Student and worker protests in May 1968 nearly toppled de Gaulle's government in France, demanding social change, education reform, and against capitalism. Though short-lived, it influenced global counterculture and progressive movements.

The May 1968 protests in France energized a wave of experimental and political poetry, influencing writers like André Breton and the Situationist movement. This period marked a significant shift in European literature, as poets sought to challenge societal norms and explore the intersections of art and activism.