In his twenty seconds of combat, de Gaulle had made two discoveries: one about himself, the other about modern warfare. The first was that he was indifferent to physical danger. Throughout his life he would display the same bravado he had shown at the level-crossing at Dinant – to the despair of those in charge of his security. The second lesson was summarized in one sentence of the book on the French army de Gaulle published in 1938: ‘In the twinkling of an eye, it became clear that all the virtue in the world is powerless against firepower.’
