“Nothing great will ever be achieved without great men, and men are great only if they are determined to be so.”
- November 22, 1890 – November 9, 1970
- French
- Military Leader, Statesman, President of France, Founder of the Fifth Republic
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Quote
“Nothing great will ever be achieved without great men, and men are great only if they are determined to be so.”
Explanation
In this quote, Charles de Gaulle affirms a philosophy of individual agency and purposeful ambition. He declares that greatness—whether in history, nation-building, or any monumental endeavor—depends not on chance, institutions, or circumstance, but on individuals with the will to rise to the moment. The second part of the quote is particularly telling: greatness is not innate or bestowed, but a conscious act of determination and self-belief.
This conviction was central to de Gaulle’s own life. His leadership of the Free French Forces during World War II—at a time when France had surrendered and many considered resistance futile—embodied this creed. He was not chosen by consensus or elevated by immediate popular acclaim, but asserted himself through resolve, vision, and moral courage. For de Gaulle, greatness required not just vision but the will to act against odds and endure hardship in pursuit of a higher purpose.
In today’s world, this quote continues to resonate as a call to leadership rooted in personal responsibility and courage. It challenges the idea that leaders are merely products of their time, arguing instead that it is the determined individual who shapes events, not the other way around. De Gaulle’s words remind us that greatness is not a gift—it is a commitment, and that transformative change begins with those who choose to pursue it, relentlessly and with conviction.
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