CHARLES De Gaulle

MANUERVERED TO ADVANTAGE FRANCE

TOUR de FORCE

KNEW THE MOVERS AND SHAKERS

• WORKED WITH THEM– BRITAIN– GERMANY– SOVIET UNION– UNITED STATES– CHINA

• CAN YOU MATCH COUNTRY WITH LEADER?

• PLAYED WITH THEM– ROOSEVELT– EISENHOWER– CHURCHILL– STALIN– ADENAUER– MCMILLAN– EDEN– KHRUSHCHEV– MAO

BACKGROUND MATERIAL

• SON OF CONSERVATIVE FORCES

• FRENCH SOLDIER– WOUNDED AT

VERDUN– POW

STATESMANWRITERARCHITECT OF FRANCE’S FIFTH REPUBLIC

PROMOTED BY PETAIN

• PETAIN WAS THE HERO OF VERDUN

• PETAIN SIGNED AN ARMISTICE WITH THE GERMANS

• PETAIN HEADED THE GOVERNMENT OF UNOCCUPIED FRANCE

• DE GAULLE FLED TO ENGLAND-URGED RESISTENCE TO GERMANS

• SENTENCED TO DEATH IN ABSENTIA

RECOGNIZED AS LEADER OF GOVERNMENT-IN-WAITING

• ROOSEVELT CONSIDERED HIM A NUISANCE

• CHURCHILL SAW HIS EGO

• EISENHOWER SAW HIM AS YET ANOTHER OBSTACLE

• ATTRACTED VOLUNTEERS TO THE FREE FRENCH FORCES

• INSPIRED THE FRENCH RESISTENCE

HEADED PROVISIONAL GOVERNMENT OF LIBERATED

FRANCE

• UNINVITED TO YALTA AND POTSDAM

CHURCHILL SPOKE FOR FRANCE

• CHURCHILL INSISTED FRANCE BE INCLUDED IN THE OCCUPATION PLAN FOR GERMANY

• CHURCHILL INSISTED FRANCE BE INCLUDED IN THE SECURITY COUNCIL OF THE UN

DE GAULLE WENT TO STALIN

• HE DESCRIBED STALIN~“As a Communist disguised as a Marshal, a

dictator preferring the tactics of guile, a conqueror with an affable smile, he was a past master of deception. But so fierce was his passion that it often gleamed through this armor and gave him a certain sinister charm.”

De Gaulle wanted the RHINELAND and an Internationalized Ruhr

STALIN REFUSED TO BREAK WITH BRITAIN AND USA

STALIN WAS NON-COMMITAL ON POLAND BUT WAS DETERMINED THAT THE FUTURE WOULD BE THE LUBLIN GOVERNMENT ORGANIZED IN MOSCOW

TRUMAN REPLACED ROOSEVELT

• DE GAULLE ARGUED THAT A DISMEMBERED AND WEAK GERMANY WOULD REASSURE CENTRAL EUROPE ~THEY WOULD NOT TURN TO THE SOVIET UNION FOR PROTECTION

TRUMAN DID NOT SEE A DEFEATED GERMANY AS A

THREAT• TRUMAN ARGUED THAT HARSH

TREATMENT WOULD THROW GERMANY INTO THE SOVIET CAMP

• DE GAULLE LOST THIS ROUND

FRANCE WAS IN DIRE STRAITS IN 1945

• HUNGER AND SEVERE COLD• RATIONS~REDUCED FROM 1000

CALORIES TO 900• INFLATION (why?)• DEMANDS FOR SUMMARY

EXECUTIONS (Of Who?)• RUMORS THAT DE GAULLE UNABLE

TO DO BETTER THAN THE GERMAN OCCUPIERS

DE GAULLE TURNED TO SOCIALISM

• NATIONALIZATION OF CREDIT

• NATIONAL HEALTH INSURANCE

• TENANT FARMERS BECAME OWNERS

SOCIAL CONTRACT

• FACTORY COMMITTEES ELEVATED WORKERS TO IMPORTANT STAKEHOLDERS

• INFLATION PERSISTED

DE GAULLE RESIGNED IN 1946

• FOURTH REPUBLIC HAD A WEAK PRESIDENCY AND STRONG LEGISLATURE

• COALITION GOVERNMENT CREATED GRIDLOCK

• FRANCE FACED SEVERE ECONOMIC AND INTERNATIONAL PROBLEMS

FRANCE TRIED TO HOLD THEIR EMPIRE

• LOST INDO-CHINA IN 1954

• STRONG NATIONALIST FORCES OPERATED IN ALGERIA

• COMPETED WITH THE BRITISH IN THE LEVANT

FRANCE ACCEPTED MARSHALL PLAN AID

• INDUSTRIAL PRODUCTION INCREASED

• DID THIS AID CREATE A MORAL HAZARD?

