[en] Kaluza-Klein theory is formulated from the point of view of the Gauss geometry of embedded manifolds. According to this view, space-time is regarded as locally and isometrically embedded in the high dimensional space predicted by that theory. The high dimensional Minkowski space is considered as a particular solution of the high dimensional vacuum Einstein's equations and it is assumed to represent the ground state of the theory. In this particular case it is shown that the compactification of the space of internal variables follows from the second quadratic forms of the Gaussian geometry of space-time. The Gauss-Codazzi-Ricci integrability conditions are interpreted as the field equations for a low energy observer. The space-time reduced Einstein-Hilbert action is interpreted as an integral equation on the size of the internal space. 13 references