French Mandate in Syria

The French mandate in Syria was instituted by the Société of the Nations the April 25th 1920 after the First World War. It was to officially allow the States Arab Monde, to reach independence and sovereignty, so early after having reached a sufficient level of political maturity and economic development. Four mandates were created, the government of the Palestine and the Iraq returning to the Britanniques, the French seeing itself allotted that on the Lebanon and the Syria.

France and Syria signed in 1936, a Traité free-Syrian of independence, but in the facts the mandate continued to exist because France did not ratify the document. Syria declared its independence of the France of Vichy in 1944.

Causes of the conflict

Othoman domination with independence

Syria falls under Othoman control in 1516, those will occupy the country during more than 400 years.

End of the 19th century at the beginning of 20th, the nationalist feeling of the Arab is growing, even if the great majority remain sure with the idea of the ottomanism, a nationalism pluriethnic, multicultural, multiconfessionnel with Moslem preeminence.

However, this form of nationalism is popular only at the Moslems, the Arab Christians being as for them rather hostile with the Ottoman Empire and privilege a strictly Arab nationalism of laic tendency .

With the revolution Young person-Turks of 1908, the Arabs who had especially affirmed a specific cultural identity within the Empire convenes a Congrès in Paris. At the time of this Congress, two the hundred deputy ones will require the recognition by the Ottoman Empire of the Arab people, which will refuse the nationalist government Young person-Turk.

It is during a stay with Damas, that Fayçal ibn Hussein which will take the head of the Grande Arab revolt converts with the theses of certain secret Arab nationalist companies. With the war, this movement arabist becomes more political but also more radical and quickly claims the independence of the Arab territories, but as the unit as it is Syrian, Arab or Islamic.

At the time of the war, the French are constrained to leave the military prevalence to the the Middle East with the British troops. The latter negotiated the collaboration of Arabic.

The June 10th 1916, on the faith of the British promises, the Chérif Hussein (guard of the holy places), proclaims king of Arabic (even if he is recognized only as king of Hedjaz by the European powers. The autumn 1918, the Syrians adopt in Fayçal; the command of the Arab revolt settles in Damas, and Fayçal proclaims there a provisional Arab government in the name of his/her father, the Hussein Sherif.

It rejoins at main cities of the area which hoist in their turn the Arab flag, and the new administration lends allegiance to Hussein as a king of all the Arabs, and in Beirut and Mount-Lebanon it installs there its representatives for a fastening of Lebanon and of Syria Between October and November 1918, Fayçal forms the first Arab government and names Rida Pasha Al-Rikabi military governor. It in addition associates with the government his companions of combat like Sati Al-Housri, Kamel Qassab, Abderrahman Chahbandar, Fakri Al-Baroudi, Farès Al-Khoury, Ihsan Al-Jabiri, etc The nationalists name themselves “patriotic”, “ Al-wataniyyoun ”; the majority are influenced by the European ideas, and want to institute in the area a State unit, multiconfessionnel, democratic and independent.

The Arab government of Damas

Confronted with the will of the British and the French to take the total control of the area, the Arab governments of the cities are dissolved in October 1918. The French ask for the application of the Accords Sykes-Barb, placing Syria under their influence. Not being able to resist to the French and not being able to allow itself to return in conflict with them, the British decide to yield the area to them.

The British troops withdraw from Damas the November 26th 1919, leaving the Arab government and France face to face.

In the month of December 1919, they invade the Bekaa. At the time of this crisis, competitions burst between communities, clans, families, areas and cities. The new capacity Hachémite runs up as of the first days against the traditional elites damascenes which occupied a choice place in the country under the Othoman era. These people see with dissatisfaction the officers with origin Iraq ienne, the Palestinian, Syrian civilians and Lebanon board coming from modest social class to assume most of the political power and military.

With the conference of peace of Versailles, Fayçal is found even more weakened, because of the attitude of Europeans who decided to be unaware of the Arab claims.

As from June 1919, an American board of inquiry, the Commission King-Cranium carries out a survey in Syria with for mission of lighting the congressmen of Versailles into the state of the public opinion in the country. Its zone of study goes from the town of Alep to Beer-Sheva, it visits 36 important cities, meets more than 2000 delegations come of more than 300 villages and receives more than 3000 petitions. Its conclusions confirm the opposition of the Syrians to a mandate in their country, like to the declaration Balfour and their wish to see to be established a Grande Syria including Palestine. The conclusions of the commission are however rejected by the French and quite simply ignored by the English.

To convince Paris and London to change position, Fayçal undertakes two long voyages in Europe (November 1918 and September 1919 - January 1920), and meets several diplomats of which Robert de Caix who directs the negotiations with Fayçal. However its standpoint does not meet an echo in Paris, in particular after the victory with the legislative elections of January 1920 of the conservative right, favorable to colonization.

See also: Amorce=Voir on this subject, national Block (France)

Sign determination of France to intervene with Raising, the general Gouraud is named Haut-commissaire in Syria-Cilicie, and its troops raise the British soldiers present at Lebanon and on the Syrian littoral

April 25th, 1920, during the development of the Treated of Sevres, the interallied supreme council allots to France a mandate on Syria (Lebanon included) and to the United Kingdom a mandate on Palestine and the Mésopotamie.

