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The 1965 French presidential election was the first presidential election by direct universal suffrage of the French Fifth Republic. It was also the first presidential election by direct universal suffrage since 1848. It was won by incumbent president Charles de Gaulle who resigned in 1969. This article or section is in need of attention from an expert on the subject. ... This article or section is not written in the formal tone expected of an encyclopedia article. ... This article is about the person. ... Also: 1969 (number) 1969 (movie) 1969 (Stargate SG-1) episode. ...

This election was the second since the beginning of the Fifth Republic. Under the first draft of the 1958 constitution, the president was elected by an electoral college, in order to appease concerns about De Gaulle's allegedly authoritarian or bonapartist tendencies. Indeed, the last time a French president was elected by direct suffrage was in 1848, when Louis-Napoléon Bonaparte was elected only to abolish democracy before the end of his term. However, a direct presidential election had always been essential to De Gaulle's political vision and he had it adopted by referendum in 1962. Jan. ... In French political history, Bonapartists were monarchists who desired a French Empire under the House of Bonaparte, the Corsican family of Napoleon Bonaparte (Napoleon I of France) and his nephew Louis (Napoleon III of France). ... Year 1848 (MDCCCXLVIII) was a leap year starting on Saturday (link will display the full calendar) of the Gregorian Calendar (or a leap year starting on Monday of the 12-day slower Julian calendar). ... This article is about the President of the French Republic and Emperor of the French. ... Elections Part of the Politics series Politics Portal This box:      Universal suffrage (also general suffrage or common suffrage) consists of the extension of the right to vote to all adults, without distinction as to race, sex, belief, intelligence, or economic or social status. ... Elections Part of the Politics series Politics Portal This box:      A referendum (plural referendums or referenda), ballot question, or plebiscite (from Latin plebiscita, originally a decree of the Concilium Plebis) is a direct vote in which an entire electorate is asked to either accept or reject a particular proposal. ... Year 1962 (MCMLXII) was a common year starting on Monday (the link is to a full 1962 calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ...

According to De Gaulle's intentions, the presidential election became the driving election in the Fifth Republic.

% of vote for Charles de Gaulle, first round

When the electoral campaign started, the most part of the political actors and observers predicted a plebiscite for De Gaulle, thinking one round will sufficient to guarantee his re-election. If some unfamous personalities decided to run, benefiting of this campaign to win fame, the leaders of the big opponent political parties hesitated to presented himself. Furthemore, all the political parties (expected the Gaullist UNR-UDT and the Independent Republicans) had campaigned against the principle of the presidential election by the universal suffrage (that was the argument of the former centre-left Prime Minister of the Fourth Republic Pierre Mendès-France to not run). Union of Democrats for the Republic (French : Union des Démocrates pour la République), also known as the Gaullist Party was a political party of France. ... The Independent Republicans were a French right-wing political group, which became a political party with the creation of the National Federation of the Independent Republicans in 1966. ... This article or section is in need of attention from an expert on the subject. ... Pierre Mendès France Pierre Mendès France (Paris, 11 January 1907 - 18 October 1982), French politician, was born in Paris, into a family of Portuguese Sephardic Jewish origin. ...

The centre-left paper L'Express campaigned for the nomination of a candidate of the non-Communist opposition. Under the name "Mister X" appeared Gaston Defferre, Mayor of Marseille, main internal opponent to the SFIO Socialist Party leader Guy Mollet. In his municipalty, Defferre led a coalition composed of the SFIO, the Radical Party, and the centre-right MRP. Nevertheless, the national authorities of this parties refused to support his candidacy in the presidential race. LExpress is the name the first news magazine in France. ... Gaston Defferre (September 14, 1910 - May 7, 1986, Marseille) was a French socialist politician. ... City flag Coat of arms Motto: By her great deeds, the city of Massilia shines The Old Port of Marseille Location Time Zone CET (GMT +1) Coordinates Administration Country Region Provence-Alpes-Côte dAzur Department Bouches-du-Rhône (13) Subdivisions 16 arrondissements (in 8 secteurs) Intercommunality Urban... Sfio, or Safe/Fast I/O, is an I/O library developed by AT&T Research, with several improvements over the ANSI C stdio library. ... Guy Mollet (31 December 1905 - 3 October 1975) was a French Socialist politician. ... A number of political organizations have called themselves the Radical Party, or have Radical as part of their name. ... The Popular Republican Movement (Mouvement Républicain Populaire or MRP) was a French Christian democratic party of the Fourth Republic. ...

