Hachem Al-Atassi

Hachem Bey Khaled Al Atassi , 1875 - December 5th 1960 (in Arab: rear RTL الأتاسهاشم) was a politician Syria N, president of the Syria (1936 - 1939, 1950 - 1951, 1954).

Youth

It was born in the Syrian city from Homs in the family Atassi already anchored in the political life from the country. He studied the public administration with the Mulukiyye academy of Istanbul, a prestigious university reserved for the Othoman aristocracy , and graduate in 1895 left there. It began its political career in 1898 in the Othoman province of Beirut and, until 1918 was successively governor of Homs, Hama, Baalbek and Jaffa.

In 1920, after the Turkish defeat of the First World War, it was elected president of the Syrian National congress. The March 8th 1920, the Congress declared the independence of Syria in the form of a constitutional monarchy with Faiçal Ier for king. He became Prime Minister during this short period before the consecutive French occupation with the agreements Sykes-Barb. During its constituent, Hachem Atassi took for Foreign Minister rear-Rahman Abd Chahbandar, one of the leaders of the nationalist movement of fight against the Ottoman Empire during the First World War. It charged it with tying alliances with Europe in the hope (finally disappointed) to prevent the installation of the French mandate. The France put soon fine at Syrian independence. The High-Commissioner Henri Gouraud gave an ultimatum to king Fayçal claiming the transfer of Alep to the French Army, the dismantling of the Syrian army, the introduction of the French franc in Syria and the dissolution of the government Atassi. Resistance was vain and the government was dissolves on July 24th, 1920 after the French Army had demolishes the army Syrian at the time of the Bataille of Maysaloun and imposed the French mandate.

The French mandate

After the dissolution of the kingdom by the French, Atassi founded in October 1927 the national Bloc, which was to be with before post office of the independence fight for the twenty following years, by recommending a diplomatic and non-violent combat. It was composed landowners, lawyers, civils servant, etc Atassi was elected by it permanent president. In 1928, it was also elected president of the Constituent Assembly charged to develop the first republican constitution of Syria. This assembly was dissolved by the French High commissioner in May 1930 and Atassi was imprisoned by the French during long months on the island of Arwad. After its release, it was represented with the presidency of the assembly but lost the first turn of the elections and was withdrawn from the second by giving his support for Mohammad Ali Al-Abid, which became president of the assembly in the current of the summer 1932. In 1928 and 1932, it represented Homs as a deputy at the assembly.

First president of the Republic

Atassi started by supporting the presidency of Abid but was disappointed by it when it named two Syrians won over to the cause of the French at the posts of Prime Minister and president of the assembly. In 1934, Abid negotiated a treaty with France which ensured a gradual independence Syria but keeping the mountains under French control. Atassi criticized the treaty severely, asserting that no independence was valid if it did not relate to the entirety of the Syrian territory. It called with the national Block at sixty days of strike. The success of this strike was such as the French government was constrained to recognize the leaders of the national Block like single representatives of the Syrian people and invited Hashem Al Atassi to take part in negotiations with Paris. March 22nd 1936, it took the head of a delegation of the national Block and at the end six months, managed to make succeed the negotiations with a treaty of independence free-Syrian which guaranteed independence at the end one twenty-five years period, with the totality of the formerly autonomous territories within the " Large Syrie". In return, Syria ensured to support France in time of war, offered the free use of its airspace and the maintenance of French military bases to him on the territory. Hashem el-Atassi was accommodated triumphantly on its return to Damas of September 27th 1936. Greeted as national hero, he was elected first president of the République Syrienne in November 1936.

Second world war

Nevertheless, fine 1938, it appeared clearly that the French National Assembly was not going to ratify the treaty, of fear of giving up its " colonies" with the Close East in the tense atmosphere of before Second world war. Atassi resigned on July 7th 1939 in front of the excuses of the French on the question of the complete independence of the Syria and the withdrawal of the French troops. Meanwhile, the popular discontent burst in the street. Rear-Rahman Abd Chahbandar turned over in Syria and protested against the incapacity of Atassi and the national Block to ensure the French ratification. The resignation of Atassi was also influenced by the decision of France to yield the Syrian province of Alexandrette (current the Iskenderun) to Turkey. It was withdrawn in its town of Homs for one year, refusing to take share with the political life of the country. With its resignation several years of instability succeeded.

