WWII began on September 1, 1939 when Britain and France declared war on Germany. After the Battle of France from May 10 - June 25, 1940, France surrendered to Germany. They signed an armistice on June 22, 1940, which officially took France out of the war on June 25. Charles de Gaulle, a French general, refused to accept the armistice. de Gaulle was influential to WWII through his military background, the Free French movement, and patriotism. When WWII began, Charles de Gaulle was a colonel for the French army. He surpassed his next title of Provisional Brigadier General and became an Under-Secretary of State for National Defense and War on June 6 for Paul Reynaud. While de Gaulle held this title, he wanted to continue the war and traveled around Europe seeking ways to win. de Gaulle also was an educated author. He …show more content…
He went to England and became the leader of an organization called the Free French movement. The organization initially had French soldiers and volunteers, but eventually grew to include colonies in Africa, India and the Pacific. In 1942, to gain more support, de Gaulle changed the name of the movement to the Fighting French Forces. People from this movement fought throughout Europe until they made their way into Paris, taking back their land from Germany alongside the Allies. de Gaulle led a powerful movement that helped rescue France from Germany’s grasp. de Gaulle possessed leadership, loyalty and patriotism towards his country. These qualities helped him be recognized as the head of the French government by the Allied powers on October 23, 1944. Despite being left out of the Yalta and Potsdam Conferences, Charles de Gaulle managed to obtain a zone in Germany and a seat on the United Nations Security Council for France. In 1945, de Gaulle became the president of France’s provisional government. de Gaulle’s characteristics helped his country grow and benefit from the