The French Mandate of Syria and Lebanon

1. The French Mandate of Syria and Lebanon Differences between French and British mission civilisatrice

3. Faysal and the (Brief) Kingdom of Syria, 1918-1920 • March 1920 General Syrian Congress • Proclamation of independent state • San Remo and reaction • July 1920: French military attack and takeover • Faysal exiled Faysal ibn Husayn, leader of the Arab Revolt, 1916-1918

4. Syria under French Mandate • Divide and rule • Districts, 1920 • Greater Lebanon • Aleppo (including Alexandretta) • Latakia (Alawi area) • Damascus

5. Divide and rule and resistance • Hananu Revolt, 1919-1921 • Alawi rebellion, 1918-1921 • Jabal Druze state, 1922 • Damascus-Aleppo, 1924 City of Aleppo, 1940s

6. The point: • Balkanization • sectarianism • minority distinctiveness • Isolated minorities from urban nationalist center • “institutionalized fragmentation” [Cleveland] • hinder development of national identity

7. French mandate government • High commissioner • Direct rule • French Arme du Levant; Syrian Legion • Great Revolt, 1925-27 (Druze-led) • “honorable cooperation” • National Bloc (1928). Two wings: • Secular nationalists (Mardam) • Radicals (Shukri Quwwatli) Damascus, 1940s

8. Turbulence in Syria • Constitutional Assembly • Dismissal of Assembly (1929) • 1936 strike • Suspension of constitution • Dissolution of parliament, 1939 • Result after 20 years? Demonstration: “Syria is Arab and will remain Arab”

9. Lebanon Beirut

11. French Mandate Lebanon • “Greater Lebanon” • “Protectors of Christians in the Levant” • “schizophrenic” • Institutionalized sectarianism • 1926 constitution = Republic of Lebanon • Franco-Lebanese Treaty, 1936

12. World War II • National Pact, 1943 • WWII situation • 1943 elections • End of Mandate, 1946 Demonstration in front of parliament; French release of Lebanese govt., 1943