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His name is synonymous with a political philosophy, "Gaullism" (from the French "Gaullisme"), an ideology based on his thoughts and actions that is still current powerful in France. The serving president, Jacques Chirac, is a Gaullist. Gaullism's central tenet is a desire for France to remain independent of influence from a foreign power. In foreign policy, national independence is stressed, with some degree of opposition to international organizations such as NATO. De Gaulle believed that France should not rely on any foreign country for its survival (thus the creation of the French nuclear deterrent) and that France should refuse subservience to any foreign power, be it the U.S. or the former Soviet Union. De Gaulle's policies of grandeur - the insistence that France is a major power in the world scene and military and economic forces to back this claim - also is part of Gaullism. The foreign policy of France was influenced by Gaullism even when Gaullists were not in power. Gaullism typically is equated with social conservatism, and it is generally considered a right-wing ideology, but there have also been left-wing Gaullists, the differences between the two consisting of differing social and economic policies. Gaullism has sometimes been characterized as a form of populism, since de Gaulle relied heavily on his personal charisma in the political realm.

After his return to Paris in 1944, he moved back into his old office at the War Ministry where he had served undersecretary of state for national defense and war, underscoring the continuity of the Third Republic (which he had represented in the government in exile in London) and denying the legitimacy of Vichy France. He served as the President of the provisional government from September 1944 through January 20, 1946, when he resigned. De Gaulle was tired of the conflict between the political parties and did not approve of the draft constitution for the Fourth Republic which he believed placed too much power in the hands of parliament, which made the state vulnerable to shifts in party alliances.

Was recalled to power upon the collapse of the Fourth Republic due to its inability to resolve the Algerian War. The Fourth Republic was undermined by the May 13, 1958 seizure of government buildings in Algiers by French settlers, who acted with the support of the Army. The French settlers in Algeria were protesting what they saw as the French government's weakness in dealing with the Arab majority's quest for Algerian independence. The Gaullist General Jacques Massu was installed as president of a Committee of Civil and Army Public Security and the French military Commander-in-Chief in Algeria, General Raoul Salan, announced that the Army had "provisionally taken over responsibility for the destiny of French Algeria" During the crisis, De Gaulle widely increasingly seen as the only person who could settle the Algerian question and stop the military rebellion. General Salan had declared "Vive de Gaulle!" from the balcony of the Algiers Government-General building on May 15th. Two days later, de Gaulle answered that he was ready to "take on the powers of the Republic" in what essentially was a military coup d'etat to forestall an even more egregious coup. To questions that his ascendancy threatened civil liberties, de Gaulle responded that, to the contrary, "...I have reestablished them when they had disappeared. Who honestly believes that, at age 67, I would start a career as a dictator?" A republican by conviction, de Gaulle maintained throughout the crisis that he would accept power only from the lawfully constituted authorities of the state. De Gaulle's stock as savior of France rose as French paratroopers from Algeria seized Corsica and planned a landing near Paris to likely seize the National Assembly. Except for the Communists, leaders across the political spectrum agreed to support de Gaulle's return to power (with the notable exception of François Mitterrand, then a liberal). French President René Coty appealed to the "most illustrious of Frenchmen" to become the President of the Council (Prime Minister) of the Fourth Republic on May 29, 1958, and de Gaulle accepted, with the proviso that he was intent on abrogating the constitution of the Fourth Republic, which he blamed for France's political weakness. The other precondition of his return was that he be given wide emergency powers for six months and was permitted to propose a new constitution to the French people. De Gaulle became premier on June 1, 1958, and the National Assembly granted him emergency powers as befits a state of siege for six months. A referendum on a new constitution that created a strong presidency took place on September 28, 1958 and was approved by 79.2% of those who voted, thus creating the Fifth Republic, which has lasted nearly half a century. In the elections held in November 1958, de Gaulle and his supporters in the Union pour la Nouvelle République-Union Démocratique du Travail won a comfortable parliamentary majority. De Gaulle subsequently was elected President of the Republic by the National Assembly with 78% of the vote by an electoral college consisting of parliamentarians and local politicians and was inaugurated in January 1959. He won re-election in 1965 under the current system, beating Mitterand in the second round after failing to achieve a majority in the first round. In all, he served 10 years as president, resigning on April 28, 1969 after the failure of a referendum to reform the Senate and local government, feeling that he had lost the support of the people.

Children - Philippe de Gaulle (b. 1921), Elisabeth (1924-2013), and Anne (1928-1948).

Led the Free French during WWII.