Syrian Revolution

> “You demand my surrender as though you were not aware that Cleopatra preferred to die a queen rather than remain alive, however high her rank.”
>
> Empress of the Palmyrene Empire, Queen of Ancient Syria, **Septimia Zenobia Augusta**, 270-274~

## Syrian War of Independence

Out of suffering have emerged the strongest souls; the most massive characters are seared with scars.

## Main Beligerents

### Supporting Faction(s)

 **Republic of Syria**
 **United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland**

### Opposing Faction(s)

 **Federation of France**
 **Republic of Turkey**
 **Kingdom of Italy**

## Military & Political Command

### Supporting Leader(s)

 Adib Shishakli
 Fawzi Selu
 Husni al-Za'im
 Antoun Saadeh
 Clement Attlee
 Sir Richard McCreery

### Opposing Leader(s)

 François Darlan
 Charles Huntziger
 Sukru Saracoglu
 Cemal Gürsel
 Benito Mussolini
 Giovanni Messe

## Aftermath

### Status

Incomplete Revolution;
**Syrian victory** interrupted by the Italo-Turkish Invasion

### Outcome

Signing of the Treaty of Damascus;
Independence of Syria from France;
Signing of the Ankara Accords

### Supporting Casualties

**Syrians:** 5,500-10,000 killed, 5,000 injured
**British:** 33 killed, 127 injured

### Opposing Casualties

**French:** 1,200 killed, 1,500 injured
**Turkish:** 1,700 killed, 3,200 injured
**Italians:** 500 killed, 2,000 injured

The **Syrian Revolution**, also known as the **Levant Crisis**, the **Damascus Crisis**, or by the Syrians as the **Syrian War of Independence**, and sometimes as **the Revolution of 1953**, was fought primarily between France, the Italo-Turkish coalition, and the Syrian Liberation Army (French: *Armée de libération syrienne – ALS*; Arabic: *Jaysh al-Tahrir Alsuwriu, جيش التحرير السوري*) from 1953 to 1954, which led to Syria gaining independence from France. The Syrian War of Independence was one of the few successful decolonization wars, which later inspired the Algerian War of Independence, and the First Libyan Revolution. The war mainly took place in major cities in Syria, mostly in Damascus and Aleppo.

The origins of the revolution trace back to Case Hannibal (German: Fall Hannibal), when the State of France restored its colonial authority over Syria, eliminating the Free French forces in the region. After the defeat of the Free French forces, and the proclamation of the Federation of France, the First Syrian Republic was abolished. Syria was officially incorporated as a federal state of France, and was considered as an integral part of the country. The Syrian military was abolished, and Syrian military commanders were incorporated into the ranks of the French Armed Forces in the Levant. Despite having autonomy on paper, it was clear that most Syrians did not view themselves as French, and had a sense of nationalism that was rare within France's other former colonies. By the early 1950s, massive protests were occurring in front of French government offices in Syria, demanding the recognition of Syrian nationhood. The most popular political parties among these protests were the Syrian Social Nationalist Party, the National Party, and the People's Party. It is heavily believed that the British Secret Intelligence Service was involved in these protests, which would later prove to be correct.

The Syrian Revolution effectively began when an army clique of Syrian officers within the French Armed Forces led by Gen. Adib Shishakli declared the creation of the Syrian Liberation Army (ALS), an army composed of Syrian and Lebanese volunteers and conscripts within the French Army. At the time, the French military was still recovering from its defeat in the Second World War, and the limitations imposed on it by the Germans. The President of France, François Darlan, gave orders to Gen. Charles Huntzinger, Commander-in-Chief of the French Armed Forces in the Levant, to eliminate the Syrian Liberation Army. The French military and the Syrian military clashed in the City of Damascus for three weeks, without any significant victories for General Huntzinger. Stiff resistance was met, and the French military found themselves unprepared for anti-rebellion warfare. Further complicating matters, much of the French intelligence and counter-intelligence in the region was compromised by Syrians who were previously incorporated into the French military. Syrian military commanders were well aware of French military strategy and tactics, which they used to their advantage in the Battle of Homs, and the First Battle of Damascus. The Syrians were also trained by the British military, who helped modernize the Syrian military.

Seeing no end-in-sight to this conflict, President Darlan negotiated with President Shishakli leading to the Treaty of Damascus being signed on January 17, 1954. The French were to withdraw from the region, and recognize the independence of Syria. Suffering from this significant political and legal defeat, France began to formulate a harsher domestic policy within its former colonies, which would later prove to be horrific for future decolonization efforts. The policy would later be known as "Pas de capitulation" (English: No Surrender), later named officially as the "Debré Doctrine".

Upon the withdrawal of France from the region, President of Turkey, Sukru Saracoglu, and Duce of Italy, Benito Mussolini, agreed to a combined military operation to "enforce peace in the Levant". President Shishakli was noteworthy of being a member of the Syrian Social Nationalist Party, which claimed territory such as Lebanon, Palestine, and Jordan, which were officially under Italian governance at the time. Mussolini was also frustrated as he previously had control over Syria, which he had lent to the French earlier. After witnessing France's humiliation, Mussolini believed that it was "destiny" for Syria to return to "roman" governance. President Saracoglu also feared that Syria would press its territorial claims on the Hatay Province, whilst also being convinced by Turkish political circles of Turkey's rightful claim over the Levant, which was under the Ottoman Empire a few decades earlier. Further encouraging both leaders ambitions were the sudden rise of pro-Syrian groups formulating within Lebanon and Hatay.

Only a month after the French withdrew, the Kingdom of Italy and the Republic of Turkey launched the invasion of Syria, forestalling the Syrian Revolution in the eyes of many. The Turks occupied Aleppo from the north, whilst the Italians occupied Damascus and Homs from the South. The Syrian government fled to the city of Palmyra, with it as its interim capital. Refugees from all conflict-torn regions fled to the new capital, and the Syrian government held on to its independence fiercely. Under pressure from the rest of the military, President Shishakli withdrew Syria's territorial claims over Hatay, Lebanon, and Palestine, much to the opposition of Prime Minister Antoun Saadeh. The Italo-Turkish military coalition agreed to a peace treaty between them and Syria, which was supported by Prime Minister of the United Kingdom Clement Attlee. Under the Ankara Accords, the Italian Army would maintain military occupation over Damascus and Homs for ten years, whilst the city of Aleppo will be demilitarized. Duce Mussolini saw this as a diplomatic and military victory, whilst President Saracoglu saw these terms as unacceptable, but was forced to sign it regardless. Relations between Turkey and Italy soured after this conflict.

Noted by many political observers, President of Germany, Hermann Göring, remained neutral throughout the conflict. He believed it was far more strategic to stay out of the war, and await its outcome. Upon hearing of the Ankara Accords, Hermann Göring immediately recognized Syria's independence. Under Göring's rule, Syrian-German cooperation would increase, and closer relations between the National Socialist German Workers Party, and the Syrian Social Nationalist Party were pursued. With covert German support, pro-NSDAP and pro-SS political circles became prominent within the internal politics of Palmyra.

Immediately after the Revolution, several political crises and military coups occurred in Syria. The war had a significant effect on decolonization efforts across the world, on the Middle East and the Arab World, and on the post-war climate as a whole. The President of France was forced into retirement immediately after the war, whilst relations between the Duce and the Germans became less cohesive due to their separate political interests. Much like France, political circles within Turkey became increasingly aggressive towards imperial efforts. Meanwhile, the success of Syria's revolution convinced the British public that the United Kingdom was still a key player in international politics, a platform which Prime Minister Clement Attlee and the Labour Party held valiantly.