International Affairs & History:

Conflict Zones: Syria

Historical Background

In October 1918, Arab forces under Emir Feisal, supported by the British, captured Damascus, bringing to a close 400 years of Ottoman rule.

In 1919, Emir Feisal, during the Versailles peace conference held after the defeat of Germany and the Ottoman Empire during World War One, proposed Arab self-rule.

In March 1920 the Syrian National Congress declared Emir Feisal king of Syria from the Taurus mountains of Turkey to the Sinai desert in Egypt.

In June 1920, during the conference of San Remo — an international meeting that took place in the coastal city of San Remo in northwestern Italy, to decide the future of the former territories of the Ottoman Turkish Empire, which was one of the Central Powers (consisting of Germany, Austria-Hungary, Ottoman Empire, and Bulgaria) defeated in WWI, presided by the prime ministers of Great Britain, France, Italy, and delegates from Japan, Greece, and Belgium — Syria-Lebanon was placed under French control while Palestine came under British rule. King Feisal fled ahead of French occupation.

In 1920 and 1921 the French divide Syria into three autonomous regions — Alawis on the coast (more specifically, a local government was set up for the Al-Anṣariyyah Mountains region and this was for the Alawite sect); Druze in the South (another local government was set up for the Jabal al-Durūz region where most of the inhabitants were Druzes); and the third autonomous region was the capital Damascus for the rest of the Syrians. Lebanon was separated from Syria.

From 1925–26 there was Nationalist agitation against French rule that turned into an uprising.

In 1936 France, agreeing to pave the way for Syrian independence, dissolves the autonomous regions, while militarily and economically controlling Syria.

In 1941 British and Free French troops occupy Syria and subsequently General De Gaulle commits to ending the French mandate.

In 1943 Veteran nationalist Shukri al-Kuwatli is elected first president of Syria.

1n 1946 — Syria achieves full independence.

What is happening in Syria today?

A peaceful uprising in March 2011 against Syria’s president Bashar al-Assad turned into a civil war that’s still going on and has killed over 380,000 people and destroyed cities.

Before the conflict started many Syrians were unhappy about the corruption, high unemployment, and absence of political power among the people under Mr Assad’s rule.

With the Arab Spring (which began in the spring of 2011) in motion — a series of pro-democracy movements in Muslim countries including Tunisia, Morocco, Syria, Libya, Egypt and Bahrain — people in the southern city of Deraa in Syria took to the streets demanding that Mr Assad resign. The movement caught on nationwide and Assad’s government responded by using the armed forces to crush the uprising.

Opposition supporters took up arms, which set off a long and bloody civil war between government forces and rebel groups that continues till this day.

What began as a war between Mr Assad’s government and pro-democracy groups quickly turned into a war with many sides and agendas. First, foreign powers got involved (with Russia and Iran supporting Syria, and the US, UK, France, and Turkey backing the rebel forces) by sending cash, weapons and fighters, and as the fighting spun out of control, extremist jihadist organisations such as the Islamic State (IS) and al-Qaeda, became involved.

Syria has become a zone of regional proxy battles.