The failure of Defferre's candidacy permitted to others politicians to run. The MRP leader Jean Lecanuet was nominated by his party and the CNIP to be the representing of the non-Gaullist centre-right in the competition. He presented himself like modern, liberal and pro-European candidate, influenced by the exemple of President John Kennedy. Criticizing the "archaism" and the "nationalism" of De Gaulle, he tryed to rally the young and moderate wing of the conservative electorate. Jean Adrien François Lecanuet, born on March 4, 1920 in Rouen, died February 21, 1993 Born in a family of very modest conditions, he oriented towards studies of literature. ... The National Center of Independents and Peasants (Centre National des Indépendants et Paysans) is a political party in France. ... There have been several John Kennedys: John F. Kennedy, American president John F. Kennedy, Jr. ...

In the left, a former Fourth Republic's minister, François Mitterrand proposed to be the candidate of all the left-wing parties. Opponent to De Gaulle since 1958 (like the Communists but contrary to the SFIO lead), he was the author of a very anti-Gaullist book, The permanent coup d'Etat, and belong to any party. He had realized that working through the constitution was the only way to defeat the right. He obtained the support of the left-wing parties, including the French Communist Party (PCF), which whised get out of its isolation. Denouncing the appropriation of the state by a "monarch", he presented himself as the candidate of all the Republicans. However, for the Gaullists, Mitterrand was in fact the candidate of the return to the Fourth Republic. This article or section is in need of attention from an expert on the subject. ...   IPA: (October 26, 1916 – January 8, 1996) served as President of France from 1981 to 1995, elected as representative of the Socialist Party (PS). ... This does not cite any references or sources. ... This article or section is in need of attention from an expert on the subject. ...

Because he considered his challengers did not measeure up to him, were not dangerous, De Gaulle anounced his candidacy only one month before the first round and did not a very active campaign. But finally, to evryone's surprise, he did not reach the 50% in the first round and must run for a second ballot which opposed him to Mitterrand. De Gaulle was elected but, because he had been expected to win in the first round, Mitterrand's performance was considered to be a success. This result was a first warning for the Gaullist power and symbolized the start of the decline of De Gaulle's presidency. De Gaulle confirmed his Prime Minister Georges Pompidou but decided a cabinet reshuffle. He dismissed his Economy Minister Valéry Giscard d'Estaing, deteriorating the relations in the majority coalition with the Independent Republicans, the last allies of the Gaullists. Georges Jean Raymond Pompidou (5 July 1911 – 2 April 1974) was President of the French Republic from 1969 until his death in 1974. ... Valéry Marie René Giscard dEstaing (born 2 February 1926) is a French centre-right politician who was President of the French Republic from 1974 until 1981. ... The Independent Republicans were a French right-wing political group, which became a political party with the creation of the National Federation of the Independent Republicans in 1966. ...

First round

This article is about the person. ... Union of Democrats for the Republic (French : Union des Démocrates pour la République), also known as the Gaullist Party was a political party of France. ...   IPA: (October 26, 1916 – January 8, 1996) served as President of France from 1981 to 1995, elected as representative of the Socialist Party (PS). ... The Federation of the Democratic and Socialist Left (Fédération de la gauche démocrate et socialiste or FGDS) was a conglomerate of French center-left non-Communist forces. ... Jean Adrien François Lecanuet, born on March 4, 1920 in Rouen, died February 21, 1993 Born in a family of very modest conditions, he oriented towards studies of literature. ... The Popular Republican Movement (Mouvement Républicain Populaire or MRP) was a French Christian democratic party of the Fourth Republic. ... Jean-Louis Tixier-Vignancour (born October 12, 1907 in Paris, died September 29, 1989, Paris) was a lawyer and French Nationalist politician. ...

Second round

^  Tixier-Vignancour supported Mitterrand in the second round, Lecanuet called on his voters not to vote for de Gaulle This article is about the person. ... Union of Democrats for the Republic (French : Union des Démocrates pour la République), also known as the Gaullist Party was a political party of France. ...   IPA: (October 26, 1916 – January 8, 1996) served as President of France from 1981 to 1995, elected as representative of the Socialist Party (PS). ... The Federation of the Democratic and Socialist Left (Fédération de la gauche démocrate et socialiste or FGDS) was a conglomerate of French center-left non-Communist forces. ...

Results of the second round: the candidate with the plurality of votes in each administrative division. Charles de Gaulle: blue; François Mitterrand: pink

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