Home > World War II > Charles de Gaulle Biography

Born November 22, 1890
Lille, France
Died November 9, 1970
Colombey-les-Deux-Eglises, France

French general, political leader, and
president of the Fifth Republic

After Adolf Hitler's forces invaded France in 1940, many French people worked to free their country from the Nazis. The head of the resistance movement working from outside France during the World War II, Charles de Gaulle proved a bold and courageous leader. He also led the first French government established after the war, and helped to define France's postwar identity. His critics said that he was arrogant and never willing to compromise, but not even they could deny that he loved his country deeply. In fact, de Gaulle's personal ambitions and his desire for a strong, independent France were closely intertwined; at one point he even said, "Je suis la France" (I am France).