In 1952, France was still recovering from the devastating impact of World War II, which had ended less than a decade earlier. There was a lingering sense of political, social, and economic uncertainty.

During the German occupation of France during World War II, Germany had exploited much of France's raw materials, food, and severely disrupted their transportation system. There also had been severe restrictions on French citizens and their civil liberties.

After the war, many reforms were put into place. For example, a social security system was implemented.

Governmental instability led to uncertainty in France. For example, in 1952 there were three French leaders: Rene Pleven, Edgar Faure, and Antoine Pinay. There were also economic problems including high inflation, an increasing cost-of-liv-ing index, and tax increases. The government asked shops to lower prices in an attempt to halt rising inflation.

While industrial production increased significantly in 1952, it was...