Basement Gallery: French Nationalism and Two Leaders

Next we head to the Charles de Gaulle gallery. The Army Museum lets you glimpse past glories, but by emphasizing those glories and the sacrifice of soldiers, it also stands as a showcase of French nationalism. The displays on the two World Wars in particular are more than enough to stir national feeling. Those who lived through war can look back, while younger generations who never knew it get a chance to connect with the past.

The museum's displays reflect France's powerful authority across past and present, and strong leaders like de Gaulle matter a great deal here. The two figures in French history most often judged strong leaders are, without question, Napoleon and de Gaulle. We covered Napoleon earlier, at his tomb and in the French Revolution section, so now let's focus on the statesman de Gaulle.

You've probably heard the name before. Paris's Charles de Gaulle Airport is named after him. To understand French political history, you need to know de Gaulle. He stands out not only as a great and powerful leader but also because his political life ties into the major events that run through French political history: the issue of the colonies, including Algeria, World War II, decolonization and the May 1968 movement. The gallery introduces him through video material.

As you saw in the World War II exhibit, de Gaulle went into exile for the freedom of occupied France, formed the Free French and led the push for French independence. He helped liberate France from Nazi Germany and, in 1944, the year of liberation, became head of the provisional government. Later, when the Algerian War of Independence plunged the Fourth Republic into crisis, he answered the nation's call and became prime minister, founded the Fifth Republic, and took office as president in 1959. De Gaulle pursued a strong France. But the May 1968 movement, a social upheaval against authoritarianism and conservative social order, ended in his leaving the presidency.