Charles De Gaulle, the Courageous Leader Who Never Stopped Fighting for France
Exiled in a foreign land De Gaulle started the fight for France’s independence from Germany.
Charles de Gaulle, whose full name is Charles Andre Joseph Marie de Gaulle, was a man who became known for his courage.
During the Second World War, his leadership was instrumental in reclaiming France from the German occupation.
Early Life
Born on 22nd November 1890, De Gaulle was the second son of a Roman Catholic nationalist upper to middle-class family. Within his family, there were writers, artists and many thinkers. His father taught both philosophy and literature.
De Gaulle showed a passionate interest in military matters from an early age. First, he attended the Military Academy of Saint-Cyr. Then, at twenty-three, he joined an infantry regiment commanded by Colonel Philippe Pertain as a second lieutenant.
World War I
De Gaulle fought at Verdun, where he was injured three times and spent two years, eight months as a prisoner of war. De Gaulle, like Churchill, had his military thinking developed in World War I. These experiences made them the leaders they were in the next Great War.
