Establishment Of Syria Flashcards
What did Syria and Mount Lebanon have in common?
Syria was a mosaic of minorities.
How was Syria different from Mount Lebanon?
It didn’t have a distinct territorial core like the Maronites of Mount Lebanon.
How large of a population did Syria have?
Just over 2 million
What is the breakdown of the types of Muslim population in Syria?
Sunni Muslims -70%
Of the 70% -60% were Sunni Arabs.
8-10% were Kurds (people that speak Kurdish and not Arabic).
The Kurds were Sunni Muslim by religion, but Kurds by Ethnicity.
Other ethnic populations in Syria
Alawites 11-12%
Different Christian Religious Groups - 12%
Small amounts of Druze and Shi’is.
Other ethnic populations in Syria
Alawites 11-12%
Different Christian Religious Groups - 12%
Small amounts of Druze and Shi’is.
What ruled Syria in the way that it tended to maintain sectarian differences?
The Ottoman Legacy and the French Political Contact.
Was Syria a consolidated unit historically?
No. Rivalry means city and the village between Sunni urban elite and rural Sunni population (and rural minorities) was part of the Syrian political heritage. There is also overlap between sect and social class.
Was Syria a consolidated unit historically?
No. Rivalry means city and the village between Sunni urban elite and rural Sunni population (and rural minorities) was part of the Syrian political heritage. There is also overlap between sect and social class.
Who were the upper class?
Sunnis.
Who were the under class?
Alawite’s were both the under class and religious minority.
Who fully identified with the Ottoman Empire and Ottomanism?
Sunni urban notables
Who were the individuals that attacked the Christian population in Aleppo in 1850? And in Damascus in 1860?
Opponents of the Tanzimat
What caused hostility towards Christians?
Relative affluence
Why was there suspicion towards Christians?
Suspicion as they were a possible European Fifth column.
Did Christian-Arab nationalists enjoy support of the Sunni Elite?
No. The Sunni’s Arab nationalism was shaped more by their disappointment with the Ottoman’s and by Islamic reformation. Muslims and Christians were also educated in separate schools.
At the time of the establishment of the Syrian state, was there a sense of political community, centralized authority or any widely accepted ideology?
No
At the time of the establishment of the Syrian state, was there a sense of political community, centralized authority or any widely accepted ideology?
No
Who divided Damascus and Aleppo into two different states?
The French
What happened in 1924?
Damascus and Aleppo united into one state, but they gave authority to the Druze and the Alawites.
What happened in 1924?
Damascus and Aleppo united into one state, but they gave authority to the Druze and the Alawites.
What caused Damascus and Aleppo to united into one state?
Nationalist pressure
Who was Syria ruled by in 1936
The French. There was great emphasis on minority distinctiveness and autonomy.
Who united Syria as a whole country in the name of Arabism?
The French
What years was Syria overtaken by local rebellion against the French?
Between 1925-1927
What years was Syria overtaken by local rebellion against the French?
Between 1925-1927
Why was Syria overtaken in 1925?
It was a tribal rather than a nationalist affair by the Druze minority in Southern Syria. They demanded greater Druze autonomy and less French presence. They were joined by Arab nationalists.
Who resorted to considerable force?
The French.
Who reconquered the Druze mountain area, and Jebel-Druze by April 1926?
The French
Who reconquered the Druze mountain area, and Jebel-Druze by April 1926?
The French
when was the French rebellion suppressed?
Early 1927
Who opposed the rebellion in 1926?
The Christians
Who was concerned with Arab nationalism?
The French
What country did the French feel would be affected by Arab Nationalism in Syria?
North Africa. The French felt that if Arab nationalism spread to Algeria, Morocco, and Tunisian it would be harder for the French to maintain a presence there.
What year were the French more accommodating towards the nationalists?
After the rebellion from 1925-1927
Who had greater success than Egypt or France in their dealings with Arab-nationalists?
The British
Was there great difficulty in consolidating the Syrian state and maintaining stability during the first decades of independence?
Yes, because of the strong identity of the minorities with their own separate groups.
Which Arab state was the most unstable?
Syria
What party helped stabilize Syria in the 1960s?
The Ba’ath party
