# De Gaulle resigns after referendum defeat (1969)

URL: https://history-france.com/timeline/1969-de-gaulle-resigns-after-referendum-defeat
Location: France
Categories: ruler-change

The president left office after losing a referendum on regional and Senate reform. 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). De Gaulle resigns after referendum defeat 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
De Gaulle resigns after referendum defeat mattered because succession and legitimacy shaped alliances, institutions and the direction of state policy.

Ruler at the time: [Georges Pompidou](https://history-france.com/rulers/georges-pompidou)

## Sources
- [Wikipedia topic lookup — De Gaulle resigns after referendum defeat](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:Search?search=De+Gaulle+resigns+after+referendum+defeat&go=Go)
- [Encyclopaedia Britannica topic lookup — De Gaulle resigns after referendum defeat](https://www.britannica.com/search?query=De+Gaulle+resigns+after+referendum+defeat)
- [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)