Charles de Gaulle 5 major events done by Charles de Gaulle: • I lead the French forces against Nazi Germany It first started with my rally to the french people, I contacted BBC Radio about a message for the soldiers to fight against Nazi Germany. I delivered the speech on the radio speaking that France is still powerful, and with the help of the assitst of the British Empire they can keep control of the blocks around the country. A few days later, I went back onto BBC Radio with a different message: “all forms of authority has disappeared” with it meaning that the enemy and that our institutions have ceased operations. After giving my speech on BBC, still being a low-ranked general, not very many people in France heard the broadcast because of other things on their mind. Therefore, the population of France did not know who I was. After the Nazis entered French territory, it caught the attention of Winston Churchill the Prime Minister from the other side of the channel. Churchill proclaimed that if France was taken over by the Nazis, Britian would be next. To make sure that Britian was not next on the Nazi’s list, he dispatched his deputies to Paris. Everyone at the time gave up, except for me. After me being the only left with hope, Winston got me a plane toward London. The British government thought it was a crazy decision that Winston had me sent to London. When I arrived in London, I said in horrible English: “I have come to save France’s honor” with including me strongly declaring myself head of the French government in exile. But, there was no one to represent me. For the reason of the legal government being in France and not England. But at the time, the legal government was still in France by the hands of Marshall Petain in Vichy. Five days after my proclamation, Marshall surrendered France to Hitler. Marshall signed a armistice, and set up a puppet town in Vichy far away from Paris. This was a slap in the face for me with my patriotism and my pride for my country since my childhood. When I was a teenager I excelled at a military school. Thereafter being sent to WW-I where I survived the brutal trenches with none other than my mentor Marshall. Under his guidance, I proved to be a fearless and strategic fighter for my country. Until I was captured by the Germans in 1916. I stayed inside of a German war camp for the remaining duration of WW-I with me attempting to escape multiple times. It was very difficult for me to get out because of me being 195 cm and so distinctive, it was a challenge for me to escape. Therefore I was continuously captured after my attempts. I was so desperate to be fighting again. I never thought of my old comrade fighting about who was in charge of France. After my proclamation that I was the true government. Marshall charged me with discretion. Gave me the ultimatum that I would be executed if I returned to France. Being far away and stuck abroad, I tried giving myself political muscle by expanding my band of followers: My wife Yvonne de Gaulle, my children Philippe, Élisabeth, and Anne de Gaulle and finally including the support of Winston Churchill. Winston was the only one (at the time) to support my French leadership. I would demand people, soldiers, and other people for information or for something that I wanted them to do. Winston was able to handle because he liked de Gaulle he always took me as the extraordinary brave figure when France was at the low point. The Nazis took over the streets of Paris with the French people being drafted to German factories for the war effort. Hitler did not want to give the French any possibility of resuming resistance to me. While I was stuck in London, the radio was the only way I could speak positively to the French people. Where I said my refrain: ”France may have lost the battle, but not the war; France must fight on” I hoped that someone in France would hear me… but on July 14th (Fête Nationale or Bastille Day) gave evidence that my words were not trashed. While I was celebrating the day, there were other French soldiers that fled to France to join my crusade. I finally saluted my first Free French troops. For far many more months, around 9, I was able to collect many more men that were eager to fight for France. It was the first glimmer of hope, but it was brief. That was the Americans entered WW-II. Me and Winston both thought that president Roosevelt would help Europe after him joining the war after Pearl Harbour. They were wrong. Roosevelt thought that I was a pain in the neck because of my quirks. Why should I know what Roosevelt was planning if I was a obscure French general? They were both on the same side but still suspicious of each other. Winston was the piggy in the middle for dealing with these issues. Between Roosevelt not understanding France and me not understanding at all. I was put into a position I strongly resented: Being put into the sidelines. I refused to go down. Since I was put to the side, I went for the French colonies located in North Africa. Where the smaller issues were being waged. I picked up speed with 300,000 troops in 1943, I was able to efficiently defend colonial territory against the Nazis. Word spread about me especially in Struggling France. Where the French people starved, were executed publicly, and were poverty were daily life for the French while the Nazis occupied it. In the middle of the war the French citizens would gather at their radios waiting for my updates wishing that de Gaulle would come back to France and rescue them. The big difference from other years is that in 1940, I was known to very little people, then in 1943 I was known by their symbol of hope for liberation through my radio broadcasts. In June 1944, Americans and Brits stormed the Normandy troops for the final fight against the Nazis: D-Day. D-Day was a victory for France. But for me was the final one. I did not care what the Brits and the Americans said I am taking over France. I got back on the radio