“Treaties are like roses and young girls. They last while they last.”
- November 22, 1890 – November 9, 1970
- French
- Military Leader, Statesman, President of France, Founder of the Fifth Republic
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Quote
“Treaties are like roses and young girls. They last while they last.”
Explanation
With characteristic irony and sharp wit, Charles de Gaulle uses this analogy to convey his cynical realism about the fragility and temporality of international agreements. By comparing treaties to “roses and young girls,” he underscores how treaties, though often beautiful or idealized at the moment of their signing, are inherently impermanent, subject to changing interests, power shifts, and the passage of time. The tone is light, but the message is serious: no agreement should be assumed to endure beyond its utility.
This view is consistent with de Gaulle’s broader foreign policy stance, which emphasized national sovereignty over international entanglements. He believed that a nation must always retain the freedom to act independently, even if it means disregarding prior commitments. His withdrawal from NATO’s integrated military command in 1966 and his push for an autonomous French nuclear force illustrate his belief that lasting security could not rest on the goodwill of treaties alone, but on self-reliance and strategic foresight.
In the modern geopolitical world, this quote continues to resonate, particularly as global alliances face strain and long-standing treaties are questioned or abandoned. It serves as a reminder that even formal agreements require constant renewal of trust and mutual benefit, and that states ultimately act in accordance with their evolving interests. De Gaulle’s insight warns us not to confuse paper promises with permanent peace—and to always be prepared for the moment when they may no longer hold.
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