Biography
Charles de Gaulle, the leader of the resistance movement, was interested in military affairs in childhood, in his youth, the manifesto composed, taught the art of tactics, dreamed of being on the battlefield. In many ways, thanks to his audacity and the skill of studying the enemy, France was freed from the oppression of Nazi Germany in 1944. Now de Gaulle is a major historical figure standing in the same row with Napoleon I.Childhood and youth
Charles Andre Joseph Marie de Gaulle was born on November 22, 1890 in French Lille. The third of five children professors of the literature and the history of Henri de Gaulle and Zhanna (in the Majo's Major), the daughters of wealthy entrepreneurs.
Embed from getty imagesFather's three brothers and sisters were engaged in the formation of his three brothers and sisters: he told about the history of France, encouraged the interest of children to philosophy and eloquence classes. A sensitive mother, who told how she cried during the surrender of France in front of the Germans in a sedan in 1870, pushed Charles to an independent study of the art of warfare.
Already at 10, Charles studied adult literature: the medieval history, the works of Philosophers Henri Bergson, Friedrich Nietzsche, Immanuel Kant, Plato. Young Charles dreamed of revenge on Germany for 1870. At the age of 15, the boy wrote an essay "General de Gaulle," presenting himself by the ruler of the French troops going to the victory.
Military service
Good performance in Collège Stanislas in Paris provided de Gaulle a place in a special military school Saint-Sir in 1909. It is said that the young man leanned off to the career of a writer or historian, but chose a different way to please the Father. Later in the "Military Memoirs" de Gaulle wrote:
"Entry into the ranks of the army is the greatest event in my biography."The young man served in the 33rd infantry regiment of the French army - a division that took part in battles under Borodino, Austerlitz, Vagram Battle. She commanded Philippe Peten, who became a mentor de Gaulle for the next 15 years.
In August 1914, the First World War came to France. The 33rd infantry regiment was thrown at the intelligence in the Belgian city of Dynan. 3 days after the entry into battle with the Germans de Gaulle wounded in his knee. For the second time, the bullet fell into the left hand. An interesting fact: the blood was infected, the hand is mutilated, so Charles all his life was forced to wear a wedding ring on his right hand.
During the third injury, de Gaulle lost consciousness and captured the Germans for 32 months. He tried to run 5 times: hid in a laundry basket, digging the tunnel in the wall, even gave himself to a nurse. The guy fell into despair at the thought that the war goes without his participation. De Gaulle's victory met even in captivity, and on December 1, 1918 returned home.
After the First World War, de Gaulle instructed the Polish infantry in battles with Russia in 1919-1921, he read a lecture on tactics, wrote military works. From September 1927, he was appointed commander of the 19th battalion of the elite infantry of the French army.
Charles believed that you can achieve victory with the help of tanks and fast maneuvers. In 1934, a man released "Appeal to the Army" ("Vers L'Armée de Métier"), in which he proposed a reform for infantry mechanization. De Gaulle claimed that he could win the war with 100 thousand infantrymen and 3 thousand tanks. On the eve of the Second World War, the Frenchman appointed a commander of 80 "lungs" of tanks, which he called "dust".
Embed from getty imagesStar hour came to de Gavel in 1940. On May 10, Germany announced Europe to Europe, on May 15 broke into a sedan. The Charles division was to win time. On May 17, the commander lost 23 out of 90 tanks, for the next day its strength reached 150 units of technology. Fierce fights de Gaulle forced the Germans for a long time to retreat in the comono. May 23 for the valor of Charles called the general.
The French government did not want the war. Together with Winston Churchill, the Prime Minister of Great Britain, the authorities of the republic acted for a truce with Germany. Do not want to stretch your hand to enemies, on June 18, 1940 de Gaulle across the British radio called on the French people to create a resistance movement. June 22, France and Germany signed a truce.
Political activity
In France, the mode of Vichy was established, in other words - occupation. Winston Churchill understood that someone as terribly could break the ring as de Gaulle. On June 24, the British Prime Minister admitted de Gaulle "the head of all free French and instructed to provide him with a safe way to penetrate into France.
Embed from getty imagesExactly a year later, on June 22, 1941, de Gaulle adjusted contact with Joseph Stalin, Generalissimus of the USSR. He supported the Frenchman "from the air": the Union de Gaulle and Stalin led to the creation of the legendary squadron "Normandy-Neman". These aircraft played a key role in the fight against the Hitler Coalition.
In 1944, de Gaulle met in the hero liberated by Paris: he was attributed to the liberation of France from the occupation. In August of the same year, Charles headed the temporary government.
The country affected by the war required the restructuring of the state system. Before this complexity, de Gaulle broke: on January 20, 1945 he left the post of chairman of the Interim Government because of the dispute about the form of the Board - de Gaulle wanted to become a full president of France, and most politicians advocated the control of parliament over the government.
Charles declared the war to the fourth republic (France of the 1946-1958 period), calling itself the only possible applicant for the management of the state. The political elite did not hear his appeals, and then de Gaulle went for 5 years to live in Kolomba-le-Dzoz-Egliz, an overlooking French colony.