• SOCIALISM HAD SOME RIGIDITIES THAT LIMITED LONG-TERM GROWTH

CRISIS IN ALGERIA

• DE GAULLE MADE A COMEBACK

• FIFTH REPUBLIC TAYLORED BY AND FOR DE GAULLE– STRONG PRESIDENT

• Seven-year term

– WEAK ASSEMBLY• May be dissolved after one year• Law-making powers limited to specific areas

PRESIDENT OF THE FIFTH REPUBLIC (1958-1969)

• ALGERIAN NATIONAL FORCES PERSISTED

• FRENCH ARMY LOSSES DRAINING– UNDERWENT IDENTITY CRISIS

• DE GAULLE AGREED TO ALGERIAN INDEPENDENCE IN 1962

• URGED THE UNITED STATES TO ACCEPT POLITICAL SETTLEMENT IN VIETNAM IN1963

DE GAULLE BECAME EUROPE BOOSTER

TREATY OF ROME (1957) EXPANDED THE SCOPE OF THE EUROPEAN COAL AND STEEL COMMUNITY (1951)

GREAT BRITAIN WOKE UP TO A CHALLENGE

THE COMMON MARKET GOT LEGSFRANCEITALYGERMANYBENELUX

BRITAIN TWICE REJECTED IN BID TO JOIN COMMON MARKET

• DEGAULLE CITED BRITISH FLAWS– TOO TIED TO NATO AND AMERICAN

HEGEMONY– THE BRITISH COMMONWEALTH MADE

ECONOMIC UNION IMPRACTICAL– UNWILLING TO COMMIT TO AN ALL-

EUROPEAN MILITARY AND DIPLOMATIC FORCE

DE GAULLE REMOVED FRANCE FROM THE MILITARY ARM OF

NATO (1966)

• FRANCE NEEDED FLEXIBILITY IF A SOVIET CONFRONTATION WAS IMMINENT

• FLEXIBILITY REQUIRED FRANCE HAVING A SEPARATE NUCLEAR CAPABILITY

• NATION STATES PREEMPT ALLIANCES

DE GAULLE AND ADENAUER SIGNED THE ELYSEE TREATY

• GERMANY AND FRANCE PLEDGED SPECIAL RELATIONSHIP (1962)

• AGREED TO COORDINATE AND COOPERATE ON FOREIGN POLICY

• DYNAMIC DUO OF THE NEW EUROPE

• ADENAUER COMMITED TO AN ALL-EUROPEAN MULTILATERAL FORCE

DE GAULLE RECOGNIZED COMMUNIST CHINA (1964)

• JOHNSON WAS INFURIATED

• DE GAULLE MINDFUL OF AFFRONT TO CHIANG-HIS WARIME ALLY

• NIXON AND KISSINGER ACKNOWLEDGED FORESIGHT OF DE GAULLE

• CHINA ENCOURAGED IN THE ONE- CHINA POLICY IN REGARD TO TAIWAN

DE GAULLE JOURNEYED TO THE SOVIET UNION (1966)

• DÉTENTE WAS ESSENTIAL TO THE SURVIVAL OF EUROPE

• VIETNAM WAR SHOULD BE SETTLED DIPLOMATICALLY

• REMAINED INVOLVED IN NATO– FRANCE CONTINUED TO ALLOW NATO

PLANES TO USE THEIR AIRSPACE

DE GAULLE HOPED TO WOO EASTERN EUROPE TO THE

WEST• TITO CONSIDERED

INVITING DE GAULLE TO YUGOSLAVIA UNTIL….

• SOVIETS PUT DOWN CZECHOSLAVAKIA UPRISING IN 1968

SOVIET UNION SAW A CHALLENGE TO COMMUNISM

• KHRUSHCHEV AND BREZHNEV RESISTANT TO HIS EFFORTS

• CULTURAL AND EDUCATIONAL EXCHANGES WERE ALLOWED

DE GAULLE HOPED TO PROMOTE THE THIRD WAY-

WORLD PEACE

• VISITED LATIN AMERICA AND WAS WARMLY RECEIVED

• SEEMED TO BE CRITICAL OF AMERICAN HEGEMONY

• CLAIMED HE WAS NOT ANTI-AMERICAN

• REMAINED AN ALLY OF THE US

DEGAULLE STEPPED DOWN IN 1969

• DOMESTIC PROBLEMS MORE IMPORTANT TO THE FRENCH THAN INTERNATIONAL PRESTIGE

• LOW WAGES AND HIGH PRICES

• SMALL BUSINESS OVERTAXED

• POOR HOUSING

• STUDENTS DISSATIFIED WITH EDUCATIONAL SYSTEM

DE GAULLE DIED IN 1970

• CRITICIZED AS AN AUTHORITARIAN

• ACCUSED OF SEEKING PERSONAL POWER

• BORED WITH ECONOMICS AND PROBLEMS OF “EVERYMAN”

• MAN OF IDEAS WHO LOVED FRANCE

• SAW A FUTURE WORLD THAT FEW COULD READILY CONCEIVE

COLD WAR DIVIDED EUROPE INTO TWO ARMED CAMPS

• NATO v WARSAW PACT• UNITED STATES v SOVIET UNION• COMMUNISM v CAPITALISM• NEW MAGINOT LINE~IRON CURTAIN• NUCLEAR WEAPONS INSTALLED• BERLIN WAS GROUND ZERO• COULD THE USA HAVE EUROPEAN

SENSITIVITY?

THE COLD WAR WAS ALSO AN OPPORTUNITY

• DE GAULLE, ADENAUER, CHURCHILL, MCMILLAN, EDEN ~ THE NAMED AND UNNAMED GO ON

• KNEW THAT EUROPE COULD NEVER AGAIN BE A BATTLEGROUND

• THEY DID WHAT THEY COULD, WHEN THEY COULD AND WERE MAINLY HEROIC

THEIR LEGACY• THE EUROPEAN UNION-15 MEMBER

STRONG• NOW 27 STRONG• EASTERN EUROPE COUNTRIES ARE

NEW MEMBERS• MONETARY UNION• RUSSIA GOES WEST TO MEET FRANCE

AND GERMANY• ATLANTIC ALLIANCE SHAKEN BUT

STILL INTACT