Figure 1.--

De Gualle was given command of a tank brigade in the Fifth Army when the War broke out and then given command of the Fourth Armormed Division. The French had many excellent tanks, but no radio communication. French armored doctrine was different than the Germans. The French used their tanks piece meal rather than forming massed formations. When the German blow came (May 10), the German Panzers were spectaularly successful while the French tanks played only a minor role. De Gualle had been appointed Undersecretary for Defence and was used by Primier Reynard to coordinate with the British Government in the desperate days when German Pazers were driving into France. He was in London when the Reynard fell from power and Pétain signed an armistace with the NAZIs. De Gualle refused to surrender. He rejected the armistace as well as the Pétain Vichy Goverment. De Gualle was unknown to the French people, but organized the Free French resistance to the Germans and the Vichy French Government which was colaborating with the Germans. He formed the French National Committee in England. The Committe was to become the Free French movemnent. He made inspired radio broadcasts to occupied France. It was these speeches that made him a symbol of French resistance. De Gualle quarled with both Churchill and Roosevelt who did not recognize his Free French movement as the Goverment of France. The American and British Torch landings (November 1942) secured Algiers and because of continued disagreements with Churchill moved his headquarters to Algiers. Despite the differences, directed the Free French Forces and the underground in France. After D-Day, De Gualle's popularity helped him to quickly organize a government in the liberated areas. A French reader writes, "Général de Gaulle was not very well understand by President Roosevelt and Primeminister Churchill. Genéral de Gaulle is still highly respected in France. Oone finds his name everywhere . He is for us the real France in his independance, shining through the world. He is the father of our nuclear force; the friendly Franco-German; and peace in the world. President Chirac admired Général de Gaulle. Still to day some anti-American French mentality is coming of this problem, but all the French are aware that the French-American friendly is for ever."

World War I (1914-18)

After graduating from Saint Cyr, De Gualle joined an infantry regiment commanded by the then Col. Philippe Pétain. He quickly imoressed Pétain and other important officers with his intellifence. De Gualle as a junior officer had a gallant record from World War I. He fought courageosly in the Battle of Verdun, arguably the most important battle of the War. He was wouunded three times and captured by the Germans. He was a Prisoner of War (POW) for nearly 3 years. He attempted to escape five times, but never succeeded in escaping.

Inter-war Era

De Gualle during the inyer-war era actively persued his military career. He served on the French military commission to Poland and promoted to major was part of the French occupation force in the Rhineland (1927-29). It was at this time that he became increasingly concerned about Germany, even before Hitler and the NAZIs seized power. He also served with the Army in the Middke East. De Gualle taught at Sait Cyr and was selected for advanced training at the Ecole Supérieure de Guerre (French WAr College) (1923-25). Marshal Pétain appointed him to the staff of the Conseil Supérieur de la Guerre (French Supreme War Council). Afterv promotion to lieutenabt colonel, De Guale served on the Vonseil Supéieur de la Défense Council (National Defense Council). De Gualle began to write on military strategy. He persued a range of themes. His most important book was The Army of the Future in which he argued for a small professional army that was highly mecanized. The was in sharp contrast to French defense policy which was the maintenance of a large conscript army and static defense behind the Maginot line. When De Gualle began trying to win political support he encountered problems with high army officials including Pétain who attempt to prevent De Gualle from publishing another book.
Maginot Line (1930s)>/h2>

France suffered horrendous casulaties in World War I, Many wre killed in costly asssaults or fortified German trenches. As a result, the French army even before the end of the war became defense minded, in sharp contrast to German military doctrine. France decided to base its defense on a kind of massive, hardened defensive line. France's defensive line was named after the War Minister Andre Maginot who began building it. The idea was first proposed by French World War I commander Joseph Joffre and Construction began in 1930. It was a massive system of defences, most of which was built underground. There were three interdependent fortified belts with anti-tank emplacements and pillboxes protecting bombproof artillery casements. These concrete and steel emplacements stretched between Luxembourg and Switzerland. Artilery emplacements and interlocking strong points were designed to stop a German invasion. The Maginot Line has gone diwn in history as a gigantic military failure. Actually the Maginot Line was a formidable barrier. The Maginot Line would stop a German break through. There were, however, seriouseaknesses. First, plans were in place to continue the Maginot Line to the Channel. The French Government, however, spent so much on the Maginot Line that they did not have the money to comolete it. The extension from the Belgian border to the Channel was left uncompleted. Thus the Germanssimply went around it. Second, any defensive line needs a mobil reserve behind it that can rapidly be moved to seal any eneny offensive and possible breakthrough. DeFualle argued for a powerful arnored force. But again money was not available for this, nor was the conservative high command receotive to the idea. Third, the French planners failed to give adequate attention to the French Air Force. Again the problem was partly the money spent on constructing the Maginot Line. Air warfare was a minor aspect of World war I, although becoming more important by the end of thewar. Huge advance in aerinautics were made in the inter-War period. The French failed to react in time to the Hitler's deesion to build a modern airforce.

Phony War (1939-40)

De Gualle was given command of a tank brigade in the Fifth Army when the War broke out and then given command of the Fourth Armormed Division. He was virtually unknown outside of the Army. The French had many excellent tanks, but no radio communication. French armored doctrine was different than the Germans. The French used their tanks piece meal rather than forming massed formations.

Battle for France (May-June 1940)

When the German blow came (May 10), the German Panzers were spectaularly successful while the French tanks played only a minor role. De Gualle had been appointed Undersecretary for Defence and was used by Primier Reynard to coordinate with the British Government in the desperate days when German Pazers were driving into France. He was in London when the Reynard fell from power and Pétain signed an armistace with the NAZIs.

