# Charles de Gaulle becomes president of Fifth Republic (1959)

URL: https://history-france.com/timeline/1959-charles-de-gaulle-becomes-president-of-fifth-republic
Location: France
Categories: ruler-change, main-event

De Gaulle took office as the first president under the new constitution. Within the broader Fifth Republic period, The 1958 Constitution created a stronger presidency and a durable Fifth Republic. Decolonization, European integration, social change, economic shocks and recurring debates over identity, secularism and the role of the state have shaped contemporary France. At this point in the timeline, the relevant governing authority is Charles de Gaulle (President of the French Republic). Charles de Gaulle becomes president of Fifth Republic mattered because succession and legitimacy shaped alliances, institutions and the direction of state policy. The event is positioned here so visitors can read it alongside changes in government, warfare, society, religion, culture and France’s wider international setting.

## Why it matters
Charles de Gaulle becomes president of Fifth Republic mattered because succession and legitimacy shaped alliances, institutions and the direction of state policy.

Ruler at the time: [Charles de Gaulle](https://history-france.com/rulers/charles-de-gaulle-1959)

## Sources
- [Wikipedia topic lookup — Charles de Gaulle becomes president of Fifth Republic](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:Search?search=Charles+de+Gaulle+becomes+president+of+Fifth+Republic&go=Go)
- [Encyclopaedia Britannica topic lookup — Charles de Gaulle becomes president of Fifth Republic](https://www.britannica.com/search?query=Charles+de+Gaulle+becomes+president+of+Fifth+Republic)
- [Élysée — Institutions of the Fifth Republic](https://www.elysee.fr/en/french-presidency/the-institutions)
- [Élysée — Presidents of the Republic](https://www.elysee.fr/en/french-presidency/the-presidents-of-the-republic)