Gaulle

Gaulle is a surname most associated with Charles de Gaulle (1890–1970), a French general and statesman who led the Free French Forces during World War II and later founded the Fifth Republic. Born in Lille, de Gaulle pursued a military career and gained prominence for his insistence on continuity of French sovereignty during the war. After the defeat of France in 1940, he issued the Appeal of 18 June, rejected the Vichy regime, and organized Free French forces from London and later from North Africa.

Following the war, de Gaulle remained a central but controversial figure in French politics. He returned to power amid the crisis of the Algerian War and helped draft a new constitution. In 1959 he became President of France under the Fifth Republic, a role he held until his resignation in 1969. His presidency strengthened the executive branch, sought greater national autonomy in foreign policy, and pursued France’s nuclear deterrent. He sought to redefine France’s place in Europe and in relation to the United States, including suspending NATO’s integrated military command in 1966.

Domestically, his government negotiated the Evian Accords of 1962, which ended the Algerian War and led to Algerian independence. A 1969 referendum on regional and senate reform was rejected, and de Gaulle resigned as president shortly thereafter. He died in 1970, leaving a lasting imprint on French statehood. His political doctrine, Gaullism, emphasizes national sovereignty, a strong executive, and an active, independent foreign policy.