Editing Charles de Gaulle (section)

==== Preparations for D-Day ====
[[File:Winston Churchill with General de Gaulle during an inspection of French troops at Marrakesh in Morocco, January 1944. TR1505.jpg#mediaviewer/File:Winston Churchill with General de Gaulle during an inspection of French troops at Marrakesh in Morocco, January 1944. TR1505.jpg|thumb|left|Winston Churchill and General de Gaulle at [[Marrakesh]], January 1944|link=File:Winston_Churchill_with_General_de_Gaulle_during_an_inspection_of_French_troops_at_Marrakesh_in_Morocco,_January_1944._TR1505.jpg]]
As preparations for the liberation of Europe gathered pace, the US in particular found de Gaulle's tendency to view everything from the French perspective to be extremely tiresome. [[Franklin D. Roosevelt|President Roosevelt]], who refused to recognize any provisional authority in France until elections had been held, referred to de Gaulle as "an apprentice dictator", a view backed by a number of leading Frenchmen in Washington, including [[Jean Monnet]], who later became instrumental in setting up the [[European Coal and Steel Community]] that led to the modern [[European Union]]. Roosevelt directed Churchill not to provide de Gaulle with strategic details of the imminent invasion because he did not trust him to keep the information to himself. French codes were considered weak, posing a risk since the Free French refused to use British or American codes.<ref name="Beevor">Beevor, Antony (2009) ''D-Day: The Battle for Normandy'', Penguin Group, {{ISBN|1101148721}}</ref> De Gaulle refused to share coded information with the British, who were then obliged secretly to break the codes to read French messages.<ref>Singh, Simon (2000). The Code Book: The Science of Secrecy from Ancient Egypt to Quantum Cryptography. Anchor; {{ISBN|0-385-49532-3}}. <!-- page(s) needed --></ref>

Upon his arrival at [[RAF Northolt]] on 4 June 1944 he received an official welcome.<ref name=Beevor /> Later, on his personal train, Churchill informed him that he wanted him to make a radio address, but when informed that the Americans continued to refuse to recognise his right to power in France, and after Churchill suggested he request a meeting with Roosevelt to improve his relationship with the president, de Gaulle became angry, demanding to know why he should "lodge my candidacy for power in France with Roosevelt; the French government exists".<ref name="Fenby-2010" />