Years 1940 were dominated by the machinations of the Second world war and their consequences. Syria was occupied by the British and the free French Forces of De Gaulle which left the country only in 1946. By preoccupation with an appeasing, De Gaulle promised independence. It left to the meeting Hachem Al-Atassi to Homs and invited it to regain the presidency, ensuring it that France wanted to write a new page of its relations with Syria. Atassi refused, pretexting that the recent experiment showed that one could not believe the French promises of independence. In 1943, it had supported the election of Shukri Al-Kuwatli, a notable damascene which had gained its notoriety under its presidency. Atassi actively did not take share with the final fight for independence but supported the mode of Kuwatli, which lasted of 1943 with 1949. In 1947, whereas Syria faced a prolonged political crisis, president Kouatli invited his old mentor to form a government of national unit. In a political tense atmosphere and of feeling of opposition to Kuwatli in the political circles, Atassi was unable to save the government. In March 1949, the mode was swept by a coup d'etat fomented by Housni az-Zaïm, which directed a martial government for four months until it was also reversed in August 1949. Following these events, political leaders called upon growing old Atassi to form a provisional government which would supervise national elections and the restoration of the civil law. It accepted and formed a government made up representatives of all the political parties, in particular the Parti Baath Michel Aflaq which it named Minister for agriculture. Under the auspices of Atassi, a new electoral law was adopted and the women voted for the first time at the 15 November 16th, 1949 elections. Atassi was Prime Minister from August in December 1949 until a parliamentary majority elected it for a second mandate with the presidency of the Republic.

Second mandate

Its second mandate was very animated, he inherited the conflict which opposed the pro-reunifications with Iraq hachémite and the anti ones. He supported a party pro-unification, the Parti the people of Nazem Koudsi which he named Prime Minister. Year 1949 at the year 1951, it undertook negotiations with the Iraqi government in connection with the unification of their two countries. Atassi received in Damas of the Iraqi personalities like Prince Abd Al-Illah and the king Fayçal to discuss the union. But the military chief, Adib el-Shishakli, refused to see Syria linking itself with Iraq Hachémite. el Shishakli required of president Atassi to put an end to the negotiations, but Atassi remains solved and refuses to be subjected to the pressures of the army. After this refusal, el-Shishakli, makes stop the chief of Staff of Atassi, Sami Al-Hinnawi, the sympathizers of the Party of the people and the soldiers pro-Iraqi of the Syrian army. Chichakli require that its right-hand man, Fawzi Selu would be named Minister for defense, to make sure that the pro-Iraqi influence in Syria does not influence the soldiers and the government. Atassi accepts unwillingly. But in December 1951, Atassi names My' ruf Al-Dawalibi, a member of the Party of the people like Prime Minister, and he asks him to form a new government. But Dawalibi refuses to entrust the ministry for defense to Fawzi Selu, which involves a Coup d'etat of el-Shishakli, stopping the Prime Minister and all the members of the Party of the people. All the ministers and statesmen pro-hachémite were stopped and the dissolved Parliament. The December 24th 1951, by protest, Atassi submits its resignation to the congédié Parliament, refusing to subject it to el Shishakli.

Opposition to el-Shishakli

During the years of reign of el-Shishakli, Atassi was its principal opponent, for him the mode set up by el Shishakli was unconstitutional. It knew to gather around him, all the politicians pro-hachémites, as well as politicians member of party prohibited to carry out a national rising. In February 1954, el-Shishakli reacts by stopping Adnan Atassi, and while placing Hachem under house arrest. Following that, leaders revolted, of the politicians mobilized themselves against the mode and an armed rising burst in the Arab mountain. The mode of el Shishakli is reversed the February 24th 1954. March 1st, Atassi goes back to Damas and takes again its president's functions of the republic. It reconstituted the government of My' ruf Al-Dawalibi. It tried to erase any trace of the policy followed by el-Shishakli.

Its last years

At the 80 years age, he was judged like an old president trying to decrease the influence of the army in the Syrian political life. He worked against the currents of left, of which amongst other things the prosoviétiques ones and with people who adhered to the socialist program of Gamal Abdel Nasser. These currents were supported by members of the Atassi clan such as for example Jamal Al-Atassi and Noureddine Al-Atassi. He worked in vain so that Syria is held far away from the Egyptian socialist orbit, because of the difference of many Heads of Arab States, he thought that Nasser was too young, inexperienced and had a too ideological vision of the world to lead the Arab Monde.

Atassi had dissensions with its clean Prime Minister, Sabri Al-Asali which was nasserist, it showed it to want to transform Syria into an Egyptian satellite. In 1955, it was tempted to sign the Pacte of Baghdad, which was to limit the communist influence in the area, but the soldiers nasserists of the Syrian army prevented some. It then approached Iraq hachémite which carried out a competitor program panarabe of that of Nasser. Thus it approached Iraqi the Prime Minister, Nouri have-Said. Atassi then changed Prime Minister, Asali substitute by Farès Al-Khoury which was more moderate. Thus it sent Khoury in Egypt to protest against the Egyptian hegemonic vision on the Arab world.

Heritage

It was withdrawn from the political life in September 1955 for health reason. In 1956, his/her Adnan son was shown of implication in an coup attempt of State against the president nassérien, Shukri Al-Kuwatli. He then judged and was condemned to died for treason. But by respect for his/her father, his sorrow was commuted to life imprisonment at the last time.

Hachem died the December 6th 1960 during the era of the United Arab Republic. Its burial was largest which the town of Homs knew.

Thereafter, two Atassi family members with the political ideas very different from that of Hashem Al-Atassi, Luai Al-Atassi and Noureddine Al-Atassi (of inspiration pro-Soviet) exerted the load of Head of State in the years 1960.

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