De Gaulle is indignant at the indifference of the political world on the issue of France's security

On October 8, 1946, Louis Marin, president of the Republican Federation—a conservative right-wing party—published "The Security of France" and sent a signed copy to General de Gaulle. The General's reply, which is included here, is a simple and frank agreement. De Gaulle and Marin shared similar ideas; this fervent patriot had served as a minister several times under the Third Republic. The General had even proposed him for a position in his Provisional Government. Marin declined. But fundamentally, they were in agreement: in this tense postwar period, facing the Eastern Bloc countries, de Gaulle wanted a firm and strong France. And he recognized in Marin a clear-sighted ally.

"My dear President, 

I have just finished reading your book on "The Security of France," which you sent me and so kindly inscribed. You know how much I agree with you on this issue, which has shaped our entire history and will shape our entire future. The kind of aversion, or at the very least indifference, shown in this regard by so many men in power is truly tragic. And yet, from the moment the Russians and their allies gather 330 million inhabitants east of the Elbe and the Alps, and when defeated Germany has no other option but risky ventures, there is, in reality, no other French problemthan the one you address with such relevance and eloquence. 

Thanking you, I remain, my dear President, with my most faithful and devoted sentiments