declaring that D-day was a victory even though my army played no role for it. Four years later I sailed home. I am finally able to step into French territory. I am now wondering what the French people will think of me. I and another general was in a jeep, and we saw 2 policeman, going down the road and we stop them and ask them to broadcast to the Town of Bayeux that General de Gaulle will be arriving in ½ of an hour. Before long, all of the French people would know the man whose voice they counted on during the dark days of occupation, as webegan our push though France freeing Nazi controlled territory, I began my own campaign to steal the spotlight. Giving the public with patriotic speeches. As we were preparing to liberate the capitol, I convinced general Eisenhower to let him and his troops to help the liberation. I gave a great speech from the hotel-de-ville including the words of: “Paris martyrized, but Paris liberated, liberated by their own people and by the people of France.” But I knew already that it was nonsense. I was saying it because of my aim for after the liberation was to restore the sense for the French for a sense of self respect. So then after I started really inventing a myth, that the French have liberated themselves. What was clear to me on that day in Paris, was that although America had military control over France, me and me myself, had possession of the hearts of the French people. The next day, I organized a triumphal march down the Champs-Élysees from the Arc de Triomphe. It was the moment where I showed the world that I was the symbol of liberated France. A million people came out that day to cheer for me. This the moment where I sensed that I completed my destiny. Nothing was going to stop me. That determination got me the president one year later. I always had my big idea is that France cannot be France without greatness, but France can’t be great unless the state is strong, and the state can’t be strong without a strong presidential figure. I argued that only with me or a strong president, could France have something like 1940 happen again. I strongly agreed with that. I rewrote the French constitution but the French thought I would be another bossy leader which apparently the French people did not want. So they rejected my constitution. I took that as a very strong insult because I was the one that save France. In 1946, after being in office for a few months, I left office and retired. I wrote memoirs during my living in the eastern countryside with my wife and children. I wanted to make sure I was a important historical figure for the French people so they know whom they would need to contact encase disaster strikes. By the time • Vichy France This was the setup town given from Philippe to the Nazis after him surrendering and giving the Nazis the land. I was on the opposing side of it inside of London with the BBC Radio with my attempts to get France with its greatness back again. • The Algiers Putsch 12 years later after retiring, there were huge riots on the streets of Algiers, the capitol city of France’s largest colony. After a century of French rule, the native Muslims wanted independence. This all ended up being a fierce battle that got to Paris. There was half a million French troops sent to the region but there was no solution in sight. I was waiting for those 12 years so I then I could consider myself as saving France again. Which was in may 1958. After the government becoming weak, the people and the government rejected my calls for strong leadership, they were paying the price. The people ended up reliasing that there could only be one strong leader to go against Algeria, only a leader like me. I left retirement to save the greatness of France. After living in the eastern country side, I drive myself to Paris 12 years later. I walk up to the parlement building and I name myself as an alternative prime minister. With me being 68 years old now, I had only one condition, that needed to re-write the French constitution in my way. The French people agreed with me this time and a assumed my power again. When I got power again, no one really knew what I would do in Algeria. But I appeared in a huge croud and did my gesture of victory with my two arms. I say I understand you. The croud cheers for it but didn’t quite know that I had understood. In other words, I am playing a big game. By surprise by the others in France, I game Algeria independence. And I had a new talent for political gamesmanship. Which would give me a character of presidency for the next decade. I held the reins tightly. I revitalized the French economy. And I build up France’s nuclear arsenal and even went up to superpowers in the Soviet Union and the United States. I became the most famous figure in French culture. I had become France. • Chaired the Provisional government of the French Republic I re-wrote the French constitution and established it into parlement. I took power again, dealt with Algeria, and stayed with power for the next 10 years. • The Paris Riots Nearing my 78th birthday, that was when I had been in power for more than 10 years, still the person on a radio for efforts to save France, I want finally back on the airwaves trying to keep my job. I proposed a national referendum on my own leadership. People said no even though I asked the French people what they want and for them to tell me how I should do it. But the French people said no. The French people were past the point of when they needed me the man who is going to ride into paris and rescue them from anarchy, and for the French inability to govern sensibly. I knew that something had changed about me definitively and with my theatricality was such a big characteristic of me, at the end of the day, I cease to be the president of the republic. I left publicly after that. A year later I died in the country. Im still known as the man from the radio for the French resistance. Imagine France with out me in 1940?