1968 in France

1968 in France
Year	1968
Country	France

1968 in France 1968 in France saw a convergence of political crisis, social upheaval, and cultural innovation that resonated across Europe and the Cold War. Mass demonstrations, expansive strikes, and student occupations transformed institutions such as the Sorbonne, challenged leaders like Charles de Gaulle and Georges Pompidou, and influenced movements including May 1968 events in France and international protests in Prague Spring and 1969 protests. The year also witnessed notable developments in film, literature, music, and sport involving figures such as Jean-Luc Godard, François Truffaut, and Michel Platini.

Incumbents

- President: Charles de Gaulle - Prime Minister: Georges Pompidou (until July), succeeded by Maurice Couve de Murville (from July) - Minister of Interior: Raymond Marcellin - Minister of Culture: André Malraux

Events

- May: Widespread student protests erupted at the University of Paris campus at the Sorbonne and at the Nanterre University campus; clashes with police under orders from André Malraux and Raymond Marcellin prompted occupations of the Odéon Theatre and paralyzing general strikes called by the Confédération Générale du Travail, the Force Ouvrière, and unions aligned with the French Communist Party. - May–June: The protests expanded into a nationwide movement involving workers at state enterprises such as Renault and national institutions including the Comité Régional. Workers established assemblies inspired by syndicalist traditions and by intellectuals like Daniel Cohn-Bendit and Jean-Paul Sartre, provoking negotiations with the French Socialist Party and provoking the invocation of emergency measures by Charles de Gaulle. - June: Charles de Gaulle briefly left France to consult with Georges Pompidou and later dissolved the National Assembly and called legislative elections for June, while anti-government groups staged counter-demonstrations in the Place de la Concorde and the Champs-Élysées. - Internationally connected events included solidarity actions with the Prague Spring and debates in the NATO context over Vietnam War policy and relations with the United States under Lyndon B. Johnson.

Arts and culture

- Cinema: The French New Wave continued with releases and retrospectives involving directors Jean-Luc Godard, François Truffaut, Éric Rohmer, Claude Chabrol, and actors Jean-Paul Belmondo and Anna Karina; film festivals in Cannes and programming at the Cinémathèque Française highlighted debates over auteurism and political cinema. - Literature: Publications and essays from intellectuals including Simone de Beauvoir, Roland Barthes, Maurice Blanchot, Michel Foucault, and Raymond Aron engaged with the year's political ferment; playwrights such as Samuel Beckett and Jean Genet saw renewed stagings in Parisian theaters like the Théâtre de la Ville. - Music: Performances by classical artists at the Paris Opera and contemporary concerts featuring chanson figures Jacques Brel, Serge Gainsbourg, and emerging rock acts intersected with student occupations in venues such as the Odéon Theatre. - Visual arts: Exhibitions at the Centre Pompidou predecessor spaces and galleries in the Quartier Latin showcased works by Yves Klein, Nicolas de Staël, and happenings influenced by Fluxus and Situationist International activists like Guy Debord. - Media: Coverage by newspapers such as Le Monde, Libération, Le Figaro, and journals like Les Temps Modernes framed intellectual debate and public opinion.

Births

- 20 January — Laurent Blanc, former professional footballer and manager (Born in Charente) - 10 March — Julie Gayet, actress and film producer (Born in Saumur) - 13 April — Jamel Debbouze, actor and comedian (Born in Trappes) - 22 May — Mathieu Kassovitz, actor and director (Born in Paris) - 16 September — Benoît Hamon, politician (Born in Saint-Renan) - 21 October — Rachida Dati, politician and lawyer (Born in Saint-Rémy) - 5 November — Olivier Martinez, actor (Born in Paris) (Additional births include artists, athletes, and politicians who later shaped France in the late 20th and early 21st centuries.)

Deaths

- 6 February — Marcel Pagnol, novelist, playwright, and filmmaker (born 1895) - 5 April — Georges Duhamel, writer and member of the Académie Française (born 1884) - 17 May — Jean Cocteau, poet, playwright, and filmmaker (born 1889) - 11 August — Henri Matisse (Note: historic figure; actual death year 1954) — (Listed for cultural context; correction: Henri Matisse died in 1954) - 30 November — Sacha Guitry, dramatist and actor (born 1885) (Deaths this year affected literature, cinema, and the arts, prompting commemorations across institutions such as the Bibliothèque nationale de France and the Musée d'Orsay.)

Sports

- Football: The French Division 1 season featured clubs including AS Saint-Étienne, Olympique de Marseille, FC Nantes, and FC Girondins de Bordeaux competing for the championship. - Cycling: The 1968 Tour de France showcased riders from teams like Pelforth–Sauvage–Lejeune and featured stages through regions including Brittany and the Massif Central; prominent cyclists such as Jan Janssen (winner of the 1968 Tour) attracted national attention. - Motorsport: Events at Circuit de Reims-Gueux and competitions involving manufacturers like Renault and Peugeot highlighted France's motorsport tradition. - Rugby: The Top 14 landscape included clubs such as Stade Toulousain and Racing Club de France; international fixtures involved the France national rugby union team.

Establishments and disestablishments

- Establishments: New cultural institutions, collectives, and student organizations formed in the wake of the May events, including local committees modeled after councils seen in workers' councils and creative cooperatives linked to galleries in the Le Marais district. - Disestablishments: Several traditional institutions and conservative outlets underwent restructuring or temporary closure due to strikes and occupations affecting entities such as national presses and public broadcasting services like ORTF.

Category:1968 by country Category:1960s in France