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The historical precedent: 1968 revolt, under de Gaulle
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Collated by Hua Mei
France and the world still remember the 1968 revolt, which shook the French establishment to its roots. It was contained only because of the misleadership of the "New Left" and the lack of proper linkages between the students and the working class.
Are we witnessing the emergence of a new wave of youth rebellion in Europe? In France, secondary school students are mobilizing and blocking schools, in Belgium the movement is spreading, in the Spanish State, young people are leading the struggle for the right to housing by camping out at Puerta del Sol, and in Germany protests against compulsory military service are growing. Faced with governments that are deepening austerity to increase military spending and intend to use young people in their wars, the streets are beginning to fill up. In this special edition of Red Internacional, we are broadcasting live with Josefina Martínez from the encampment at Puerta del Sol (Madrid) to hear firsthand accounts and demands.
Are we witnessing the emergence of a new wave of youth rebellion in Europe? In France, secondary school students are mobilizing and blocking schools, in Belgium the movement is spreading, in the Spanish State, young people are leading the struggle for the right to housing by camping out at Puerta del Sol, and in Germany protests against compulsory military service are growing. Faced with governments that are deepening austerity to increase military spending and intend to use young people in their wars, the streets are beginning to fill up. In this special edition of Red Internacional, we are broadcasting live with Josefina Martínez from the encampment at Puerta del Sol (Madrid) to hear firsthand accounts and demands.
The historical precedent: 1968 revolt, under de Gaulle
(Note this is the official storyline, as promulgated by the "Western Left (Trotskyist/Liberaloid/Anarchist/Anti-Stalinist) and the usual capitalist scriveners.
The 1968 student revolt in France did not topple the establishment because the French Communist Party and labor unions defused the crisis through economic concessions, and President Charles de Gaulle rallied conservative voters via snap elections.
Key Factors Preventing a Takeover
- Union Compromises: The major labor unions negotiated the Grenelle agreements, securing major wage increases and benefits that satisfied most striking workers and sent them back to their jobs. [1, 2]
- Divergent Goals: Students wanted a complete social and cultural revolution, while the 10 million striking workers primarily wanted better pay and working conditions.
- State Resilience: The military remained loyal, and the revolutionary movement lacked a unified political strategy or leadership to actually capture state institutions.
Prof. Gabriel Rockhill explains the broader historical backdrop to these periodical eruptions.
