During World War II, Roosevelt, Churchill and Stalin dominated the trend of the world pattern, commonly known as the "Big Three". And Charles de Gaulle, who led France to restore its status as a great power, gradually entered people's field of vision. However, at the end of World War II, Roosevelt suddenly died of illness and did not see the victory of World War II, which is a pity.
What is even more surprising is that Churchill was defeated in the prime minister's election in July 1945. In November of the same year, Charles de Gaulle was elected Prime Minister of France. In his congratulatory letter to Charles de Gaulle, Churchill borrowed Plutarch's famous saying: "It is the characteristic of a strong nation to be ungrateful to great people", and then he indicated: "Lutac was wrong."
However, Lutac was right. In less than two months, De Gaulle announced his resignation.
in may p>1945, Germany surrendered and the war in Europe subsided. France, which was enslaved for four years, not only achieved the freedom and liberation of the French nation under the unyielding struggle of Charles de Gaulle, but also re-entered the ranks of great powers and became one of the five permanent members of the United Nations. Although Charles de Gaulle has high prestige, the reality makes him more and more disappointed.
First of all, the changes in foreign policy are opposed by the people. In wartime, Charles de Gaulle's goal was clear, that is, to restore the independence of France and the dignity of the French nation. However, after the war, influenced by the United States and Britain, he was more concerned about the ownership of overseas colonies, thus losing his consistent independent foreign policy and causing public dissatisfaction.
Secondly, the idea of the government managing the parliament failed. According to Charles de Gaulle's vision, France has a presidential system, in which the president is directly elected by the people, and the president forms a parliament to fully express the wishes of the people. However, the Constitutional Committee abolished the power of the French president and stipulated that the president was elected by the parliament and the government only obeyed the parliament. This made him very disappointed.
What disappoints him even more is that various political forces have relapsed and intrigued with each other. Some political parties opposed to him are growing in strength, and the contradiction between Charles de Gaulle and Parliament is becoming more and more fierce. His proposal for a referendum was opposed by various political parties, and Charles de Gaulle, who had never given in, announced his resignation. But no one kept him, just like Churchill, he was abandoned.
You know, Charles de Gaulle, who is only 55 years old, is full of energy and great career, but chose to resign. Although the media reported the news in the language of regret and regret, thinking that he was escaping from difficulties, it can be seen from his statement that he resigned not to escape difficulties, but to express his dissatisfaction with French political circles at that time.
After his resignation, Charles de Gaulle almost lived in seclusion and wrote his memoirs. The new government was prepared to upgrade its wartime rank of temporary brigadier general to marshal, but he politely declined. In other words, he can only enjoy the treatment of a colonel after retirement. At the same time, he refused to accept all kinds of medals issued by the government, and even the plane that Truman gave him was dedicated to the Air Force.
So, what's the difference between Charles de Gaulle and Churchill quitting politics?
If either of them is more like a politician or a politician, surely everyone will say Churchill; If anyone is more straightforward and does not have too many wrists, I am afraid it must be Charles de Gaulle. As a soldier, Charles de Gaulle didn't have much tact and sophistication in his manners and speeches. Therefore, their reasons for quitting politics are also different.
first, the way is different. Churchill stepped into the political arena by virtue of the wartime prime minister and became a symbol of Europe's persistent resistance in World War II. He is confident that he can continue to be elected as prime minister, and he is determined to win. As everyone knows, the election failed and was abandoned by the people. De Gaulle, on the other hand, offered to resign and was abandoned by the parliament.
Second, the advocated governance concepts are different. After the war, Churchill continued to insist on "building the country by military means" and did not give up the management of the colonies, which was inconsistent with the people's wishes to develop the economy and improve people's livelihood. However, Charles de Gaulle insisted on "the people are the masters of the country" and reformed the old system, which was opposed and resisted by various political parties and parliaments.
The more obvious difference is that Churchill showed a stronger desire for power. Churchill, who lost the election because of "carelessness", naturally won't let it go. On the one hand, he accepted the concept and system of the welfare state, on the other hand, he took advantage of the economic downturn and the opposition between East and West after the Cold War and became the British Prime Minister again with political skills.
On the other hand, Charles de Gaulle did not have much political ambition. Although he also founded the French People's Union and participated in the election, he failed miserably without any means. For a period of time, he traveled around and went to French colonies in Africa and the Pacific many times. His life was extraordinarily calm, but he still paid attention to the current situation.
until 13 years later, the domestic inflation was serious, the budget expenditure was unbalanced, and the economic situation was extremely grim; As well as the instability of the cabinet and the Algerian problem, the French regime is facing a serious crisis. Politicians and people from all walks of life hope that De Gaulle will come back and save the country in from the mire. Under the expectation of people, Charles de Gaulle returned to power.
after taking office, Charles de Gaulle made drastic reforms and insisted on independent diplomacy.
On January 8th, 1959, Charles de Gaulle was sworn in as the President of France. In his youth, he was very opposed to the unreasonable political system such as the weakening of government functions and the "chaotic" parliamentary system. After the war, he made changes, but in the struggle with the "die-hards", he was forced to resign. Now, he wants to completely change this situation.
First, support the independence of the original colony. After the end of World War II, there was a wave of independence of colonial countries, and Algeria was no exception, but it was suppressed by France, causing dissatisfaction all over the world. De Gaulle's first step in coming to power was to recognize Algeria's independence and sign a friendly agreement.
Second, stick to independent diplomacy and not be a "victim" of the Cold War. In order to reduce the influence of the United States and Britain, Charles de Gaulle actively joined the European economic entity, implemented fiscal reform, issued new francs, and lifted tariff barriers, so that French products faced the European competitive market and boosted economic growth;
On the other hand, it strongly advocates continuing to carry out nuclear weapons research and development, increasing the right to speak internationally, rejecting American control and surveillance, and gradually withdrawing from the North Atlantic Treaty Organization. At the same time, he refused Britain to join the European Union and advocated the establishment of a European Europe, so as to get rid of the bipolar opposition formed during the Cold War and improve France's status.
More importantly, Charles de Gaulle proposed to directly elect the President of the Republic of China by universal suffrage. Although the proposal was strongly opposed by the parliament and politicians, he still dissolved the parliament according to his constitutional rights. Finally, the French passed the proposal with a majority of 62.2%.
It is also widely expected. In 1965, France held the first presidential general election, and Charles de Gaulle defeated his opponent with 54.8% of the votes and became the first president of France's fifth Republic. He formed a parliament to maximize the power of the government and sought the support of the people through a referendum on major decisions.
After a series of reforms, the economic structure of France is increasingly modernized, and people's living standards are gradually improved. De Gaulle once again "saved" France. In foreign policy, he always insisted on refusing to succumb to any external forces, whether it was the United States or the Soviet Union. This policy, even in the following decades, still affected France.
In any case, Charles de Gaulle insisted on his point of view even if he resigned, which was in line with his character. But tactically, "retreat for progress" really made him realize his lifelong wish. It seems that at the critical moment, the French did not forget him, because he only had France in his heart.
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References: World War II and Charles de Gaulle
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