Leadership as an Element of National Power (A Case History of de Gaulle)
Abstract
Charles de Gaulle was raised in an atmosphere both military and academic and was imbued at an early age with strong feelings for the glory and history of France. This early environment was to play an important part in de Gaulle's later years. The period from 1940-1947 saw de Gaulle rise from an army general to become the leader of the Free French and subsequently the President of the Fourth French Republic. Following his return to power in 1958 de Gaulle successfully led France from the brink of civil war and economic chaos to the position of a world power. His somewhat stubborn and single-minded approach to solving France's problems has had a serious affect on both France and the Free World. His decisions and actions apparently have always been made with the thought in mind that only he could return France to her rightful position of a world power. After considering these facts it becomes apparent that the leadership of Charles de Gaulle is an element of the national power of France and, therefore, those who are assessing the national power of any nation should, at least, consider that leadership may be one of the elements.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Apr 08, 1966
- Accession Number
- ADA526206
Entities
People
- Kent Keehn
Organizations
- United States Army War College