This was at the request of General Charles de Gaulle after the German army was driven from Paris during World War II . The newspaper took over the format of Le Temps , because the reputation of the latter had suffered during the Occupation . It was founded at the request of General Charles de Gaulle after the German army was driven from Paris during World War II , and took over the headquarters and layout of Le Temps , which was the most important newspaper in France before but whose reputation had suffered during the Occupation .