47 moments

1. Birth in Lille

   1890-11-22 · Lille, Hauts-de-France, France

   

   Charles de Gaulle was born in Lille.

2. Entered Saint-Cyr military academy

   1910-10-01 · École spéciale militaire de Saint-Cyr, Saint-Cyr-l'École, France

   

   He began officer training at the École spéciale militaire de Saint-Cyr. Coordinates identify the academy's Saint-Cyr-l'École site at the time of his attendance.

3. Wounded at Dinant

   1914-08-15 · Dinant, Namur, Belgium

   

   As a platoon commander with the 33rd Regiment, he was wounded in the opening fighting of the First World War.

4. Wounded in the First Battle of Champagne

   1915-03-10 · Champagne front, France

   

   He was wounded in the left hand while serving in the First Battle of Champagne. Coordinates are a representative point for the broad battle area.

5. Captured at Douaumont

   1916-03-02 · Douaumont, Verdun, France

   

   While commanding a company during the Battle of Verdun, he was wounded and captured.

6. Returned to his father's home after captivity

   1918-12-01 · Dordogne, Nouvelle-Aquitaine, France

   

   After the Armistice, he returned from captivity to his father's home and reunited with his brothers. Coordinates are a representative point for Dordogne; the house is not specified.

7. French Military Mission to Poland

   1920-01-01 · Zbrucz River area, Poland–Ukraine border

   

   He served as an infantry instructor with the French Military Mission to Poland and took part in operations near the Zbrucz River. Date is year-level; coordinates are a representative point near the Zbrucz River.

8. Marriage in Calais

   1921-04-07 · Église Notre-Dame de Calais, Calais, France

   He married Yvonne Vendroux at the Église Notre-Dame de Calais.

9. Studied at the École de Guerre

   1922-11-01 · École de Guerre, Paris, France

   

   He began the French staff-college course at the École de Guerre.

10. Occupation-army posting in Mainz

    1924-01-01 · Mainz, Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany

    

    After staff-college graduation, he was posted to Mainz to supervise supplies for the French Army of Occupation. The source places this posting after his October 1924 graduation; date is year-level.

11. Commanded chasseurs at Trier

    1927-11-01 · Trier, Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany

    As a newly promoted major, he began a two-year command with the French occupation forces in Trier.

12. Staff posting in Beirut

    1929-01-01 · Beirut, Lebanon

    He accepted a two-year Levant posting and served as chief of the 3rd Bureau in Beirut. The source establishes the posting in the context of 1929; date is year-level.

13. Commanded the 507th Tank Regiment

    1937-07-13 · Metz, Grand Est, France

    He took command of the 507th Tank Regiment at Metz, a formative command in his armored-warfare career.

14. Attacked at Bitche in the Saar Offensive

    1939-09-12 · Bitche, Grand Est, France

    At the outbreak of the Second World War, he led Fifth Army tanks in an attack at Bitche.

15. Counterattack at Montcornet

    1940-05-17 · Montcornet, Hauts-de-France, France

    As commander of the 4th Armoured Division, he led a counterattack on the German-held road junction at Montcornet.

16. Attack at Abbeville

    1940-05-28 · Abbeville, Hauts-de-France, France

    He led the 4th Armoured Division in an attack on the German bridgehead at Abbeville. The card uses the first date of the documented two-day operation.

17. In Paris as brigadier-general

    1940-06-01 · Paris, Île-de-France, France

    

    His acting rank of brigadier-general took effect while he was in Paris.

18. First meeting with Churchill

    1940-06-09 · London, England, United Kingdom

    

    As Under-Secretary of State for National Defence and War, he flew to London and first met Winston Churchill.

19. Anglo-French Supreme War Council at Briare

    1940-06-11 · Château du Muguet, Briare, France

    He attended the Anglo-French Supreme War Council as France's military and political situation deteriorated. Coordinates use Briare because the château's exact geolocation is not established here.

20. Meeting on the Breton redoubt

    1940-06-12 · Rennes, Brittany, France

    He went to Rennes to discuss proposals for a Breton defensive redoubt with General René Altmayer. The source identifies this as the second day of the Briare conference, 12 June 1940.

21. Anglo-French conference at Tours

    1940-06-13 · Tours, Centre-Val de Loire, France

    He attended a further Anglo-French conference with Churchill and senior British and French officials.

22. Mission from Bordeaux

    1940-06-14 · Bordeaux, Nouvelle-Aquitaine, France

    He arrived in Bordeaux for a mission to London concerning a possible evacuation to North Africa.

23. Reached Plymouth from Brittany

    1940-06-16 · Plymouth, England, United Kingdom

    After visiting family in Brittany, he crossed by boat to Plymouth amid the collapse of the French government.

24. Landed at Heston before the Appeal

    1940-06-17 · Heston Airport, Hounslow, England, United Kingdom

    He landed near London, met Churchill, and entered the setting from which he would issue the Appeal of 18 June. The former airport site is represented by its historic airport coordinates.

