Charles de Gaulle's Legacy of Ideas

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The essays in this volume examine selected national, regional European, and international policies of Charles de Gaulle, giving consideration to their significance in his own time, and today. Not everything de Gaulle did withstands the test of time. Nor, obviously, was everything beyond criticism in his own time. Nonetheless, a main finding, in the words of one essayist, is that de Gaulle had an 'uncanny sense of where history was going' and the skill to position his country accordingly. De Gaulle also stands as a testament to the power of individuals in history, a somewhat unfashionable viewpoint in modern university curriculums. Today, when France's destiny appears increasingly to depend on structures and institutions beyond its national control, including a Europe weakened by the sovereign debt crisis, and a global economic system accountable to no one, it seems timely to reconsider the record of the twentieth century's greatest Frenchman, whose skill at dealing with the problems of his time can inspire today's generation of politicians and statesmen.

Reviews

This wide-ranging collection offers an illuminating overview of General Charles de Gaulle's foreign policy during his years as French president. The author presents concise but solid interpretive essays and sheds valuable light on all the major issues confronting de Gaulle and his distinctive way of handling them, including his testy relationship with the United States. This book will be very useful not only for undergraduate classes on French postwar history but also for students and scholars interested in the role of major European powers in the Cold War. -- Mark Kramer
Benjamin Rowland has compiled an excellent collection of essays on France's most influential figure in the 20th century. What makes these essays provocative is the insight of their gifted American and European authors; what makes this volume timely is the enduring relevance of de Gaulle's legacy of ideas and policies to the current geopolitical moment. -- Simon Serfaty, Old Dominion University; director of European Studies, Center for Strategic & International Studies
A compelling study of how de Gaulle's vision and determination could triumph over adversity and fateful circumstance, and of the lessons that this holds for America's role in the world today. -- Ronald Lewis Steel, University of Southern California
Expert contributors consider what lessons the policies of former French President Charles de Gaulle hold for both the current French leadership and governments around the world, contending that the general had an uncanny sense of where history was going. * Brief Notices *

Author Bio

Benjamin M. Rowland is a consultant on private sector policies for emerging market governments, World Bank staff member, and a former investment banker.