Editing Commander-in-chief (section)

====Pre-1958====
Since the reign of [[Louis XIV]], France has been strongly centralised. After crushing local nobles engaged in warlord-ism, the kings of France retained all authority with the help of able yet discreet Prime ministers ([[Cardinal Mazarin|Mazarin]], [[Cardinal Richelieu|Richelieu]]).

The [[French Revolution]] transferred the supreme authority to the king (in the context of the short-lived constitutional monarchy), then to the multi-member ''[[Committee of Public Safety|Comité de Salut Public]]'' during the ''[[National Convention|Convention]]'', as well as later to the ''[[French Directory|Directoire]]'', before being regained in the hands of [[French Consulate|Consul]] [[Napoleon|Napoléon Bonaparte]], later [[First French Empire|Emperor Napoléon I]], alone.

The ''[[Bourbon Restoration in France|Restoration]]'' restored the authority of the king, first in an absolute monarchy, then the constitutional [[July Monarchy]] of [[Louis Philippe I|Louis Philippe]], before it was overthrown in turn by the [[French Second Republic|Second Republic]] and later the [[Second French Empire|Second Empire]] of [[Napoleon III]].

The following [[French Third Republic|Third Republic]] was a parliamentary system, where the military authority was held by the [[Prime Minister of France|president of the Council of Ministers]], head of government, although the president, head of state, retained ceremonial powers. During [[World War I]], the many visits to the trenches by the elder statesman [[Georges Clemenceau]] impressed the soldiers and earned him the nickname ''Father of Victory'' ({{langx|fr|Le Père de la Victoire}}).

During [[World War II]], ''[[Marshal of France|Maréchal]]'' [[Philippe Pétain]] assumed power and held the supreme authority in [[Vichy France]], while Général [[Charles de Gaulle]], acting on behalf of the previous regime, founded the [[Free France|Free French Forces]], upon which he held supreme authority all through the war.

The following and short-lived [[French Fourth Republic|Fourth Republic]] was a parliamentary system, which was replaced by the present [[French Fifth Republic|Fifth Republic]], a [[semi-presidential system]].