A biography for Charles de Gaullehasn’t been written yet.
“No nation has friends only interests.”
“Faced with crisis, the man of character falls back on himself. He imposes his own stamp of action, takes responsibility for it, makes it his own.”
“As an adolescent I was convinced that France would have to go through gigantic trials, that the interest of life consisted in one day rendering her some signal service and that I would have the occasion to do so.”
“One cannot govern with 'buts'.”
“Hearing Mass is the ceremony I most favor during my travels. Church is the only place where someone speaks to me and I do not have to answer back.”
“When I want to know what France thinks, I ask myself.”
“Patriotism is when love of your own people comes first; nationalism, when hate for people other than your own comes first.”
“Nothing great will ever be achieved without great men, and men are great only if they are determined to be so.”
“Once upon a time there was an old country, wrapped up in habit and caution. We have to transform our old France into a new country and marry it to its time.”
“Authority doesn't work without prestige, or prestige without distance.”
“I might have had trouble saving France in 1946 - I didn't have television then.”
“France has lost the battle but she has not lost the war.”
“You start out giving your hat, then you give your coat, then your shirt, then your skin and finally your soul.”
“When I am right, I get angry. Churchill gets angry when he is wrong. We are angry at each other much of the time.”
“פריז, פריז ההלומה! פריז ההרוסה! פריז המעונה! אך פריז המשוחררת! משוחררת בכוחות עצמה, משוחררת על ידי תושביה, בעזרתה של צרפת כולה, כלומר צרפת הלוחמת, צרפת האמיתית, צרפת הנצחית!”
“זהו היום הראשון בשארית חייך.”
“צרפת הפסידה בקרב, אבל צרפת לא הפסידה במלחמה.”
“הבנתי אתכם.”
“דבר גדול לא יושג אף פעם ללא אנשים גדולים ואנשים הם גדולים רק כאשר הם נחושים בדעתם להיות כאלה.”
“מנהיג חייב להיות מסתורי, לולא היה מסתורי לא היו רואים בו מתאים להוות מנהיג.”