Abstract
In retrospect, it is evident that the most important matter the French Fourth Republic had to face was the colonial problem. The debacle in Indochina sapped the Republic's strength and provided the most glaring proof of its incompetence, while the duration of the struggle in Algeria eventually exhausted what remained of its legitimacy. In response to the question of why the process of decolonization was so difficult for the French, socialist politicians, right-wing generals and academics have at least this in common: they hold the manifold structural shortcomings of the governmental system under the Fourth Republic (pejoratively referred to as 'le systeme') responsible. Perhaps the most scathing comment on the Republic's debility was made by General de Gaulle during a press conference held 1 October 1948. Asked by a journalist, 'Mon General .. . if you return to power will you significantly modify the foreign policy of France?' de Gaulle replied.
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