Aininian uprising of 1968
| Aininian uprising of 1968 | |||
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| File:Brandt and Pompidou.jpg | |||
| Date | 17 May - 1 July 1968 | ||
| Location | Nationwide | ||
| Resulted in | Student victory
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| Parties to the civil conflict | |||
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| Lead figures | |||
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| Casualties | |||
| 21 dead and 273 wounded 1,200+ arrested | |||
The Aininian uprising of 1968 was a political crisis in Ainin that lasted from May to July 1968. It began when students at the University of Talon walked out of classes on 17 May in protest of Prime Minister Denis Montclair's dismissal of a professor who called for an end to military conscription. Students and faculty in universities across the country followed in solidarity with the Talon students, causing an unprecedented nationwide shutdown of public universities.
On 10 June, amid public pressure, the Cabinet of Ainin decreed the boycott illegal and ordered university faculty back to work, an order which was widely disobeyed. On the next day, Montclair threatened to fire any teacher that did not report to work, leading the National Federation of Civil Servants and United Workers' Federation to call general strikes in protest. By Friday the 15th, over a million students, public servants and workers were on strike, paralysing public services. The National Police and Civil Guard proved ineffective in controlling the situation.
The next Monday, the Gendarmerie was deployed by the government to disperse the strikes, leading to violent street clashes that caused loss of life and property. The strikes only intensified as a result, with an estimated 2.3 million taking to the streets by mid-June. Public opinion, however, remained on the government's side, leading Montclair to turn down negotiations with movement leaders and instead call up the Republican Guard. However, conscripts - largely of the same age as the strikers - largely refused to report for duty, leading the Cabinet to consider the use of the regular army to control the strikes. With unrest spreading among the ranks of the army, commanders advised the government against such a decision.
On the night of 28 June, amid false rumours of a military mutiny, the government fled the capital, discrediting it in the eyes of the public. President Charles Saltène dismissed Montclair and called snap elections on 1 July, bringing an end to the confrontation. The elections would be won by a left-wing coalition, bringing Social Democratic leader François de Malecot to power.
The events were a watershed moment in Aininian history, pitting students and an emerging liberal movement against the conservatism of society and traditional institutions. It marked the beginning of the Progressive Era, a time of radical change in which traditional centres of powers (the church and upper class) made way for new individualistic, liberal-democratic institutions favourable to the middle class. The perceived ineptitude of the Aininian government and military during the crisis also played a major role in Nautaryan leaders' decision to invade Concordia one year later - starting the Concordian War. The movement is comparable to similar events across Esquarium at the time, including in Geadland and Vyvland.
Background
Events
Student boycott
The "Monday Ultimatum" and general strike
Attempted crackdown and clashes
Mutiny rumours, government humiliated, president dismisses the Cabinet
Aftermath
Reactions
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