I wonder how many have passed through Quimper unaware of this monument on the Place de la République - somewhat hidden by bushes on one side? It commemorates the visit of General Charles de Gaulle to Quimper in February 1969 during his visit to Brittany campaigning for his decentralisation referendum to be held on 27 April 1969. During a stop in Quimper on February 14th he declaimed a poem written by his uncle (also called Charles de Gaulle) in the Breton language, expressing devotion to Breton culture. The speech, well received by the crowd, followed a series of crackdowns on Breton nationalism. He was accused of double standards for, on the one hand demanding a free Quebec, while on the other oppressing the movement in Brittany. During this Quimper speech, he replied to this criticism that Brittany was free and had been freed by Bretons and other French forces during the Liberation, reminding them that the Resistance was more intense in Brittany than in any other part of France, and that many Bretons had joined the Free French Forces.

The referendum was lost by a narrow majority and de Gaulle resigned to retire to his home in Colombey-les-Deux-Églises, where he died just one year later on November 9, 1970. Thus ended the life of this colossus of 20th century French history - controversial during his last years because of the decolonisation of Algeria and "les évènements" - the social unrest and riots of May 1968 - but immortalised by his refusal in 1940 to follow most of the rest of his political and military class into the Vichy government in collaboration with the victorious Nazis. Instead, he fled to England to set up the Free French Movement in resistance with the British and later Americans, leading eventually to the liberation of the Continent which began on 6th June, 1944. (CLICK here for his speech calling on the people of France to resist)

It must have been a very bad time for de Gaulle. He had to watch as the Wehrmacht overcame the French forces in days and occupied France. This rapid victory was in large part thanks to the German use of fast-moving mechanized armour, which de Gaulle had in the 30s tried in vain to get the French army to adopt. Then came the political class doing a deal with Hitler to continue in power. To his eternal credit, Charles de Gaulle could not stomach this, leaving his peers, his family and his country behind him to continue the fight from England.

His relationship with the British in London was not always smooth (he was French after all!), but he was given the honour of leading troops into Paris on the momentous liberation in August 1944. Whatever his faults and failings - and nobody is perfect - he will always symbolise the fight for freedom, justice and democracy that still goes on today. At a catastrophic time for France he upheld its best traditions of "Liberté, égalité, fraternité" in resisting the fascist onslaught that devastated Europe.