The advertisement of the news involves in Syria of violent demonstrations, the Syrians require an immediate government action in order to counter the Franco-British plans. These demonstrations cause the fall of the government Rikabi and king Fayçal charges Hachem el-Atassi with constituting a new government. This government is formed on May 7th, 1920 and this one decides to organize the general conscription, launching an interior loan in parallel to finance the army.

This decision causes raised shields as well in Europe as within the patriarchate Maronite of the Mont Lebanon which denounces a “coup d'etat”. With Beirut, the Christian press anti-of the sherifs posts its hostility with the decision taken by Fayçal.

The nationalists Lebanese benefit from this crisis to join together on March 22nd, 1920 an Administrative counsel with Baabda. The council joins together the notable ones and Christian dignitaries as well as a group of Druzes. This council proclaims the independence of Lebanon.

July 14th, 1920, the general Gouraud lance an ultimatum with Fayçal, inviting it to subject themselves or to dislocate themselves. Knowing that the balance of the forces is not with its advantage, Fayçal decides to collaborate. However, the young Minister for the war Youssef Al-Azmeh refuses to deposit the weapons and carries out an ultimate battle against the French. The Bataille of Maysaloun is gained in less than one day by the French under the command of the general Mariano Goybet, and Azmeh finds there death with the majority of the men who had led the Arab revolt to Médine.

The mandate

The general Mariano Goybet and the French troops enter to Damas the July 24th 1920. In Lebanon, the men of the Gouraud general were accommodated as a liberator by the Christian community, but in Syria, the French encounter a strong opposition. In a declaration published in 1920, the Gouraud general exposes without ambiguity his policy with regard to Syria,

You are not unaware of, Syriens, that for six months the Government of Damas, pushed by a minority extremist, has exceeded all the terminals by continuing the most aggressive policy against the French (…) By a feeling of humanity common to all the French, I do not intend to use the planes against the populations without weapons, but in the condition that no French, no Christian is massacred. Massacres, if they took place, would be followed terrible reprisals by the way of the airs.

However, the remainder of the country is still out of control and of 1920 to 1923 the French Army fights the insurrectionists in the area of the Alaouites, the Druzes and Alep. It is only after three years of combat that the French manage to overcome last resistances.

September 1st, the Gouraud general proclaims the creation of the Grand Lebanon, by annexing there the Mount-Lebanon and the coastal towns in accordance with the wishes emitted by the Maronites and the French colonial line. By this decision, Syria loses an important coastal area and in particular the town of Tripoli which had one of largest the port of Raising. The country does not count then any more but on Lattaquié and its port which becomes the first of the country. As for Fayçal it leaves in exile, it settles initially in Palestine then in Italy, before taking the throne of Iraq on the proposal of the United Kingdom.

After having taken the control of the country, the French try to create an administrative structure on several levels. The first decision was to choose which would be the seat of the French High commissionership. The French lengthily hesitated between Beirut and Damas. While one was francophile, the other was hostile even within the Christian community. The French choose an intermediate solution, installed the administration of the mandate in the small town of Chtaura located at equal distance between Beirut and Damas. However, the project quickly was abandoned with the profit of Beirut.

For the Gouraud general, France must make conceal nationalist inclinations by dividing the area into small administrative units, which is made as of the end of the year 1920. Three States are created making pass the size of Syria of a territory of: 300000 km ² with: 185000 km ² The State of Djebel Druze is instituted the October 24th 1922 with Soueïda like capital.

Towards the end of the mandate

The April 24th 1928, of the elections to two degrees are convened to train a constituent assembly. These elections exclude the territories Druze and Alaouite. In the campaigns, the results are favorable to moderate, in the cities with the nationalists. The assembly, made up of 68 deputies pass under the control of the nationalists whereas those was minority within the Parliament. The assembly which is located in the continuity of the Syrian Congress of 1919 works out a constitution project making of Syria a parliamentary republic including all detached Syrian territories of the Ottoman Empire, without regards to the divisions occurred after the end of the world war. In front of the activities of the members of Parliament, the High-Commissioner decides to dissolve the assembly and promulgates a constitution unilaterally. And the following elections carry Mohammed Ali Bay Al-Abid to the capacity

In 1945, the confrontation between French and Syrians is close. The Baath has creates teams of " Jihad main road " whose role was to mobilize the popular bases against the French authority. The May 29th 1945, after ten days of demonstrations uninterrupted, French, under the order of the Oliva-Roget general bombards Damas during 36 hours of sharp. Deaths and the casualties amount per hundreds. Part of the city is destroyed by this bombardment of which Syrian Parliament. Great Britain requires the stop of the engagements and intervenes on June 1st to put an end to repression. During July, the command of the army passes to the hands Syrians, and nine months later, the April 17th 1946, the last foreign soldier leaves Syria.

The files of the High commissionership (political cabinet, general secretary, diplomatic office, intelligence services and of the press, files of sovereignty) all were repatriated towards Paris. But the files of delegations and the various administrative services (like justice, agriculture, stations and telegraphs) were left on the spot

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