An outstanding statesman, who is rightfully recognized as one of the greatest politicians of the 20th century, a military general, leader and inspirer of the French Resistance, Charles de Gaulle twice headed the government in moments of a grave national crisis and each time not only saved the situation, but also raised the international prestige of France, contributed to maintaining world peace.
Childhood
Charles de Gaulle was born on November 22, 1890 in the small town of Lille into an aristocratic family. It was a well-to-do pious family, and such concepts as Motherland, honor, duty were valued above all else in it. Charles had three brothers and one sister. The boy was very fond of reading and most of all books on the history of France. His favorite heroine was Jeanne D'Arc. Her tragic story so sunk into his soul that he was imbued with an almost mystical foreboding. As he himself later recalled: "I was convinced that the meaning of life is to perform an outstanding feat in the name of France, and that the day will come when I will have such an opportunity."
Combat path
Another passion of Charles was the military. After studying at the Jesuit College, Charles entered the Special Military School in Saint-Cyr, where Napoleon once studied. In 1912, de Gaulle graduated from Saint-Cyr with the rank of lieutenant, and two years later he began his military career on the fields of the First World War.
Having distinguished himself in battles, Charles received the rank of captain. In 1916, near Verdun, he was taken prisoner wounded. He tried to escape six times, but unsuccessfully; he was released only in 1918. After returning to Paris, de Gaulle studied at the Higher Military School, wrote books on strategy and tactics, taught at the Imperial Guard School, and gradually gained fame in army circles. In 1930, de Gaulle was promoted to lieutenant colonel, and in 1937 he already commanded a tank corps with the rank of colonel. By the way, de Gaulle was one of the first to point out the decisive role of tank forces in a future war.
In May 1940, in the battles on the Somme, de Gaulle showed great personal courage, and he was promoted to brigadier general, but in June the French suffered a crushing defeat from the Nazi troops. De Gaulle sent a radio call to all French people to continue the struggle and join the Free France movement he organized, after which the country's new government sentenced him to death in absentia. In 1941, under the auspices of the national committee organized by him, the French armed forces were revived, which took an active part in the hostilities in the Middle East and Africa. After the liberation of France, De Gaulle returned to Paris and headed the government.
The president
Charles de Gaulle was of the opinion that the president of the country should have maximum power, without looking back at parliament, because of which he had insoluble differences with the deputies of the Constitutional Assembly, and in January 1946 he left the presidency.
However, 12 years later, during an acute political crisis caused by the colonial war in Algeria, de Gaulle, who was already 68 years old, was again elected president (this time with broad powers, with a limited role for parliament), and under his leadership, which lasted until 1969, France regained its status as a great world power.
31 attempts were made on Charles de Gaulle, but he died quietly and calmly, a natural death, on November 9, 1970.
Personal life
In 1921, Charles de Gaulle met the daughter of the owner of a pastry shop, Yvonne Vandroux. Previously, the girl has repeatedly stated that she will never become the wife of a military man, but in the same year the wedding took place.
First, they had a son, Philip, then a daughter, Elizabeth, and in 1928, de Gaulleys had a daughter, Anna, who had Down syndrome. In 1948, when Anna was 20 years old, she died. After this tragedy, Yvonne founded the Foundation for Sick Children, and Charles took an active part in the work of the Foundation for Children with Down Syndrome.
