In the last quarter of the XIX century. in Syria, which was part of the Ottoman Empire, anti-Turkish sentiments began to grow, as a result of which nationalist ideas arose in the circles of the Syrian-Lebanese intelligentsia. The Young Turkish Revolution of 1908 contributed to the revitalization of the political organizations of the Syrian intelligentsia.
Back in 1911, Syrian students established the Young Arab Society in Paris, also known as Young Arabia. It was an organization that was created for educational purposes. In 1913, Young Arabia and the Decentralization Party, together with the Lebanese League of Reforms, convened an Arab Congress in Paris.
After the transfer of the center of the Society to Beirut in 1913, and in 1914 to Damascus, Young Arabia became a secret political organization that put forward a program for the liberation of the Arab countries from Ottoman rule and the creation of a single sovereign Arab state. By this time, "Young Arabia" numbered more than 200 members, including the son of the Sheriff of Mecca, Emir Faisal bin Hussein. [1]
After the outbreak of the First World War, Arab nationalists were repressed by the Ottoman authorities. So, in 1916, the Alei process (after the name of the Lebanese city of Alei) took place, which became a reprisal against the leaders of the national liberation movement of Lebanon, Palestine and Syria, which was given a legitimate character. It was organized by order of the Syrian governor of the Ottoman Empire, Ahmed Jemal Pasha. In the spring of 1916, apprx. 250 main figures of the Arab nationalist movement, most of whom were brought before a military court. More than 100 of the accused were sentenced to death by the court, and the rest to life in exile or long terms of imprisonment. On May 6, 1916, Arab nationalist leaders were publicly hanged. As a result of the persecution that began after the Alei process, Arab nationalist organizations in the Levant countries were dispersed. [2]
Back in May 1915 in Damascus, Syrian nationalists, with the participation of Faisal, drew up a protocol on Anglo-Arab cooperation in the war against Germany and Turkey, subject to the creation of a single independent state from all Arab territories located in Asia. Great Britain accepted this condition, but secretly from the Arabs entered into an agreement "Sykes - Picot" with France on the division of these territories (see article "" "Sykes - Picot". To the 100th anniversary of one agreement, or Once again about the Middle East ").
During the Arab uprising led by Sheriff of Mecca Hussein in southern Syria in September 1918, an anti-Turkish uprising also began. [3] On September 30, 1918, the Arab troops liberated Damascus. In October 1918, Syria was occupied by British troops.
Fighting in the Near and Middle East
In November 1918, Faisal formed a delegation to attend the peace conference at the end of World War I, but France refused to recognize her credentials. Faisal appealed to the British for support, and they demanded the transfer of Palestine under British control as payment. Faisal was forced to agree, with the result that the Council of Ten [4] recognized the Arab delegates to the peace conference in Paris.
During the conference, the allies refused to comply with the agreements concluded with the Arabs. Faisal's speech at the Paris Conference on February 6, 1919, in which he argued for the creation of an independent Arab state, called for goodwill and appreciation of the Arab contribution to victory, remained without results. [5]
In the Lloyd George-Clemenceau agreement concluded on September 15, 1919 between Great Britain and France, the parties agreed to replace the British military occupation of Lebanon and Syria with a French one in exchange for the French government's consent to the British occupation of Iraq and Palestine. In the fall of 1919, Great Britain withdrew its troops from Syria.
In March 1920, the Syrian General Congress met in Damascus, proclaiming the independence of Syria, which included Lebanon and Palestine, and proclaiming Faisal king.
Flag of the Kingdom of Syria
Kingdom of Syria
King Faisal
In response to the Damascus Congress in April 1920, at a conference in San Remo, the governments of Great Britain and France agreed to transfer to France the mandate to govern Syria. Back in early 1920, Faisal signed a document with French Prime Minister Clemenceau, which recognized the French protectorate over Eastern Syria. [6] However, on July 25, 1920, French troops, having overcome the armed resistance of the Syrians, occupied Damascus. Faisal was expelled from the country (since 1921 - the king of Iraq).
In July 1922, despite the protests of the Syrian-Lebanese delegation in London, the League of Nations approved the French mandate for Syria. The French authorities, trying to liquidate Syria as a state, dismembered it into a number of quasi-state formations: Damascus, Aleppo (which included the Alexandretta sanjak - the present Turkish province of Hatay), Latakia (Alawite State), Jebel Druz. They were subordinate directly to the French High Commissioner. In 1925 Aleppo and Damascus were united into the state of Syria. [7]
Flag of Syria under the French Mandate
Syria under the French mandate
In 1925, a popular uprising broke out in Syria, which lasted until 1927 and achieved some political results. [8] Thus, the French government was forced to change the forms of government in Syria. In February 1928, the French High Commissioner changed the composition of the Syrian government. In April 1928, elections were held to the Constituent Assembly, which by August 1928 prepared a draft constitution providing for the independence and unity of Syria, the establishment of a republican form of government in the country, and the creation of a national government. The French authorities stated that these provisions were contrary to the terms of the mandate and demanded that they be removed from the draft. After the Constituent Assembly refused to comply with this demand, in May 1930 it was dissolved by the French High Commissioner.
The world economic crisis of 1929-1933 aggravated the situation in Syria. On May 22, 1930, the French High Commissioner issued the Organic Statute, which is essentially a constitution. According to this document, Syria was proclaimed a republic, but with the preservation of the French mandate regime. For the fact that the Syrian parliament refused to ratify the draft Franco-Syrian treaty, which, while formally canceling the mandate regime and recognizing the country's independence, retained the French diktat, in November 1933 the French authorities issued a decree dissolving the parliament. [nine]
In 1933-1936. there was a rise in the strike and trade union movement, one of the reasons for which was the French tobacco monopoly. The result of this struggle was the restoration of the constitution and the signing on September 9, 1936 of the Franco-Syrian treaty of friendship and assistance, which recognized the independence of Syria (the mandate was subject to cancellation within three years from the date of its ratification). However, France could have, on certain conditions, its military contingent and military bases, and also retained its economic positions.
In November 1936, a new parliament was elected, which was won by the National Bloc party. The leader of the "National Bloc" Hashim al-Atasi (also president in 1949-1951 and 1954-1955) was elected president of the country. Jebel Druz and Latakia were incorporated into Syria. The newspaper "South ash-Shaab" ("Voice of the people") was founded.
President Hashim al-Atasi
France, seeing that Syria was leaving her hands, took firefighting measures. So, in 1937-1938. the Syrian government was imposed two additional agreements to the 1936 treaty, which expanded the military and economic capabilities of the French. In addition, Paris decided to transfer the Alexandretta sandjak to Ankara, forever severing this historical part of Syria from Damascus (transferred to Turkey in July 1939).
Hatay
Finally, in January 1939, the French parliament refused to ratify the 1936 treaty. [10] This was one of the reasons why President al-Atasi resigned in July 1939.
The desire to save the face of France as a great power forced the French government to look for ways to maintain its positions in all regions of the world, where it had established control in one form or another over a particular territory. In order to avoid image losses, Paris did everything possible and impossible, not stopping even at the violation of international obligations, no matter how paradoxical it looks. And Syria is no exception here.
[9] Recent history of the Arab countries of Asia, p. 26-33. See: Loder J. The Truth about Syria, Palestine and Mesopotamia. L., 1923; Aboushdid E. E. Thirty Years of Lebanon and Syria. Beirut, 1948.
[10] Recent history of the Arab countries of Asia, p. 33-35.