Resistance (1940-44)

De Gualle refused to surrender. He rejected the armistace as well as the Pétain Vichy Goverment. De Gualle was unknown to the French people, but organized the Free French resistance to the Germans and the Vichy French Government which was colaborating with the Germans. He formed the French National Committee in England. The Committe was to become the Free French movemnent. He made inspired radio broadcasts to occupied France. It was these speeches that made him a symbol of French resistance. A young Resistance fighter recalls, " How bizarre it all is! Her we are, most of us the wrong side of forty, careering along like students all fired up with passion and fervour, in the wake of a leader of whom we know absolutely nothing, of whom none of ushas ever seen ahotograph." [Oct 20, 1940--Haubert] De Gualle quarled with both Churchill and Roosevelt who did not recognize his Free French movement as the Goverment of France. The American and British Torch landings (November 1942) secured Algiers and because of continued disagreements with Churchill moved his headquarters to Algiers. Despite the differences, directed the Free French Forces and the underground in France. General DeGaulle as late as 1942 was not the principal fgure in the Resistance. He had been recognized by Prime-minister Churchill, but President Roosevelt had severe reservations. Nor was he seen as the leading figure within France. DeGualle by 1943 was increasingly anxious to unite the different and growing resistance groups under his Free French movement. The various resistance groups had by the end of 1942 begun to coordinate theur operations. The first movement to operate on a national basis (both the occupied and unoccupied zones) was the Communist dominated Front National (FN) (May 1941). The FN's armed wing was the Francs-Tireurs et Partisans Francais (FTRF). Other Resistance groups united to form the Mouvements Unis de Las Resistance (MUR). Its armed wing was the Armee Secrete. It was the MUR which recognised de Gaulle as its leader. The Communists saw DeGualle as a right-wing figure and insisted on retained their independence. Both groups under Moulin's persuasion united in the CNR. And it was through the CNR and his supporters in the MUR that General de Gaulle was able to build his leading position within France. One important factoir here was that supplies and equipment from Britain and Algeria were dropped to the groups which recognised DeGualle and were preoared to accept at leadt some tactical control from the British SOE. And the primary SOE objective was the cross-Channel invasion. The FTPF refused to recognize DeGualle or accept tactical directioin from the SOE. They were thus less well supplied than the Armee Secrete. The two groups of course had fundamnental political differences, but they also differed on tactuics. The Armee Secrete accepted DeGaualle's belief that the Resistance concentrate on preparing for the Allied landing and supporting them when they occurred. The FTPF was not prepared to wait for the Allies. They wanted to conduct harass the German troops before the Allies arrived, including attacks on individual German officers, an action de Gaulle opposed. It is not clear why the FTRF was so intent on atacking the Germans. It was a tactic doomed to failure. Without Allied armies in France, the Resistance did not have the military capability to oppose the well-equipped German occupation forces. And attacks in Germans brought vicious German reprisals. We are not sure if the FTRF independntly deve\loped these tactics or was operating on orders from the Soviets.

Roosevelt and Churchill

A French reader writes, "Général de Gaulle was not very well understand by President Roosevelt and Primeminister Churchill. Genéral de Gaulle is still highly respected in France."

D-Day (June 1944)

Liberation of Paris (August 1944)

Provisional Governments (1944-46)

After D-Day, De Gualle's popularity helped him to quickly organize a government in the liberated areas. This was not what Roosevelt and Churchill wanted, but accepted the facti acompli. De Gualle headed two provisional governents. This is sometimes glossed over by historians, but in fact was of enormous importance. France on the eve of liberation was a time bomb. DeGualle understood this the Allies did not. The Communists were the stringest ellement in the Resistance and had a chance of seizing control, somrhing that would not occur in free elections. DeGualle had, however, a stormy relationship with Primeminister Churchill and President Roosevelt. The President in particular had no intention of setting him up as the head of thr Provisional Government. After D-Day, DeGualle moved to seize control of the liberated areas. He was litterally the only person who could have prevented the Communists from seizing control of large areas of the country, especially the all important Paris. Again the Allies did not understand the importance of Paris. Eisenhower understandingly thinking militarily planned to bypass Paris to better pursue the retreating Germans. DeGualle relaized that if the Allies did not enter Paris, the Communists would seize control and another Commune might result. (The Commune was the 1870 seizure of Paris by leftist parties requiring the Third Republic to begoin by a bloody and destructive campaign to regain control of the capital.) French histoy is intricatly tied to the history of Paris more than any other country's history is tied to their capital. DeGualle understood this and eventually convinced Eisenhower to relieve the city which had risen up against the Germans. The Free French and American troops liberating the city combined with DeGualle's appearance forestalled a Comminist takeover. Had this not occurred, France may well have suffered a debilitating civil war like the one which occurred in Greece. De Gualle resigned over a minor matter (1946). Had his career ended here, DeGualle would have been a military and politucal figure of great importance, But of course it did not end here.

Post-war Image

One finds his name everywhere . He is for us the real France in his independance, shining through the world. He is the father of our nuclear force; the friendly Franco-German; and peace in the world. President Chirac admired Général de Gaulle. Still to day some anti-American French mentality is coming of this problem, but all the French are aware that the French-American friendly is for ever."

Sources

Humbert, Anges. Re'sistance: A Woman's Journal of Struggle and Defiance in Occupied France.

Lacouture, Jean. DeGaulle: The Rebel 1890-44 (WW Norton: New York, 1990), 615p.

Created: 7:19 PM 12/28/2008
Last updated: 1:36 AM 5/26/2009