A "grand design"? Charles de Gaulle and the end of the Algerian war

This article deals with one example of the debate over which factors, structural or personal, are more important in explaining the course of national history. At issue is the French retreat from Algeria and particularly that France abandoned that country because of the "grand design" of one great leader, Charles de Gaulle. We examine the main tenets of this thesis, discussing whether the French economy forced de Gaulle to give up Algeria; whether public sentiment constrained him; and whether his policy was premeditated and well-orchestrated, or hastily improvised. The article's conclusion is that the war in Algeria ended in retreat more because of the domestic constraints that resulted from the political dynamics of the war than because of de Gaulle's foresight or determination.