Modern Syria was created from the
Ottoman Empire in 1918, and awarded to Prince
Faisal, son of Sharif Hussein of
Hejaz. He became king, but in 1920 the Allied Powers had a better idea and divided up the Ottoman Empire again. Syria became a French
mandate, and Faisal was transferred to the throne of
Iraq.
Lebanon was made a separate territory.
Syria had various forms of autonomy under French rule, and an agreement for full independence was reached in 1936. But this was not ratified, and in the War it was liberated by Allied forces. It was declared an independent republic on 16 September 1941. But this was disputed by the Free French and the last French troops were not withdrawn until 1946, when full independence was achieved on 12 April..
The presidents of Syria since 1941 have been:
- Taj Addin al Husni 1941-1943 (a)
- Jamil al Ushi 1943 (b)
- Ata al Ayoubi 1943 (b)
- Shukri al Kuwatli 1943-1949 (c)
- Husni az Zaim 1949 (c) (d)
- Hashim al Atassi 1949-1951 (c)
- Adib ash Shishakli 1951
- Fawzi Silo 1951-1953
- Adib ash Shishakli again 1953-1954 (c)
- Hashim al Atassi again 1954-1955
- Shukri al Kuwatli again 1955-1958
- union with Egypt as United Arab Republic 1958-1961
- Nazim Kudsi 1961-1963 (c)
- Loay Atassi 1963
- Amin al Hafez 1963-1966 (c)
- Nureddin al Atassi 1966-1970 (c)
- Ahmed Khatib 1970-1971
- Hafez al Assad 1971-2000 (a)
- Bashar al Assad 2000-
Key: (a) = died in office; (b) = acting only; (c) = overthrown; (d) = executed
The one thing you have to say about Hafez al Assad is that he certainly brought stability. The 1963 coup brought the Baath (Renaissance) Party to power and subsequent shifts have been internal.
The capital is Damascus; its official name is the Syrian Arab Republic; its flag is horizontally red-white-black with three green stars on the white; its... (yawn)... population is about 10 million; it has Kurdish, Armenian, and Assyrian minorities; other towns are Aleppo, Hama, and the port of Latakia; the currency is 100 piastres = 1 pound; ...