The Libyan uprising has given French President Nicolas Sarkozy an opportunity he has long coveted: to lead a risky international mission that holds out promise of ultimate glory. For Gen. Charles de Gaulle, the founder of the Fifth Republic, the pursuit of what the French call la grandeurwas the primary raison d'être of a head of state. His successors have by and large shared the general's view, tenaciously defending French national interests and independence.
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