I always thought I was Jeanne d'Arc and Bonaparte. How little one knows oneself.
Charles De GaulleRead
I have against me the bourgeois, the military and the diplomats, and for me, only the people who take the Metro.
Interpretation
What this quote means
De Gaulle highlights the support he has from the common people versus the opposition from the elite and powerful institutions.
In this quote, Charles De Gaulle emphasizes the divide between the establishment—represented by the bourgeoisie, military, and diplomats—and the everyday citizens who rely on the Metro for their daily commute. This statement reflects his belief in the importance of popular support in contrast to the influence of the elite, showing that true power can rest with the masses rather than traditional authority figures.
Themes
PeopleBourgeoisSupportPowerEliteMetro
In practice
Example use cases
This quote could be used in a political rally to emphasize grassroots support.
More from Charles De Gaulle
All quotes →Don't ask me who's influenced me. A lion is made up of the lambs he's digested, and I've been reading all my life.
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Today we are crushed by the sheer weight of the mechanized forces hurled against us, but we can still look to the future in which even greater mechanized forces will bring us victory. Therein lies the destiny of the world.
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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.
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One must wait until the evening to see how splendid the day was; one cannot judge life until death.
Charles De GaulleRead
Soyons fermes, purs et fidèles ; au bout de nos peines, il y a la plus grande gloire du monde, celle des hommes qui n'ont pas cédé. [Let us be firm, pure and faithful; at the end of our sorrow, there is the greatest glory of the world, that of the men who did not give in.]
Charles De GaulleRead
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