I always thought I was Jeanne d'Arc and Bonaparte. How little one knows oneself.
Charles De GaulleRead
France has no friends, only interests.
Interpretation
What this quote means
This quote suggests that relationships between nations are often driven by self-interest rather than genuine friendship.
Charles De Gaulle's statement emphasizes the pragmatic nature of international relations, implying that countries prioritize their own needs and objectives over emotional connections. In this perspective, alliances are formed and dissolved based on utility and strategic interests rather than true loyalty or friendship.
Themes
International RelationsPoliticsInterestsAlliancesPragmatism
In practice
Example use cases
In a debate about foreign policy, one might use this quote to illustrate the importance of national interests.
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.
Charles De GaulleRead
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.
Charles De GaulleRead
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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