Charles de Gaulle was a French general and statesman who played a pivotal role in modern French history. He refused to accept France's surrender to Nazi Germany in 1940 and exhorted the French people to resist occupation. De Gaulle then led the Free French forces against the Axis powers. After World War II, he served as president of France's provisional government from 1944 to 1946. De Gaulle supported the idea of a united Europe independent from superpower influence. He worked to keep the UK out of the European Economic Community due to its close ties with the US. De Gaulle nearly lost power during student protests in 1968 but restored order before resigning the presidency in 1969.

1. CHARLES DE GAULLE (1890- 1970)

2. Few people
have played
such a
decisive role
in the history
of their country
as
Charles de Gaulle,
without which
neither
France
nor the
European Union
will be
what it is
today

3. Charles André Joseph Marie de Gaulle
was a French general, resistant, writer, statesman,
leader of the Free French during World War II
and the architect of the Fifth French Republic

5. Refusing to accept his government's armistice with Nazi
Germany in 1940, de Gaulle exhorted the French population
to resist occupation and to continue the fight against Axis
powers in his famous speech from BBC on 18 June 1940

6. Despite his status and
the fact that
he had
actually fought
in World War Two,
de Gaulle
was a difficult ally
for
Winston Churchill
and
F. D. Roosevelt

8. De Gaulle
enjoyed wide support
at home
and
in 1945
became president
of
France's
provisional
government.
He held this post
until
his resignation
in 1946

10. De Gaulle supported the idea of
a united Europe,
but he wanted Europe to be free from
the superpowers' influences

11. "Yes, it is Europe, from the Atlantic to the Urals,
is the whole of Europe that will decide
the destiny of the world"

12. He fought
to keep
Britain
out of the
European
Economic
Community
because
of its close
ties
to the United
States

13. Sometimes
inflexible
and
intractable,
de Gaulle
nearly saw
his government
toppled
by student and worker
protests
in 1968

14. He managed
to restore order
to the country,
but left power soon
after, following
a battle over
political and
economic reforms.
In April 1969,
de Gaulle
resigned from
the presidency

15. He died of a heart attack on
9 November 1970