Quotidian | Quotes | Charles De Gaulle

French military leader and statesmen, known for his leadership of the Forces Françaises Libres (Free French Forces) in WWII and his postwar leadership of France's Fifth Republic.

De Gaulle chose a military career over other pursuits, attending the French equivalent of West Point (Saint-Cyr) from 1908-1912. He was seriously wounded in WWI in the Battle of Verdun, left for dead, and found by Germans. He attempted to escape five times but failed and was thrown in solitary.

After the Great War, de Gaulle became an infantry instructor for the Polish army in the Polish-Soviet war (1919-1921). There, he observed a style of combat based on limited trench warfare, increased use of tanks, and rapid manuevers by specialized divisions. He brought these ideas back to France, but they were not well received.

During WWII, de Gaulle refused to accept the armistice with Germany, instead fleeing to London with the intent of continuing resistance in the unoccupied southern portion of France. A speech given by him via BBC radio on 18 June 1940 inspired many continental French to continue fighting the Axis powers, and is today one of the most famous speeches in French history.

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