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> I seem to recall the leader of the last republic was De Gaulle. The first leader of the current republic was also De Gaulle. No, De Gaulle created the V repu

> I seem to recall the leader of the last republic was De Gaulle. The first leader of the current republic was also De Gaulle. No, De Gaulle created the V republic with a military coup [1]. There were troops all over France, including paratroopers in Fontainebleau at 60km from Paris [0], while the "président du conseil" of the 4th republic transmitted peacefully the power to De Gaulle, to mitigate a civil war. Wikipedia: "The May 1958 crisis (French: Crise de mai 1958), also known as the Algiers putsch or the coup of 13 May, was a political crisis in France during the turmoil of the Algerian War of Independence (1954–1962) which led to the collapse of the Fourth Republic and its replacement by the Fifth Republic led by Charles de Gaulle who returned to power after a twelve-year absence. It started as a political uprising in Algiers on 13 May 1958 and then became a military coup d'état led by a coalition headed by Algiers deputy and reserve airborne officer Pierre Lagaillarde, French Generals Raoul Salan, Edmond Jouhaud, Jean Gracieux, and Jacques Massu, and by Admiral Philippe Auboyneau, commander of the Mediterranean fleet. The coup was supported by former Algerian Governor General Jacques Soustelle and his activist allies. The coup had as its aim to oppose the formation of Pierre Pflimlin's new government and to impose a change of policies in favor of the right-wing partisans of French Algeria." [0] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Operation_Resurrection https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Operation_Resurrection [1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/May_1958_crisis_in_France https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/May_1958_crisis_in_France

skywal_l 2y ago
De Gaulle was called by the president of the 4th republic to counter the military insurgents. De Gaulle had sufficient charisma and status to calm down the military. When the military woke up again in 62 in Algiers, De Gaulle crushed them. You got it reversed.
- JPLeRouzic 2y ago
  > De Gaulle was called by the president of the 4th republic to counter the military insurgents. Massu, who had gained prominence and authority when he ruthlessly suppressed Algerian militants, famously declared that unless de Gaulle was returned to power, the French Army would openly revolt. > When the military woke up again in 62 in Algiers, De Gaulle crushed them. Because then, the coup was directed against him!
  - skywal_l 2y ago
    It is a well known historical fact that de Gaulle did not liaise with the rebels in Algiers. Rene Coty himself said he would resigned if the national assembly didn't pick him as a prime minister. Then the national assembly vote him with a huge majority margin. And finally, he wins the november election in a landslide. So if a coup means that you get power by following all the rules and the decorum and win the election, then the term "coup" does not mean anything.
- GabrielTFS 2y ago
  Well, the explicit demands of the 1958 coup was to put him in place, and in that sense it did succeed - now, whether or not he participated in the planning of it is basically a mystery, but it does seem plausible (even though there is, to my knowledge, no proof of this) simply on the basis that he was the direct beneficiary of it. Additionally, during the 1958 coup itself he did basically give his support for it in the sense that he explicitly said he was "ready to assume the powers of the republic" if asked for (which is what the leaders of the coup demanded be done).
  - JPLeRouzic 2y ago
    Thanks, that's also my understanding of the events.

skywal_l 2y ago

De Gaulle was called by the president of the 4th republic to counter the military insurgents. De Gaulle had sufficient charisma and status to calm down the military. When the military woke up again in 62 in Algiers, De Gaulle crushed them. You got it reversed.

JPLeRouzic 2y ago
> De Gaulle was called by the president of the 4th republic to counter the military insurgents. Massu, who had gained prominence and authority when he ruthlessly suppressed Algerian militants, famously declared that unless de Gaulle was returned to power, the French Army would openly revolt. > When the military woke up again in 62 in Algiers, De Gaulle crushed them. Because then, the coup was directed against him!
- skywal_l 2y ago
  It is a well known historical fact that de Gaulle did not liaise with the rebels in Algiers. Rene Coty himself said he would resigned if the national assembly didn't pick him as a prime minister. Then the national assembly vote him with a huge majority margin. And finally, he wins the november election in a landslide. So if a coup means that you get power by following all the rules and the decorum and win the election, then the term "coup" does not mean anything.
GabrielTFS 2y ago
Well, the explicit demands of the 1958 coup was to put him in place, and in that sense it did succeed - now, whether or not he participated in the planning of it is basically a mystery, but it does seem plausible (even though there is, to my knowledge, no proof of this) simply on the basis that he was the direct beneficiary of it. Additionally, during the 1958 coup itself he did basically give his support for it in the sense that he explicitly said he was "ready to assume the powers of the republic" if asked for (which is what the leaders of the coup demanded be done).
- JPLeRouzic 2y ago
  Thanks, that's also my understanding of the events.