Abstract
The immediate cause of Charles de Gaulle's resumption of power (1958-1969) was the Algerian War, which had brought France to the brink of civil war and destroyed the Fourth Republic. By ending the war, de Gaulle had the chance to resurrect his proposal, first elaborated at Bayeux in 1946, of a republic under strong presidential leadership. The Fifth's Republic regime was designed to maximize executive dominance in foreign-policy-making. All key foreign-policy decisions of the Gaullist era, including Algeria, nuclear weapons development, withdrawal from NATO, important Common Market matters, and foreign interventions, took place with virtually no prior parliamentary debate and as a direct consequence of the General's vision. De Gaulle's conception of international relations and of France's global role heavily influenced France's foreign policy during and after his tenure in office. This study examines key parts of French global policy under the administration of President Charles de Gaulle. Within the framework of specific French strategic, economic, and diplomatic policy areas, it reviews some of the steps taken to revise international relations, from the point of view of France's bilateral relations with other states and international organizations.
