Gollism ( fr. Gaullisme ) is a French political ideology based on the ideas and actions of General de Gaulle .
The emblem of gallism is the Lorraine cross . The main idea of gallism is the national independence of France from any foreign power, but gallism also concerns social and economic structure. Gollism is usually considered the right ideology.
It is believed that conservatism in social issues and conducting in economic are inherent in gallism .
The meaning of the word gallism has changed over time. Initially, during World War II , participants in the resistance movement were called “Gaullists”. This designation was used mainly by the German authorities and the Vichy regime . After the Liberation, the term "gallism" takes on a more political meaning, originating from the ideas of General de Gaulle and his supporters, as opposed to other parties and political ideologies.
Content
Gaullist parties
Since 1958, in France under various names there is a large Gaullist party playing one of the key roles in politics. In addition to de Gaulle himself, the Presidents George Pompidou (1969-1974), Jacques Chirac (1995-2007) and Nicolas Sarkozy (2007-2012) belonged to the Gaullist parties.
- The Association of the French People (RPF, FR. Rassemblement du peuple français, RPF ) (1947-1953)
- The Union in Support of the New Republic ( French Union pour la Nouvelle République, UNR ) (1958-1962)
- The Union in Support of the New Republic - The Democratic Union of Labor ( French Union pour la nouvelle République - Union démocratique du travail, UNR-UDT ) (1962-1967)
- Union of Democrats in Support of the V Republic ( French Union démocratique pour la Ve République, UDVe ) (1967-1968)
- Union of Democrats in Support of the Republic ( French Union des Démocrates pour la République, UDR ) (1968-1976)
- Association in support of the republic ( French Rassemblement pour la République, RPR ) (1976-2002)
- Union for the Popular Movement ( French Union pour un mouvement populaire, UMP ) (2002—2015)
- Republicans ( French Les Républiquains ) (since 2015)
The ideology of gallism
Based on the ideas of Charles de Gaulle, a new political ideology was founded, which was called "gallism." He made a huge contribution to the socio-political development of military and post-war France - in the history of the French state and international relations.
The main directions of gallism during Charles de Gaulle were clearly reflected in the new Constitution of the Fifth Republic , adopted by referendum in September 1958, in which the president’s rights were significantly expanded.
De Gaulle turned into a "leader of the nation." The regime of his "personal power" was established
The Gaullists considered the concept of "the association of labor, capital and personnel" to be the main factor in the development of the country. Under Charles de Gaulle, the monetary unit of France, the franc served as the national reserve of the state - it was called - "heavy franc". The activities of state-owned enterprises and support for small businesses are strictly regulated by ministries. The public sector has a significant impact on new industries. Foreign capital is attracted to aerospace and electronics projects. And as a result, labor productivity begins to grow, it even exceeded the average Western European level. Additional jobs were created. A system of social security and insurance is being developed. Actively implemented regional development plans. Help from the state was received by both the peasantry and the cooperative movement.
The influence of the ideology of gallism on the foreign policy of France during the Cold War
Charles de Gaulle's Views on Foreign Policy
The main idea of General de Gaulle was a commitment to the national sovereignty of the Republic. The purpose of his reign was to restore the "greatness of France" through an independent foreign policy [1] . As an anti-Atlantist and opponent of American hegemony in the world, de Gaulle declared:
You can be sure that the Americans will do all the stupid things they can think of, plus a few more that you can’t imagine.
In addition to the question of France's independence in foreign policy, de Gaulle had his own opinion on the problem of maintaining French colonial possessions and relations with the USSR , and also had his own idea of the prospects for European integration .
Charles de Gaulle, followed by other Gaullists, advocated for real democratic development on a global scale, but at the same time defended the principle of free self-determination of peoples (which was then reflected in the transformation of the colonial policy of France and the creation of the French community [2] .
In fact, during the most acute 20-year period of the Cold War, General de Gaulle pursued a foreign policy, guided exclusively by his principles and ideals.
The practical implementation of gallism in foreign policy.
The ideas of Charles de Gaulle seriously influenced the foreign policy of France in the framework of the bipolar Yalta-Potsdam system of international relations .
After France accepted American assistance under the Marshall Plan adopted in 1947, became a member of the OECD , joined NATO in 1949 (whose headquarters were originally located in Paris), it seemed that it would remain a reliable satellite of the United States within the capitalist camp what Britain has become. With the advent of de Gaulle and the adoption of the Constitution of the Fifth Republic, a political course correction took place towards a gradual rejection of Atlantism .
The first sign was General de Gaulle’s personal refusal to consider the question of Britain joining the European integration structures (that is, the European Coal and Steel Association , the European Economic Community and Euratom already existing at that time). In 1961, the French president blocked the British application for the first time, the same situation repeated in 1967 [3] .
The neocolonial ideas of General de Gaulle were reflected in the Evian Accords of 1962, which put an end to the bloody War of Independence of Algeria [4]
An even more significant step was the rejection of the dollar in international payments and the attempt to demand the United States of America exchange cash for gold in 1965, which in the long run led to the prohibition of converting the dollar into gold at the official exchange rate, the devaluation of the American currency in 1971 and the collapse of the Bretton Woods monetary system . In 1966, France left the NATO military organization (in connection with which the headquarters of the organization was moved to Brussels), which, on the one hand, negatively affected the relations of the French Republic with its Western allies, but on the other hand made France an independent political player.
France condemned US aggression in Vietnam. Being a convinced anti-communist , de Gaulle, nevertheless, went to improve relations with the USSR , with which he signed an agreement on scientific relations.
After the death of de Gaulle in 1970, the influence of his ideology on French foreign policy weakened. With the advent of Valerie Giscard d'Estaing to power in 1974, a neoliberal ideological “turn” took place, which also affected foreign policy. Although France did not return to NATO’s military structures until 2009, it acted within the framework of the rules of the game formulated by the United States, including the new financial and economic model of the so-called Reaganomics , supported American actions on the international stage, and allowed Britain and other countries Free Trade Associations join the European Communities. The era of gallism in the period of bipolar confrontation has ended.
Notes
- ↑ Smirnov V.P. France in the 20th Century .. - Moscow: Bustard, 2002. - 352 p.
- ↑ M.Ts. Arzakanyan. Political history of France of the XX century .
- ↑ Sirotkin V.G. History of France: Fifth Republic. - Moscow: Higher School, 1989.
- ↑ M. Ts. Arzakanyan. Charles de Gaulle .