De Gaulle founds the Fifth Republic
A new constitution creates a strong presidency to end chronic instability
Quick facts
- Location
- Paris, France
- Key people
- Charles de Gaulle
- Referendum approval
- 79.2% in favor
What happened
The Fourth Republic's chronic government instability, worsened by the strain of the Algerian War, culminated in a May 1958 crisis when French settlers and the army in Algiers threatened to seize power unless Charles de Gaulle returned to lead the government. De Gaulle, in retirement since 1946, was named prime minister on 1 June 1958 and given a mandate to draft a new constitution, which was approved by 79.2 percent of voters in a referendum and formally promulgated on 4 October 1958. The new constitution created a semi-presidential system with a much stronger executive than the Fourth Republic had allowed, and de Gaulle was elected the Fifth Republic's first president that December.
Why it matters
The Fifth Republic's stronger presidency, designed specifically to prevent the parliamentary paralysis that had brought down the Third and Fourth Republics, has proven durable, and it remains France's system of government today, making 1958 the founding moment of the modern French state.
How we know
The Constitution of 4 October 1958 survives as the founding legal document of the current French state, and the French presidency's own official archives document its drafting process and de Gaulle's direct role in shaping it.
Sources
- Elysee (Office of the President of France). The Constitution of 4 October 1958 · Primary source (author-declared)elysee.fr · Cited as a "primary" source (no stronger domain match). · Link is live and its text matches the event's key terms (Jul 2026)
- HISTORY. Charles de Gaulle elected president of France · Reputable sourcehistory.com · The domain "history.com" is on our Reputable source registry. · Link is live and its text matches the event's key terms (Jul 2026)
See something wrong? . Corrections with a source get fixed fastest.
Part of a timelineHistory of France34 events · From Vercingetorix's last stand at Alesia to a Fifth Republic in the EU, the long story of one country rebuilding itself again and againView all →