May 68

May 1968 events in France
Part of the Protests of 1968 and the Cold War
Top: Protest in Toulouse, 12 June 1968; bottom left: posters in Paris; barricades in Bordeaux, May 1968
Date	2 May – 23 June 1968 (1 month and 3 weeks)
Location	France
Methods	Occupations, wildcat strikes, general strikes
Resulted in	Snap legislative election
Parties
Opposition: Anarchists French Communist Party Situationist International Council for Maintaining the Occupations Federation of the Democratic and Socialist Left Students: Union Nationale des Étudiants de France Sorbonne Occupation Committee Unions: CGT FO Government Ministry of the Interior Police nationale Compagnies Républicaines de Sécurité French Armed Forces Union of Democrats for the Republic
Lead figures
Non-centralized leadership Some notable people participating: François Mitterrand Pierre Mendès France Charles de Gaulle (President of France) Georges Pompidou (Prime Minister of France)
Casualties
Death(s)	2 (only 25 May)[1]
Injuries	887+ (only 25 May)[1]
Arrested	1,000+ (only 25 May)[1]

May 68 (French: Mai 68) was a period of widespread protests, strikes, and civil unrest in France that began in May 1968 and became one of the most significant social uprisings in modern European history. Initially sparked by student demonstrations against university conditions and government repression, the movement quickly escalated into a nationwide general strike involving millions of workers, bringing the country to the brink of revolution. The events have profoundly shaped French politics, labor relations, and cultural life, leaving a lasting legacy of radical thought and activism.

After World War II, France had undergone rapid modernization, economic growth, and urbanization, leading to increased social tensions. The Trente Glorieuses, the "Thirty Glorious Years" of growth from 1945 to 1975, had also exacerbated inequalities and alienation, particularly among students and young workers. By the late 1960s, France's university system was struggling to accommodate a growing student population, and the rigid structure of academia frustrated students amid a broader discontent with conservative social norms. Inspired by countercultural, anti-imperialist, Marxist, and anarchist ideologies, students increasingly viewed themselves as part of a revolutionary struggle against capitalism and authoritarianism. At the same time, the French working class was dissatisfied with stagnant wages and poor working conditions, despite growth. The political order, dominated by President Charles de Gaulle's Fifth Republic, was seen by many as outdated and repressive.

The movement began with student demonstrations in late March at Paris Nanterre University. After the police intervened to suppress ongoing activism, Nanterre was shut down on 2 May, and protests moved to the Sorbonne in central Paris. On 6 May, police violently dispersed a student gathering at the Sorbonne, leading to clashes with protesters and mass arrests. As the confrontations escalated, students erected barricades, and the night of 10 May saw intense street battles between protesters and police. Public outrage fueled further mobilization, and by 13 May, the protests had evolved into a general strike. About 10 million workers, or two-thirds of the labor force,^[2] walked off the job in the largest general strike in French history, shutting down factories, transportation, and public services. Radical leftist groups gained influence, and calls for revolution grew louder. De Gaulle's government struggled to regain control, and on 29 May he briefly left to a French military base in West Germany. He returned on the next day, dissolved the National Assembly, and called for new elections. By this point, the movement had started to lose momentum. The government, business leaders, and union representatives had negotiated the Grenelle agreements on 27 May, securing wage increases and concessions. As de Gaulle reasserted authority, the revolutionary moment faded. In the elections on 23 June, his party won a resounding victory, signaling the collapse of the immediate movement.

Though it failed to bring about a revolution, May 68 had profound long-term consequences. The events weakened de Gaulle's authority, and he resigned the following year. The movement led to increased state investment in education and social policies, though radical leftist politics declined in electoral influence. The strikes forced major concessions in labor rights, including wage increases, better working conditions, and expanded social protections. The May 68 movement also contributed to the growth of feminist, environmentalist, and LGBTQ activism, and inspired radical thought in philosophy, media, and academia, influencing figures like Michel Foucault and Jean Baudrillard. In France, the movement's slogans and imagery remain touchstones of political and social discourse.