Syria like the other countries we have discussed, also went through a prolonged period of instability. As opposed to the British in Iraq, the French and the Syrians failed in their efforts to arrive at an agreement on a treaty of alliance in French. That would pave the way to complete independence. Syrian politics, Republican informed, according to the French model, were dominated by the Sunni. Ever notables who had become fervent Arab nationals, for the most part, who are not inclined to compromise with the French. Things seemed to change in the mid 1930s. In Syria, there were new more radical political forces that were emerging, giving the ever notables something to worry about. Egypt and Iraq had established treaties, with the British, encouraging the Syrians to do the same. And in France at this time, a Left-wing government came to power, and with the rise of the fascist powers of Germany and Italy. The French were also more inclined to compromise with Syria. The National Bloc, the leading Syrian party, and the Leon Blum Popular front left-wing government in France, signed a treaty in September 1936. Promising Syria independence. In exchange for a 25 year treaty of alliance with France. that is very similar to the kind of agreements that the British signed with Iraq and with Egypt. But the treaty between Syria and France was never ratified. The Blum government fell as the political right was on the rise in France. And in November 1938, France refused to ratify the treaty. So Syria did not gain its independence in the mid 1930s. Like Egypt and Iraq, even before them. But the second World War changed everything. France fell to Germany in June 1940 and therefore the French mandated territories of Syria and Lebanon were now controlled by the Vichy French who collaborated, as we know, with the Nazis. The fear the British had. Was that Syria and Lebanon under the Vichy French would soon become bases for the German Airforce and other Axis forces. And this drove the British to occupy Syria and Lebanon in June 1941. Does an extraordinary situation to have transpired. These territories Syria and Lebanon, remained under French mandate. Now the mandate of the free French, the men of General de Gaulle. But under British occupation. So though the French were stealing power, they're real control of events. Was sharply reduced. And the British, who became the real movers and shakers in Syria and Lebanon, constantly pressured the French to move towards independence for these two countries. In the elections held in Syria in the summer of 1943. The Nationalists won easily. Mainly because the French could no longer rig the elections, with the British present, in occupation. The French position became increasingly untenable, and in 1946, they, and the British forces. Withdrew. Thus, Syria finally became a fully independent country. Under the leadership of the most prominent of Syria's nationalists of the Mandate period, President Shukri al-Quwatli. Independence was the victory of the Sunni Arab inalterables who had led the struggle against France. But they did not last in power for very long before they were overtaken by chronic Syrian domestic instability. Ironically, the continuation of the mandate had allowed for their political supremacy. Independence meant. The intervention of the military in politics and against the officers the notables never had a real chance. The ever notables were always deeply factionalized, split along family and regional lines such as between Damascus and Aleppo. And in government they proved to be inept as well. They had no solutions for the usual problems of increasing population, urbanization, housing and unemployment. The education system continues to produce graduates for whom jobs did not exist. The notables fear of the military, heavily reliant on minorities such as the Alawis. The Kurds and the Jews, as a result of French policy. And also as a result of the Sunni notable families' reluctance to serve in the military. Led to the decision of the ruling government of Syria to reduce the size of the military from some 7,000. To just 2,500. And that came just before the war in Palestine in 1948. The defeat against Israel produced a lot of acrimony between the military. And the politicians and culminating in 1949 in a series of three coups within less than a year in Syria. In March 1949 Colonel Husni Zaim came to power, overthrown in August by another Colonel, Sami Hinnawi. And overthrown again by another senior officer of the Syrian army Adib Shishakli in December 1949, and Shishakli remained in power for nearly 5 years until February 1954. Zaim immediately increased the size of the army to 27,000 and the army from then onwards increased in size. Consistently reaching as many as half a million men in the 1980s in Syria. Henceforth there could be no Syrian politics without the army playing a central role. After Shishakli's overthrow in early 1954. The urban notables returned momentarily to the leadership of the country, but they were never secure in their seats and were soon challenged by the new ideological parties, especially the Ba'ath and the communists while the army lurked in the background, always potentially influential in Syrian politics. Political disarray was so acute between the various regions, between the Sunnis and the minorities, that the Ba'ath, fearing a takeover from the left, that is the Communists and the army, appealed to Abd al-Nasser to form a union with Syria. In February 1958, Syria joined what was called the United Arab Republic, a union with Egypt. Because of fears of a communist take over, or alternatively a possible Turkish, or Iraqi intervention. Both countries allied with the West. Who might have intervened if there were to have been. A Communist takeover. Syria, as an independent state, in February of 1958, ceased to exist. But the union between Egypt and Syria didn't work very well. Mainly because of Egypt's domineering attitude. And this eventually led to the dissolution of the United Arab Republic. The union was ended by a military coup in Syria in September 1961. And for a short while, it was back to the politics of the urban notables, but that did not last for very long either.
