In May 1968 France was plunged into a polito-cultural convulsion that has remained engraved in the country’s collective memory. The author was an eye-witness of all the events that unfolded between May 26-30. In this paper, the following points are analyzed: crisis of legitimacy of Charles de Gaulle; the Prime Minister as a rock in the storm; behavior of communist leaders and union leaders; role of leaders of the democratic left; action of protestors; role of military leaders; role of the Parisian police; passive attitude of the majority of the population. The potential behavior of various social categories in the event of a popular uprising or military intervention is analysed using results of a survey carried out immediately after the crisis. Civil war was avoided by calling the silent majorities to express their voices in elections.