Zaki al-Arsuzi
Ba'athism ( "al-Bathīyah" , from بعث "bath" , meaning "renaissance" or "resurrection") is an Arab nationalist ideology which promotes the development and creation of a unified Arab state through the leadership of a vanguard party over a progressive revolutionary government. The ideology is officially based on the theories of the Syrian intellectuals Michel Aflaq (per the Iraqi-led Ba'ath Party), Zaki al-Arsuzi (per the Syrian-led Ba'ath Party), and Salah al-Din al-Bitar. Ba'athist leaders of the modern era include the former leader of Iraq, Saddam Hussein, and the President of Syria, Bashar al-Assad.