PARIS, Feb. 23 (UPI) -- A monument to former French President Charles de Gaulle opened to the public Saturday at the French army museum in Paris.
The memorial at Les Invalides uses film and audio to tell the story of de Gaulle's years as leader of the Free French during World War II and as president of France. There are three doors to symbolize three great turning points in his career -- his BBC broadcast on June 18, 1940, announcing his determination to fight on against Germany; the liberation of Paris in August 1944; and the formation of the Fifth French Republic in 1959, the BBC reported.
President Nicolas Sarkozy officially inaugurated the memorial Friday. Pierre Mazeaud, head of the Charles de Gaulle Foundation, described the general as one of the great leaders of French history, comparable to Louis XIV and Napoleon.
