May 1968 in France
| May 1968 events in France | |||
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| Part of Protests of 1968 | |||
Street poster favoring the uprisings, depicting an occupied factory. "May 68: the beginning of a prolonged struggle."
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| Date | 2 May–23 June 1968 | ||
| Location | France | ||
| Methods | Occupations, wildcat strikes, general strikes | ||
| Result | Snap legislative election | ||
| Parties to the civil conflict | |||
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Students
Unions
The volatile period of civil unrest in France during May 1968 was punctuated by demonstrations and massive general strikes as well as the occupation of universities and factories across France. At the height of its fervor, it brought the entire economy of France to a virtual halt. The protests reached such a point that political leaders feared civil war or revolution; the national government itself momentarily ceased to function after President Charles de Gaulle secretly left France for a few hours. The protests spurred an artistic movement, with songs, imaginative graffiti, posters, and slogans but also intense violence, which ultimately ensured their defeat and the Gaullist government to remain strong and unopposed by its socialist critics.
"May 68" had a resounding impact on French society that would be felt for decades to come. It is considered to this day as a cultural, social and moral turning point in the history of the country. As Alain Geismar—one of the leaders of the time—later pointed out, the movement succeeded "as a social revolution, not as a political one".
The unrest began with a series of student occupation protests against capitalism, consumerism and traditional institutions, values and order. It then spread to factories with strikes involving 11 million workers, more than 22% of the total population of France at the time, for two continuous weeks. The movement was characterized by its spontaneous and de-centralized wildcat disposition; this created contrast and sometimes even conflict between itself and the establishment, trade unions and workers' parties. It was the largest general strike ever attempted in France, and the first nationwide wildcat general strike.
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