Occupation of the Sorbonne

Occupation of the Sorbonne. The Sorbonne occupation was a pivotal event in the May 1968 events in France, which saw students and workers unite in a nationwide protest against the French government led by Charles de Gaulle. This movement was influenced by various factors, including the Cold War, the Vietnam War, and the ideas of Karl Marx, Mao Zedong, and Che Guevara. The occupation was also inspired by the Free Speech Movement at the University of California, Berkeley and the Prague Spring.

● Introduction

The Occupation of the Sorbonne was a key moment in the French student movement of the 1960s, which was characterized by protests and demonstrations led by students from the Sorbonne, the École Normale Supérieure, and other Parisian universities. The occupation was supported by various French trade unions, including the Confédération Générale du Travail and the Force Ouvrière, as well as by prominent intellectuals such as Jean-Paul Sartre, Simone de Beauvoir, and Michel Foucault. The event was also influenced by the Situationist International, a radical avant-garde movement that sought to challenge traditional notions of art, politics, and society. The occupation was further inspired by the Hungarian Revolution of 1956 and the Cuban Revolution.

● Background

The background to the occupation was marked by growing discontent among French students and workers with the French government and the French economy. The French student movement was influenced by the American civil rights movement, the Anti-Vietnam War movement, and the Counterculture of the 1960s. The movement was also shaped by the ideas of Theodor Adorno, Max Horkheimer, and Herbert Marcuse, who were associated with the Frankfurt School. The Sorbonne occupation was preceded by protests and demonstrations at other French universities, including the University of Nanterre and the University of Strasbourg. The occupation was also influenced by the Spanish Revolution and the Russian Revolution.

● The

Occupation The occupation of the Sorbonne began on May 13, 1968, when a group of students, led by Daniel Cohn-Bendit and Jacques Sauvageot, occupied the university's buildings. The occupation was soon joined by workers from the French trade unions, who were on strike in support of the students. The occupation was marked by the creation of the Sorbonne Occupation Committee, which was responsible for organizing the occupation and negotiating with the French government. The committee was influenced by the Zapatista Army of National Liberation and the Black Panther Party. The occupation was also supported by prominent intellectuals such as Pierre Bourdieu, Claude Lévi-Strauss, and Roland Barthes.

● Key Events and Figures

The occupation of the Sorbonne was marked by several key events and figures. One of the most important events was the Night of the Barricades, which took place on May 10, 1968, when students and workers built barricades in the streets of Paris to protest against the French government. The occupation was also marked by the creation of the People's University, which was a network of alternative universities and educational institutions that were established during the occupation. The occupation was influenced by the Bolsheviks and the Mensheviks. Key figures in the occupation included Alain Geismar, Serge July, and Gilles Deleuze, who were all prominent intellectuals and activists. The occupation was also supported by the Red Guards and the Students for a Democratic Society.

● Aftermath and Legacy

The occupation of the Sorbonne ended on June 16, 1968, when the French government sent in the French police to clear the university's buildings. The occupation had a significant impact on French society and French politics, leading to the resignation of Charles de Gaulle and the establishment of a new French government led by Georges Pompidou. The occupation also had a lasting impact on the French student movement and the French trade union movement, leading to the creation of new French trade unions and the establishment of alternative educational institutions. The occupation was also influenced by the Chinese Cultural Revolution and the Prague Spring. The occupation's legacy can be seen in the Autonomist movement and the Punk rock movement.

● Historical Significance

The occupation of the Sorbonne is widely regarded as a significant event in modern French history and a key moment in the Global 1968 protests. The occupation was influenced by the Russian Revolution of 1905 and the German Revolution of 1918. The occupation marked a turning point in the French student movement and the French trade union movement, leading to the creation of new French trade unions and the establishment of alternative educational institutions. The occupation also had a significant impact on French society and French politics, leading to the resignation of Charles de Gaulle and the establishment of a new French government led by Georges Pompidou. The occupation's historical significance can be seen in its influence on the May 1968 events in France, the Paris Commune, and the French Resistance. The occupation is also remembered as a key moment in the Counterculture of the 1960s and the New Left.

Category:French history