Charles De Gaulle

Fifty years ago, on 9th November 1970, President Charles DeGaulle passed away. To this day, he remains one of the top three favourite historical figures for French people along with Napoleon and Louis XIV.

During the Nazi Germany occupation of France, he fled to the United Kingdom and ignited the resistance with a speech broadcast from the BBC Radio known as the "Appeal of 18th June", thus becoming a rallying figure.

In 1944, upon the liberation of Paris, he became the head of the interim government though resigned two years later due to his disagreement with the two major political groups and the new constitution that was being drawn up. He then created his own political party which will help him return to power on his own terms..

In May 1958, France was in a political crisis due to the Algerian War of Independence. René Coty, the French president resigned and called upon DeGaulle to save the day! He was given "full powers" to draw a new Constitution and the Fifth Republic was born!

DeGaulle's Constitution is the 15th for France since the French Revolution, and the longest lasting one. It may need to be revised but that's another debate... DeGaulle has left such a great imprint on France's politics that today, most political parties from left to right claim to be "Gaullist"... How interesting!

DeGaulle is revered for his courage in incertain times, his stature and vision for the place of France in the world, his intelligence, his charisma and his incredible wit. In a press conference, a journalist once enquired about his health. DeGaulle replied: "I am fine thank you, but don't worry, I'll die someday!"

The Algerian war profundly divided France. In August 1962, members of the OAS (Secret Armed Organization) attempted to assassinate President DeGaulle for granting independence to the former colony a month before.

A commando of twelve men posted in four cars and armed with machine guns fired nearly 200 bullets. 20 of which hit the President's car, which was not a bullet-proof vehicle! In spite of two flat tires, the Citroën DS19 miraculously drove away steadily. Not a single bullet harmed the President, the first lady nor the driver!

Part of the miracle was due to the Citroën's very advanced hydro-pneumatic suspension system. Needless to say, the car maker's reputation greatly benefitted from this. But DeGaulle, an experienced military man, had an additional explanation to his survival. With his usual wit, he observed: "ils ont tiré comme des cochons" - "they shot like pigs" meaning amateurs... Touché!