to Henri Philippe Pétain who at the time was his hero. Later though pétain would surrender to and work with the Germans. This caused a hatred among them, because of their different approaches to the war. De Gaulle wanted to keep fighting but Pétain had other plans. -
France surrenders
Marshal Philippe Pétain, the leader of the new French government, announced that France had lost the war against Germany and would surrender. Pétain was put in charge of what is known as a Vichy government. Meaning it was a government created to appear as an independent government, but is really controlled by another. It got its name because the new capital of this government was Vichy, France. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x9HTkBiPxKY -
French resistance movement starts
From London de Gaulle spoke to the people of the world and told the French people to rally behind him to defy the German occupation. He also stated that one battle does not defy an outcome of a war and France will never truly surrender. At first not many French joined and none of the high ranking officers or politicians came. To the French people the war was over and Britain's surrender was soon to come.In order to get his way de Gaulle adopted tactics that forced Allies and French to listen. -
De Gaulle speech
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Free France formally created the French National Committee
Free France formally created the French National Committee, an organization that became the basis of de Gaulle’s provisional government when the Allies returned to France in 1944. The French Committee of National Liberation abbreviation: (CFLN) is the government agency created with, the merger of two majot French authorities involved in the war with the Allies. One leader was de Gaulle and the other was the French commander in chief General Girard. -
Attempted assassination of de Gaulle
An attempt was made to assassinate General Charles de Gaulle when the Wellington bomber flying him to Glasgow, Scotland, United Kingdom was sabotaged at RAF Hendon. The pilot detected the elevator controls had been cut just before take-off and aborted the flight. At the time, the incident was hushed up and blamed on German intelligence but de Gaulle never flew by plane in Britain again. -
De Gaulle rides into newly liberated Paris
De Gaulle rode into Paris behind French and American troops. Just before this de Gaulle was named the supreme commander of the French forces. He also demanded that any liberated parts of France become the provisional government he set up in founding free France. To which Eisenhower promised he would not accept any other government. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yuv_vbxu4lI -
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Head of provisional government
There was no question as to who was going to the head of provisional government. De Gaulle was unanimously selected as president. He didn't stay in there long because he realized he hated politics, and he had to fend off the allied forces trying to force their policies on the French government. He was also not a fan of the draft for the fourth republic because he said it was going to put too much power in the hands of the parliament and its changing of political powers. -
Death
De Gaulle died in his small hometown village of a major heart attack. On the day of his death his successor George Pompidou is quoted saying "General de Gaulle is dead. France is a widow." De Gaulle's legacy as a political and military hero has made him one of the most iconic Frenchmen ever. Nowadays there are roads and airports and memorials all over France have been dedicated to de Gaulle.
