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One cannot govern with ‘buts’.

Charles de Gaulle

France has lost the battle but she has not lost the war.
CHARLES DE GAULLE

Battle France Herself Lost War
Faced with crisis, the man of character falls back upon himself.
CHARLES DE GAULLE

Character Face Fall Himself Man
In the tumult of great events, solitude was what I hoped for. Now it is what I love. How is it possible to be contented with anything else when one has come face to face with history?
CHARLES DE GAULLE

Face Greatness History Hope Love
Only peril can bring the French together. One can’t impose unity out of the blue on a country that has 265 different kinds of cheese.
CHARLES DE GAULLE

Country Different Funny Oneself Togetherness Unity
Patriotism is when love of your own people comes first; nationalism, when hate for people other than your own comes first.
CHARLES DE GAULLE

Love Nation Patriot People Yourself
It is better to have a bad method than to have none.
CHARLES DE GAULLE

Bad Better
History does not teach fatalism. There are moments when the will of a handful of free men breaks through determinism and opens up new roads.
CHARLES DE GAULLE

Determination Fatal Freedom History Man Moments
In war, the policy of least exertion always risks being paid for dearly.
CHARLES DE GAULLE

Paid Policy Risk War
The evolution toward Communism is inevitable.
CHARLES DE GAULLE

Communism Evolution Inevitable
In politics it is necessary either to betray one’s country or the electorate. I prefer to betray the electorate.
CHARLES DE GAULLE

Betrayal Country Election Necessary Politics
Since a politician never believes what he says, he is quite surprised to be taken at his word.
CHARLES DE GAULLE

Believe Himself Politics Quite Word
A true leader always keeps an element of surprise up his sleeve, which others cannot grasp but which keeps his public excited and breathless.
CHARLES DE GAULLE

Breathe Element Excitement Leadership Public Surprise True
Faced with crisis, the man of character falls back on himself. He imposes his own stamp of action, takes responsibility for it, makes it his own.
CHARLES DE GAULLE

Action Character Crisis Face Himself Responsibility
All my life I have had a certain idea of France.
CHARLES DE GAULLE

Ideas Life Myself
The perfection preached in the gospels never yet built an empire. Every man of action has a strong dose of egotism, pride, hardness, and cunning.
CHARLES DE GAULLE

Build Ego Hard Perfection Pride
Politics, when it is an art and a service, not an exploitation, is about acting for an ideal through realities.
CHARLES DE GAULLE

Art Ideal Politics Reality Service

One cannot govern with ‘buts’.

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One cannot govern with ‘buts’.

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