Gaullism Without De Gaulle

Abstract

ently antiroutine as its transformation into some other form of authority which is more readily transferred to successors.2 While the legitimacy of the charismatic authority might erode without the leader's awareness, its transformation to a more durable authority does not take place automatically or unconsciously. It occurs only when leaders perceive the need to build new bases of authority and have the political style and skill necessary to do so. Contemporary France offers an example of a mature democratic state which has recently confronted the problems of transforming the charismatic authority of an extraordinary political leader into forms more readily employable by less extraordinary men. The sudden resignation of President Charles de Gaulle in April 1969 and his subsequent total withdrawal from politics had the potential of creating a major succession crisis. From the very moment that Charles de Gaulle returned to power in May 1958 and established the Fifth French Republic, a major question in the minds of French and foreign observers was what would happen after de Gaulle left power. Very few expected the political institutions of the Fifth Republic, which were so clearly fashioned to fit de Gaulle's political tallents and style, to persist without immediate and radical changes once de Gaulle was removed from the center stage of French politics. Even fewer thought that the Gaullist political movement would long survive the disappearance of its namesake. This article focuses on developments within the Gaullist movement which made possible its survival after de Gaulle. It attempts to explain the survival of a political movement totally devoted to a single man after that leader disappears from politics. It is not a complete explanation of the transformation from de Gaulle's charismatic type of authority to the more prosaic rule of his successor. The reason for the public's acceptance of the new leader and his new forms of authority is a broader question beyond the scope of this article. However, the successful adaptations within the governing Gaullist coalition no doubt contributed to the public's acceptance of the new leader. The period after the retirement or death of a strong leader is often a trying one for political parties. In addition to the immediate problem of finding a successor, the party may find additional problems stemming from the lasting imprint of the