Here, the general wrote well-known "military memoirs" in 3 volumes: "Call", "Unity", "Salvation". He pondered about the war, presented himself at the helm of the state, said that France should be in the hands of what would go to greatness, "otherwise she may be in mortal danger."
The inner crisis de Gaulle ends the crisis in France. Algerian war, poverty and unemployment led the republic to a dangerous edge, and ultimately the leadership turned to de Gaulle with the requirement to "break silence" and form the "government of public confidence". Politician spoke on the radio with the assurances that "ready to take on all the powers of the republic." On June 1, 1958, De Gaulle was announced by the Chairman of the Council of Ministers.
Embed from getty imagesThis time, France's leaders accepted all de Gaulle's proposals about the state strict. He ruled that the authority to manage the country should be in the hands of the president, who appoints ministers and above all is the Prime Minister. The postulates formed the basis of the Constitution, according to which France lives now. The adoption of the Chief State Document in 1958 is given to the formation of the fifth republic under the leadership of de Gaulle.
The activity of de Gaulle was directed, first of all, on foreign policy. In 1960, he graduated from Vietnam and Cambodia, in 1962, Algeria and the top ten African states. In these countries, citizens who loved France remained, so by "budding" of the friendly territories of De Gaulle provided support for the world stage.
In 1965, France came out of NATO, refused to use the dollar in international calculations. For the country, the currency of diplomacy was the Golden Standard. Changes occurred in the internal policy of the fifth republic. De Gaulle ratified for the creation of a unique nuclear weapon, because possessing them meant to be a global power. The tests of the dangerous substance ceased only with the arrival of Francois Mitterian in 1981.
Embed from getty imagesIn 1965, the 7-year term of the Board de Gaulle approached the end. Confident in his abilities, politician insisted on the introduction of direct elections, that is, by popular voting. The move was dangerous: de Gaulle scored 54%, and 45% - Mitteraran, who spoke with a tough criticism of the fifth republic.
The rice of weapons, which was not needed by a simple people, total elimination of peasant farms, monopoly on television and radio, contributed to the sharp drop in the popularity of de Gaulle. Politics were called "flying with a dictator with coils." The regularity of the attempts on de Gaulle increased. By the way, his life was at risk a record number of times - 32.
Embed from getty imagesOn May 2, 1968, students made a resign of the president. The rebellion with the requirement to open the Faculty of Sociology of the University of Paris, which was closed after similar uptensions against power, converted into the national rebellion. 10 million people went to the streets. To save the country from the Civil War, the president proposed to give it to "broad powers" for the "update" of France, but what exactly did not specify. The offer was perceived in the bayonets.
Personal life
On April 6, 1921, Ivonna Wandru became his wife de Gaulle. Their happy personal life lasted half a century, until the death of De Gaulle in the 1970s.Embed from getty imagesOn December 28, 1921, the son of Philip was born in the Union, named after Philip Peten. On May 15, 1924, the daughter of Elizabeth appeared on the world, and in the 1928th Anna, which suffered from Down syndrome. The girl lived 20 years old. Her disease made de Gaulle subsequently become a trustee of the Children's Foundation with Down Syndrome.
Resignation and death
De Gaulle "renewal was the reorganization of the Senate into the economic and social body, which serves for the benefit of entrepreneurs and trade unions. It was assumed that this will defeat unemployment. After reforming on a referendum, de Gaulle voiced that if the proposal would not be supported, he would resign. On April 28, 1969, de Gaulle, having learned the results, telegraphed the Prime Minister of the country from Colombe:
"I stop fulfilling the duties of the President of the Republic. This decision comes into force today at noon. "
Political life has changed to a relaxed existence with his wife Ivon and her daughter Elizabeth in Ireland and Spain. De Gaulle wrote "Memoirs of Hope", which did not have time to finish, reached only until 1962.
November 9, 1970, no less than a month, without surviving up to the 80th anniversary, Charles de Gaulle passed away. The cause of death was the gap of aorta. On November 12, the man was buried on the village cemetery in Colombe next to Anna's daughter. Judging by the photo of the grave, later the last abode with relatives was divided and Ivonna. Catafalk at Charles was a very eccentric - armored person with a dismantled tower.
Memory
In recent years, De Gaulle's reign was not the most popular figure, but in memory of him in France, the second time in history (after Napoleon I) declared mourning. Reporting the death of the ex-president, his successor Georges Pompidu said:
"General de Gaulle died, France widowel."
The name de Gaulle is named after the airport in Paris, the area on which the Triumphal Arch is installed, an atomic aircraft carrier. Next to the Elysee fields in 2000 a monument appeared. By the way, the second monument stands in Moscow in front of the hotel "Cosmos", and the area is named Charles de Gaulle.
Awards
- Legion of Honor
- National Order "For Merit"
- Order of Liberation
- Order of the Black Star
- Royal Order Cambodia.
- Imperial Order of the Dragon Annama
- Order of Anzhan Star
- Order "For merits to the Federal Republic of Germany"
- Order "For merits to the Italian Republic"
- Royal Victorian Order
- Order of the Renaissance of Poland.
- Order of the White Rose of Finland
- Order of Million Elephants and White Umbrella
- Order of the Savior