The student revolts of 1968 failed to overthrow the university administrations they fought against or establish any kind of political movement. However, they did succeed in changing society profoundly.
Historian Fernand Braudel writes:
“Herbert Marcuse who, without wishing to, became the guru of this
revolution was quite justified in saying (23 March 1979) that ‘it is stupid to describe 1968 as a defeat.’ 1968 shook the foundation of society, broke habits and taboos, even destroyed apathy: the fabric of family and society was sufficiently torn for new life styles to be created at every level of society. It is in this sense that it really was a cultural revolution.” (Fernand Braudel, Civilization and Capitalism 15th-18th Century: The Perspective of the World, University of California Press, Berkeley, 1984, p. 625)