In fairness to de Gaulle, at least part of his legendary obstreperousness was his need to insist on his independence at every opportunity, since being seen as a British puppet/mercenary was political death in France. He also had to keep reminding everyone that France was a Proper Fighting Ally and not (despite Vichy) another Axis puppet in the Hungary/Romania mode, suitable for victors' justice at the peace table. On top of that, OTL he also had to deal with well-founded suspicion that the Americans at least were prepared to go behind his back and cut deals with the Petainist traitors (he was on safer ground with the British, simply because everyone in Vichy hated them). And on top of that he continually had to balance being useful enough to the Allies not to get dumped, while at the same time conserving his resources for the struggle for control of France after the Liberation - since if he failed there, the alternatives for la Patrie were a de-facto continuation of Petainism, a Communist takeover or, just as bad, an Anglo-American occupation government.