De Gaulle the Statesman: Obstructionist or Visionary?
Abstract
Assessments of Charles de Gaulle's impact on foreign affairs often paint a highly critical portrait of an egotistic and narrow-minded nationalist driven by an implacable Anglo-American bias dating back to the Second World War. Indeed, the depiction of the man as a dangerous maverick who nearly unhinged the Atlantic Alliance at the very height of the Cold War is suggested by some American scholars. This view does not do justice to the man. De Gaulle without question could be fiercely parochial in the defense of French interests, sometimes at the expense of Alliance solidarity. Nonetheless, his policies did not mark him as a quaint, 19th-century anachronism; rather, they generally reflected gifted insight by one of the visionary statesmen of our time.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Jan 01, 1994
- Accession Number
- ADA440719
Entities
People
- Daniel D. Day
Organizations
- National War College