May 1968 in France

A wave of student protests and strikes that brought France close to a standstill.

Background

The 1960s were a period of rapid change in France, with a growing student population, a conservative university system and a government led by the ageing Charles de Gaulle. Protests against the Vietnam War and demands for greater personal freedom spread among young people.

Course of events

Student protests at Nanterre and the Sorbonne in early May led to clashes with police and barricades in the Latin Quarter. Trade unions joined with a general strike involving around ten million workers. De Gaulle dissolved the National Assembly and called new elections, which his supporters won in June.

Legacy

The Grenelle agreements raised wages and extended union rights. The protests had a lasting influence on cultural attitudes, education and the politics of the left, even though they brought no change of government.