Syria 1908-1946 Flashcards
1918
Britain captured Damascus to end Ottoman rule
1919-20
Faisal proclaimed himself the King of a Syrian Arab state, despite British and French wishes
1920
San Remo conference confirmed Syria as a French Mandate and French forces occupied Damascus
1920s
French control in Syria - military force used to quash Arab risings, press censorship ….
1936
France rejected Syria independence
WW2
France defeated by Germany and further calls for Syria independence
1945
France left Syria
1945-63
Tension between Syrian Communist party and the Baathist party
1963
Baathist party took power
1970
Hafiz al Assad (shiite Baathist) took power
1970s onwards
The sunni muslim brotherhood began a civil war against Assad and the Baathists
mass killings and international terrorism followed
2000
Bashar al Assad (shiite Baathist) succeeded his father as President and initially allowed greater freedom, but soon clamped down
2011
anti-government demonstrations broke out as part of the “Arab Spring” but Assad clung onto power
Syria is mostly
muslim
the vast majority of these are Sunni muslims, the ruling Shiites are a minority