25. Free French headquarters at Carlton Gardens

    1940-07-22 · 4 Carlton Gardens, London, England, United Kingdom

    

    He established his London headquarters at 4 Carlton Gardens, the operational center of Free France in exile.

26. Brazzaville Manifesto

    1940-10-01 · Brazzaville, Republic of the Congo

    

    He traveled to Brazzaville and announced the Empire Defense Council in the Brazzaville Manifesto.

27. Established the Order of Liberation

    1940-11-01 · Brazzaville, Republic of the Congo

    

    In Brazzaville, he established the Order of Liberation, a major Free French distinction.

28. Residence in Hampstead

    1942-01-01 · Hampstead, London, England, United Kingdom

    During the later London-exile period, he lived in Hampstead, North London. Date is year-level because the source gives a 1942–1944 residence interval.

29. Moved Free French headquarters to Algiers

    1943-05-01 · Algiers, Algeria

    

    He transferred his headquarters from Britain to Algiers, where he became a leading figure in the French Committee of National Liberation.

30. Arrival at RAF Northolt

    1944-06-04 · RAF Northolt, Ruislip, England, United Kingdom

    He arrived at RAF Northolt shortly before his return to liberated France.

31. First return to liberated France at Bayeux

    1944-06-14 · Bayeux, Normandy, France

    

    He left Britain for Bayeux and proclaimed the Norman town the capital of Free France.

32. Liberation of Paris

    1944-08-25 · Gare Montparnasse, Paris, France

    

    He was at Montparnasse railway station with General Leclerc and French officers as Paris was liberated. The evidence is a contemporaneous photograph caption identifying de Gaulle at the station.

33. Reception for Churchill in Paris

    1944-11-10 · Paris, Île-de-France, France

    

    He received Winston Churchill in Paris during the Provisional Government period.

34. New York City visit

    1945-08-27 · New York City Hall, New York, United States

    

    He visited New York City, including City Hall and Idlewild Airport, and was welcomed by Mayor Fiorello La Guardia. Coordinates identify New York City Hall, one of the specifically documented venues.

35. Retired to Colombey

    1946-01-01 · Colombey-les-Deux-Églises, Grand Est, France

    

    After resigning from the provisional government, he returned to his home at Colombey to write his war memoirs. Date is year-level, based on the 1946–1958 retirement period in the source.

36. Return to Algeria as prime minister

    1958-06-01 · Algiers, Algeria

    

    After becoming prime minister, he went to Algeria to neutralize the army during the Fourth Republic crisis. Algiers is used as the defensible representative point for the source's broader reference to Algeria.

37. Europe speech at Strasbourg

    1959-11-23 · Strasbourg, Grand Est, France

    

    He gave a major speech in Strasbourg setting out his concept of Europe extending from the Atlantic to the Urals.

38. Talks with President Kennedy

    1961-01-01 · Élysée Palace, Paris, France

    

    He met President John F. Kennedy at the Élysée Palace. Date is year-level because the evidence is a photograph caption.

39. Survived the Petit-Clamart ambush

    1962-08-22 · Petit-Clamart, Île-de-France, France

    He and Yvonne de Gaulle narrowly escaped an OAS machine-gun ambush on their presidential car.

40. State visit to West Germany

    1962-09-01 · West Germany

    

    He made a state visit to West Germany, an important step in Franco-German cooperation. The source identifies only West Germany; coordinates are a representative national point.

41. Phnom Penh speech on Vietnam

    1966-09-01 · Phnom Penh, Cambodia

    He gave a major Phnom Penh speech criticizing United States involvement in the Vietnam War. The source supports month-level dating only.

42. Arrival in Quebec City

    1967-07-23 · Quebec City, Quebec, Canada

    

    He arrived in Quebec City aboard the cruiser Colbert during his official Canadian visit.

43. Vive le Québec libre speech

    1967-07-24 · Montreal City Hall, Montreal, Quebec, Canada

    

    He addressed a crowd from Montreal City Hall and delivered the phrase that caused a major diplomatic dispute with Canada.

44. Visit to Baden-Baden during May 1968

    1968-05-29 · Baden-Baden, Baden-Württemberg, Germany

    Amid the May 1968 crisis, he went to Baden-Baden to meet General Jacques Massu.

45. Retirement at La Boisserie

    1969-01-01 · La Boisserie, Colombey-les-Deux-Églises, France

    

    Following his resignation, he returned to La Boisserie at Colombey-les-Deux-Églises and continued dictating his memoirs. Date is year-level; he resigned on 28 April 1969.

46. Speech in Quimper

    1969-02-01 · Quimper, Brittany, France

    He visited Brittany and spoke in Quimper shortly before leaving the presidency. The source supports month-level dating only.

47. Death at Colombey-les-Deux-Églises

    1970-11-09 · Colombey-les-Deux-Églises, Grand Est, France

    

    He died suddenly at his home community after suffering an abdominal aortic aneurysm.