The Spirit of France
Abstract
This paper examines the foreign policy objectives of Charles de Gaulle. What was his strategy to obtain France's national security objectives? Was the strategy effective and did it succeed? Charles de Gaulle instinctively brings to mind France. His powerful personality, impressionistic political skill, and vision for his country has, over time, made "de Gaulle" synonymous with France. Demonstrating unyielding perseverance to elevate France to a position of respect in the world arena, de Gaulle aggressively pursued national interest objectives to restore French national identity and to recapture France's position of power and influence in Europe and elsewhere. His strategy (independence), diplomatic style (confrontational), and statecraft (cunning) were aligned to achieve these goals, and de Gaulle was relentless in his pursuit. General de Gaulle's objectives were not mutually exclusive pursuits, but were linked to each other. Domestic morale was directly related to France's international status and prestige. Any increase in prominence and stature on the international front seemed to boost self-esteem amongst the French, giving France a greater sense of dignity. Charles de Gaulle sought grandeur to unite France and give the people a sense of common purpose. According to de Gaulle, France's pursuit of its national interests was not narrow and self-serving, but was in the interest of all humanity; an agent of peace destined to restore equilibrium to a world suffering under the hegemony of the superpowers.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Jan 01, 1994
- Accession Number
- ADA440702
Entities
People
- Philip Greene Jr.
Organizations
- National War College