Charles De Gaulle's Speech In Algeri The National Liberation Front
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On October 3, 1958, Charles de Gaulle addressed the people of Algeria after the recent election that placed him as the president of France. He spoke of the future of Algeria with him in charge, looking forward to all of the ways he would benefit the nation. However, he did not address the major situation occurring in Algeria: the National Liberation Front (FLN) was fighting for independence. While Algeria was still technically part of France, the FLN were attempting to encourage the nation to break ties. In his speech, de Gaulle spoke from a position of authority painting himself as a peaceful entity, and attempted to persuade an audience who might have been against him while skating over specific contextual details in order to do so.
Charles…show more content… He does not address the obvious presence of conflict within the nation, instead choosing to villainize the group in order to write off their concerns as frivolous. The fighting done by the FLN is called “absurd”. Using a word that means irrational completely discredits the efforts done by the FLN. De Gaulle verbally waves his hand at the situation and brushes it off as not important. Instead of addressing an important event occurring in Algeria, de Gaulle places his speech outside of the present situation of the nation. The language he uses to describe the FLN places them as obstacles in the way of Algeria reaching the future he laid out earlier in his speech. While France will help Algeria reach what he tells the audience they want, the FLN will keep the “new blossoming of hope” from happening. De Gaulle uses a series of rhetorical questions to highlight the ridiculousness he believes the FLN to possess, and to demean the situation. De Gaulle asks, “[w]hy kill? We must enable people to live”. This is a simple sentiment, but it carries a lot of weight. Why pay attention to a group who defies this simple logic, when you can pay attention to the man speaking before you? De Gaulle erases the importance of the FLN’s presence in Algeria, and morphs the situation under which he delivers his