Charles De Gaulle and the Media: Leadership, TV and the Birth of the Fifth Republic

Description

This book explores Charles De Gaulle's use and strict control of television between 1958 and 1969, highlighting the association between charismatic power and television with regards to legitimizing the Gaullist leadership and determining an evolution towards presidentialism during the Fifth Republic. A protagonist of European political history of the twentieth century, Charles de Gaulle was a pioneer in the use of mass media: in the Second World War he had earned the nickname of Général-micro due to his reliance on radio communication; in 1958 he then started an substantive and fruitful use of television, which some of his opponents labelled as ‘telecracy’. From difficult beginnings, where he followed the advice of publicity and communication experts, through his masterful TV appearances during the dramatic moments of the Algerian War, to the presidential campaign of 1965 and the crisis of May 1968, the author paints a compelling fresco of de Gaulle as the first TV leader in contemporary European history. The book will appeal to students and scholars interested in the fields of French politics, political communication and political leadership. Front Matter ....Pages i-xvi Introduction: Politics Between Communication and Personalisation (Riccardo Brizzi)....Pages 1-17 The Mass Media in France Between 1944 and 1958 (Riccardo Brizzi)....Pages 19-47 The Personalisation of Politics and Government Communication During the Fourth Republic (Riccardo Brizzi)....Pages 49-78 De Gaulle and the Press: A 30-Year-Long Misunderstanding (Riccardo Brizzi)....Pages 79-108 Political Control on Television (Riccardo Brizzi)....Pages 109-135 The General and the Small Screen (Riccardo Brizzi)....Pages 137-159 Leadership and Television: The General and Constitutional Development During the Fifth Republic (Riccardo Brizzi)....Pages 161-191 Gaullist “Telecracy” (1962–65) (Riccardo Brizzi)....Pages 193-214 The 1965 “Tele-presidential” Elections (Riccardo Brizzi)....Pages 215-248 De Gaulle, Pompidou and May 1968 (Riccardo Brizzi)....Pages 249-279 Epilogue. The General Departs the Political Scene (Riccardo Brizzi)....Pages 281-285 Conclusion: The Origins of “Telecracy”? Some Final Reflections (Riccardo Brizzi)....Pages 287-296 Back Matter ....Pages 297-309