On 28 September 1958, a new constitution establishing the French Fifth Republic was approved by referendum, elevating the office of the president and providing Charles de Gaulle with a strong executive role. After serving as head of the provisional government in 1944–1946 and returning to power in 1958 amid the Algerian crisis, de Gaulle shaped the constitutional framework and political context that culminated in his election the following year. On 21 November 1959 the French National Assembly and elected officials confirmed Charles de Gaulle as President of the Republic. Under the new constitutional rules, the president was chosen by an electoral college composed of members of parliament, general councilors, and municipal delegates rather than by direct popular vote; a direct presidential election by universal suffrage would not be introduced until later, by referendum in 1962 and applied from 1965 onward. De Gaulle’s election in 1959 thus formalized his authority within the institutional architecture he had crafted and endorsed. De Gaulle’s presidency in this period reflected his priorities: restoring stability after the political turmoil of the Fourth Republic, asserting France’s independence in foreign policy, and managing the unresolved conflict in Algeria. His stature derived from wartime leadership and nationalist appeals, and his style combined appeals to national grandeur with a preference for strong executive decision-making. Domestically, his government pursued economic modernization and state-led initiatives while navigating party politics and institutional resistance. The 1959 election and de Gaulle’s continued leadership were consequential for France’s mid-20th-century trajectory. Under his authority, France pursued an independent nuclear deterrent, reorganized relations with NATO, and sought a distinct position vis-à-vis both the United States and the Soviet Union. The Algerian War remained the central and divisive issue; de Gaulle’s eventual move toward granting Algeria self-determination would provoke political crises and violent opposition from some French settlers and military figures. Historians note that de Gaulle’s consolidation of power in 1959 cannot be separated from the broader crisis of the Fourth Republic, the institutional design of the Fifth Republic, and de Gaulle’s personal authority. While contemporaries and later scholars debate his motives and methods, the factual sequence is clear: de Gaulle engineered a constitutional shift in 1958 and, in November 1959, was confirmed as president under that new constitutional order, thereby shaping French politics for the decade to follow. Sources and further reading include contemporary records of the French parliament, official constitutional texts of 1958, and major historical studies of de Gaulle and the Fifth Republic. This summary avoids conjecture about private motives and focuses on the verified sequence of constitutional change and de Gaulle’s confirmation as president in November 1959.