How did DeGaulle Become a General?

[ralph124c]

I have always wondered about the circumstances of DeGaulle’s promotion to general. He was at the time of the fall of France, a colonel (he commanded an armored regiment). Next thing, he pops up in London, wearing 3 stars on his uniform (Major General). So who promoted him?
As I understand it, most armies promote general officers through the actions of promotion boards. Since France’s governemnt was replaced by a dictator (when the Daladier government surrendered, who would promote colonel DeGaulle to general?

[Johnny_L.A]

According to the Wiki article he was promoted before France surrendered:

At the outbreak of World War II, de Gaulle was only a colonel, having antagonised the leaders of the military through the 1920s and 1930s with his bold views. Initially commanding a tank brigade in the French 5th Army, de Gaulle implemented many of his theories and tactics for armoured warfare. After the German breakthrough at Sedan on May 15, 1940 he was given command of the 4th Armored Division.[3] On May 17, de Gaulle attacked German tank forces at Montcornet with 200 tanks but no air support; on May 28, de Gaulle’s tanks forced the German infantry to retreat to Caumont — some of the few tactical successes the French enjoyed while suffering defeats across the country. De Gaulle was promoted to the rank of brigadier general, which he would hold for the rest of his life.

On 6 June, Prime Minister Paul Reynaud appointed him undersecretary of state for national defense and war and put him in charge of coordination with the United Kingdom. As a junior member of the French government, he unsuccessfully opposed surrender, advocating instead that the government remove itself to North Africa and carry on the war as best it could from France’s African colonies.

So it looks as if he was promoted in late May or early June. France officially surrendered on 25 June 1940.

[bump]

From what I can tell, DeGaulle had recently been promoted to Brigadier general at the fall of France, and subsequently organized the Free French forces with other French officers who escaped.

So it looks like he was self-promoted, from what I can tell.

As for the Colonel - General promotion, take a look at say… George Patton. In the same timeframe (1940 - 1945), he went from Colonel to full (4 star) General. Eisenhower did him one better, going from Colonel in 1940 to General of the Army (5 star) in Dec 1944.

[UltraVires]

@ralph124c

I have always wondered about the circumstances of DeGaulle’s promotion to general. He was at the time of the fall of France, a colonel (he commanded an armored regiment). Next thing, he pops up in London, wearing 3 stars on his uniform (Major General). So who promoted him?
As I understand it, most armies promote general officers through the actions of promotion boards. Since France’s governemnt was replaced by a dictator (when the Daladier government surrendered, who would promote colonel DeGaulle to general?

Who you callin a Ho muthafucka ?

And I don’t know nuthin about no De Gaulle, bitch!