Was Charles de gaulle a good leader?

Answer 1

Charles de Gaulle is probably the best leader France had since Napoléon, and is still extremely popular there.

First, he led the French resistance to the victory with the allies and made France a victor of World War 2 (it would probably have been just a freed country if he hadn't been there).

Then, as interim president he led the reconstruction of France, which has been a great success.

In 1958 he was called to find a solution to the situation in France (The fourth republic did not work, there was a war in Algeria...) and created a new constitution which was adopted through a referendum (81% of "YES").

As the first president of the fifth republic he made France a nuclear power, and one of the most powerful countries in the world once again.

However some of his position are arguable :

He did not want the UK to join the EEC.

He intentionally left the NATO military structure (did not leave the alliance though).