Nothing great will ever be achieved without great men, and men are great only if they are determined to be so

Nothing great will ever be achieved without great men, and men are great only if they are determined to be so

Charles de Gaulle, the iconic French general and statesman, exemplifies the truth behind the statement, “Nothing great will ever be achieved without great men, and men are great only if they are determined to be so.” De Gaulle’s determination and unwavering belief in his own greatness propelled him to achieve extraordinary feats that forever changed the course of French history.

Born in 1890, Charles de Gaulle was a man of great ambition and vision from a young age. He joined the French Army in 1912 and quickly rose through the ranks, demonstrating his exceptional leadership skills and strategic acumen. During World War I, de Gaulle was wounded and captured by the Germans, but he never lost his determination to fight for his country’s freedom. After the war, he continued to serve in the military and became a vocal advocate for the modernization of the French armed forces.

It was during World War II, however, that de Gaulle truly proved himself to be a great man. When France fell to Nazi Germany in 1940, de Gaulle refused to accept defeat and fled to London, where he established the Free French Forces and rallied his countrymen to continue the fight against the Axis powers. Despite facing overwhelming odds and skepticism from his allies, de Gaulle never wavered in his belief that he could lead France to victory.

De Gaulle’s determination and leadership were instrumental in the liberation of France and the eventual defeat of the Nazis. After the war, he played a key role in rebuilding France and restoring its status as a major world power. As President of France from 1959 to 1969, de Gaulle implemented sweeping reforms and pursued an independent foreign policy that cemented his legacy as one of the greatest statesmen of the 20th century.