Charles de Gaulle: the Tide Turner Who Claimed No Credit
Being interested in European culture, I spend quite some time studying World War II history. Personally speaking, France, the so called center of romance and fashion, doesn’t fancy me much. And the reason, to a great extend, might be their dreadful performance during the war. After all, what kind of major power would surrender its capital city without firing a single bullet? However, being a long-standing great power, France worth it. Talking about their resistance and liberation, there’s one notable figure, one great leader, one “man of the day before yesterday and the day after tomorrow”—General Charles de Gaulle, a man who turned the tide, but claimed no credit.
November 22nd 1890, the de Gaulles welcomed their third child. A boy, Charles. Growing up in a patriotic, traditional, and progressive family of literature and academic—with a professor father who would start a family debate over history and philosophy during mealtime, and a mother who cried heart-broken when hearing the news of French capitulation to Germans in 1870—young Charles de Gaulle gradually developed a keen interest in military strategy. He later joined in a school training army officers, with a heart proud of his motherland, a belief for himself making enormous achievement, and a faith to revenge the Germans for 1870.
June 18th 1940, in a BBC studio, Brigadier General Charles de Gaulle achieved not only the turning point of himself, but the crux of France and Europe as well. The birth of Gaullism. It is the strategy de Gaulle made for France’s diplomacy, carried out in times of both war and peace. He put forward this policy, at a time when French territory was occupied, French rights were given up, French sovereignty lost, and French government yielded; he practiced this idea, to deliver France’s freedom, to guarantee France’s permanent membership of UN Security Council, to see France succeeded in its nuclear program, to assuage France’s hostility with Eastern European countries, to build a diplomatic relationship with PRC and other Third World Countries, to manage a mutual understanding between France and Germany. Through Gaullism, France has, once again, gotten back to the forefront of the international community, played her role as a major power, and spoken her voice under the background of bipolar system; through Gaullism, de Gaulle has consummated his wish—restoring the greatness of his motherland—and those all started in that tiny little radio room, started through one man’s lonely voice calling his fellow compatriots, started from a patriotic soul, which would not yield to force.
November 9th 1970, Gorge Pompidou, then president of France, said a simple sentence to the nation: “General de Gaulle is dead, France is a widow.” A surgeless end for his stormy life. In his days, the General “has entered the pantheon of great national heroes, where he ranks ahead of Napoleon and behind only Charlemagne”, however, there’s another achievement of him which would make even that great emperor shame—General de Gaulle was a man who claimed no credit for his service. After the war, he resigned the leading position in the transitional government, declined the rank of marshal; and when the French Forth Republic swayed in the mist of raging storm—the independence of overseas colonies, such as Algeria—he answered the nation’s call, came back to politics, restructured the government, solved the crisis, fulfilled two terms, and retired again. Few people achieved what he had achieved, but fewer could resist the temptation of fame and power like he did.
General Charles de Gaulle, a man who “gave France her governing institutions, her independence, and her place in the world”, always had a heart feeling proud for his country. He worth the name "Le grand Charles", not only because of his affection on the fate of his motherland and the European continent, but his attitude—modest, humble, and disclaiming achievements.
Work Cited Page
1. Wikipedia—Charles de Gaulle，Gaullism. en.wikipedia.org
2. Baidu Baike—Charles de Gaulle. baike.baidu.com
3. He Who Claimed No Credit for His Service (《想当年功成不居》) Yuan Tengfei（袁腾飞）
The Readers（《读者》文摘）85nian.net March 17th 2011
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November 22nd 1890, the de Gaulles welcomed their third child. A boy, Charles. Growing up in a patriotic, traditional, and progressive family of literature and academic—with a professor father who would start a family debate over history and philosophy during mealtime, and a mother who cried heart-broken when hearing the news of French capitulation to Germans in 1870—young Charles de Gaulle gradually developed a keen interest in military strategy. He later joined in a school training army officers, with a heart proud of his motherland, a belief for himself making enormous achievement, and a faith to revenge the Germans for 1870.
June 18th 1940, in a BBC studio, Brigadier General Charles de Gaulle achieved not only the turning point of himself, but the crux of France and Europe as well. The birth of Gaullism. It is the strategy de Gaulle made for France’s diplomacy, carried out in times of both war and peace. He put forward this policy, at a time when French territory was occupied, French rights were given up, French sovereignty lost, and French government yielded; he practiced this idea, to deliver France’s freedom, to guarantee France’s permanent membership of UN Security Council, to see France succeeded in its nuclear program, to assuage France’s hostility with Eastern European countries, to build a diplomatic relationship with PRC and other Third World Countries, to manage a mutual understanding between France and Germany. Through Gaullism, France has, once again, gotten back to the forefront of the international community, played her role as a major power, and spoken her voice under the background of bipolar system; through Gaullism, de Gaulle has consummated his wish—restoring the greatness of his motherland—and those all started in that tiny little radio room, started through one man’s lonely voice calling his fellow compatriots, started from a patriotic soul, which would not yield to force.
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November 9th 1970, Gorge Pompidou, then president of France, said a simple sentence to the nation: “General de Gaulle is dead, France is a widow.” A surgeless end for his stormy life. In his days, the General “has entered the pantheon of great national heroes, where he ranks ahead of Napoleon and behind only Charlemagne”, however, there’s another achievement of him which would make even that great emperor shame—General de Gaulle was a man who claimed no credit for his service. After the war, he resigned the leading position in the transitional government, declined the rank of marshal; and when the French Forth Republic swayed in the mist of raging storm—the independence of overseas colonies, such as Algeria—he answered the nation’s call, came back to politics, restructured the government, solved the crisis, fulfilled two terms, and retired again. Few people achieved what he had achieved, but fewer could resist the temptation of fame and power like he did.
General Charles de Gaulle, a man who “gave France her governing institutions, her independence, and her place in the world”, always had a heart feeling proud for his country. He worth the name "Le grand Charles", not only because of his affection on the fate of his motherland and the European continent, but his attitude—modest, humble, and disclaiming achievements.
 |
Work Cited Page
1. Wikipedia—Charles de Gaulle，Gaullism. en.wikipedia.org
2. Baidu Baike—Charles de Gaulle. baike.baidu.com
3. He Who Claimed No Credit for His Service (《想当年功成不居》) Yuan Tengfei（袁腾飞）
The Readers（《读者》文摘）85nian.net March 17th 2011
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