FRANCE: Charles de Gaulle

Randy Black answers Christopher Jones' eulogy of de Gaulle as a superstatesman: "I can understand Mr. Jones’ adoration of Charles de Gaulle. He was an amazing man. But the most successful super statesman of the 20th century might be an overstatement. Let’s look at what he did as a French statesman. Following WWII, he entered politics. After achieving no success in transforming the French political scene in 1947, he quit. Following the French failures in Indochina and the constitutional crisis in Algeria, he was made premier and given emergency powers in 1958. Thus, he rewrote the French constitution and was elected President with 78% of the vote in 1958. Thus, as one of the founding members of the EEC, he was able to deny British entry into the EEC. (The mark of a great statesman?)

During this period he was forced to suppress riots by French national groups in Algeria when he argued that Algeria should be abandoned. He granted Algeria independence in 1962. Later in 1962, he again rewrote the French constitution so that he might be directly elected by the people. When the National Assembly censured him, de Gaulle dissolved the body and held new elections. His prime minister resigned in protest of de Gaulle’s position on Algeria. De Gaulle was, nevertheless, reelected. By 1965 de Gaulle was again elected premier, but only after a run off. Under his leadership and that administration, France suffered a severe economic recession. He continued to deny Britain entry into the EEC, he condemned the US over Vietnam (after the French were forced to surrender), condemned Israel over the Six Day War and withdrew France from NATO. Is this the mark of a great statesman?

On an official visit to Canada in 1967 to help the country celebrate 100 yeas of nationhood, de Gaulle insulted the entire Anglophone world when, in Montreal, before 100,000 Quebecers, he said, “Vive le Quebec Libre!” This blunder was a monumental one, and clearly interference in to another country’s private affairs. The Prime Minister of Canada cancelled the rest of de Gaulle’s visit and ordered him to leave Canada. Another example of a great, successful statesman?

By 1968, France suffered nationwide demonstrations and labor strikes. De Gaulle was forced to accept many reforms demanded by the proletariat. But he again dissolved parliament and held new elections instead. He was reelected in 1968 after offered the specter of a Communist revolution within France. Sound familiar? De Gaulle was finally forced to quit in 1969 after trying once again to transform the Senate into nothing more than an advisory body. Is this the mark of, as Mr. Jones claims, the most amazing and successful statesman of the 20th century? I will leave it to our fellow WAISers to decide. Personally, I believe that de Gaulle was a great, inspirational leader in exile during WWII. He managed France from the devastation of WWII into a modern age via his charisma, style and manner. That’s about it, though. Along the way, he managed to divorce France from NATO, Canada, the British, Israel. Whom have I forgotten?"