Which French leader pursued a policy of asserting national autonomy from United States and United Kingdom influence over Europe and initiated the Fifth Republic?

• A. François Mitterrand
• B. Jacques Chirac
• C. Georges Pompidou
• D. Charles de Gaulle

Answer: (D)

Charles de Gaulle is the figure who embodies this idea. He used the 1958 constitutional crisis to establish the Fifth Republic with a strong president, ending the instability of the prior regime. At the same time, he pushed France to act with real independence in foreign policy—seeking Europe that respected national sovereignty and not simply follow the United States or the United Kingdom. He built France’s own nuclear deterrent and, in 1966, pulled NATO’s military command out of French control, signaling that Paris would chart its own course in Europe. This combination of creating a powerful presidential system and pursuing autonomous, self-directed foreign policy is why he is the correct answer.