What is your opinion on General de Gaulle?

[Julie4]

[dustybiker2]

He has a bit of a fantastic life bio.

"his views made him unpopular with his superiors." In the military and things didn't seem to change much after either.

Sounds like an independent soul but loyal to his country. Probably really hard to live with. lol

https://www.britannica.com/biography/Charles-de-Gaulle-president-of-France

[Julie4]

He was a cold man, who was ungrateful, but he was a true political giant.

[dustybiker2]

It takes selfishness to be great. Must be lonely.

[Cormac995]

I've only looked into him a bit and don't know a ton about him but he was 100% one of the many warriors of WW2 the war would have been lost without. He built a government in exile and was one of the big players in creating the French resistance against the Nazi's.

The French resistance is actually one of the reasons D day succeeded there were multiple generals who thought it might be a massacre that achieved nothing. The espionage the did behind enemy lines slowed down enemy logistics and complicated the management of assets to repel the D Day invasion.

It possible to say that France as we know it might not be what it is without him and yes while France isn't perfect its a western democratic country with a high standard of living and a major player in global trade. Nato is better with France in it they're one of our closest allies and that might never have happened without De Gaulle.

[RavVid]

A very strong man. He is perceived as arrogant. I suspect he was embittered by Britain & US not paying much attention to him in WW2.

Post WW2 he was probably exactly the leader France needed. He took policies which led to the ECC - that was highly significant.

[Julie4]

De Gaulle was a cold, arrogant man, all true. But he was also a political giant

In reality, the Anglo-Saxons, and in particular the English with Churchill, helped de Gaulle a great deal. Deep down, de Gaulle knew this, but he never mentioned it, because his aim was to rebuild France's confidence.

[RavVid]

Yes his job was to rebuild France and that would mean it's confidence. Right man at the right time. I don't know where I saw it but I did see something on the British offending him :)

[Julie4]

Well you know the English defended their national interests like the Americans etc and de Gaulle too, so during discussions it was often animated 🤣

[RavVid]

We only have permanent interests not friends :) Mers el Kebir being one of the most spirited discussions.

There are examples of de Gaulle being resentful cited. A Captain Lake parachuted in to help the French resistance do special ops and de Gaule told him to get out of France when he met him.. It is possibly hard to sift the wheat from the chaff 80 years later.

I think we can understand him wanting to portray a strong France.

[beefcakebradybatson]

Yes, he was, unlike France's current pipsqueak Macron !!!

[purplepoppy]

From what little I know he seemed a good leader, one who did well in both war and peace times.

[AviatorTom]

He lived in a difficult time, held the French together during Nazi occupation, and then led France's recovery after the war.

Must have been good... the French named an airport after him, not just any airport, the nation's largest and most important international airport.

[NatalieKeller95]

he hid out in the UK instead of standing and fighting in france itself, a coward,

[Julie4]

@NatalieKeller95

You have no historical culture. Let the adults talk to each other, please.

[DryGermanGuy]

One of the most important politicians of modern France and a much needed counterbalance to the damage that Marshall Petain had caused. I also like de Gaulle for his role in promoting French-German partnership and friendship

[NatalieKeller95]

he was a vile asshole, who hated the UK and US, and treated us like crap, he should have been nicer to his allies instead of being critical of us, what a coward

[Julie4]

You're talking absolute nonsense, read more instead of asserting such things, especially Kissinger on de Gaulle.

[NatalieKeller95]

he tried to build a counterweight to both nato and the soviet union,

[blackeagle007]

That country has had more regime changes then I can count

[KostasKouvalis]

OMG, I was so confused because this entire time I thought his name was DU Galle. I think it's because of the way Americans pronounce it.

I just know he's very famous and loved in France, but I don't know WHY he is so famous and loved.

[Julie4]

To simplify very quickly, he helped France to be on the winning side during the Second World War, by succeeding in the feat of being recognized as the legitimate representative of France by the Allies and the Vichy regime as illegitimate.

[KostasKouvalis]

Okay, thanks. Sounds like a great guy. I might've thought it was "du", because I usually don't see "de" used in French

[KostasKouvalis]

Thanks for not calling me a "dumbass" like the Quebec guy :)

[KostasKouvalis]

Didn't he end up becoming President later?

[Julie4]

Yes of course he was president

[KostasKouvalis]

Yeah, that's what I knew him for😂

[lightbulb27]

very very tall...

I like the hat.

That french barrier did not hold up to modern warefare techniques. Kinda a blunder...

Was very smart to get the H out of Paris fast...

[Dargil]

He wanted to Make France Great Again. Maybe Marine LePen can pick up for him. If not, France is toast like most of the EU. Allahu Akbar.

[beefcakebradybatson]

He tried to interfere in Canadian poltics by suggesting our French-speaking province of Quebec separate from the rest of the country.

[Xoirwinkan]

Pretending to be a big shot entering Paris when Britain and USA did all the work.

[Pterodon]

Have no opinion of him even though I know who he was

[DrPepper12]

Arrogant ungrateful prick?

[Anonymous]

He is a coward.

[noohair]

He was French...

[moneymagnet24]

He is my buddy lol