MacHugo - Syria: a history of the last hundred years

331 BC

Alexander the Great of Macedon conquers Persian Empire, including Greater Syria

323 BC

Death of Alexander the Great partition of Greater Syria between Ptolemaic and Seleucid dynasties

643 BC

Greater Syria comes under the sway of Rome

33 AD

Conversion of St Paul in Damascus

630s40s

Arab Conquest and the coming of Islam to Greater Syria

661750

Damascus-based Umayyad Caliphate

Establishment of Abbasid Caliphate which is based in Iraq

1098

Arrival of Crusaders in Greater Syria

1258

Sack of Baghdad by Mongols and execution of last Abbasid Caliphate

1260

Defeat of Mongols by Egyptian Mamluks at battle of Ayn Jalut and conquest of Greater Syria

1291

Eradication of last Crusader strongholds in Greater Syria

14001

Conquest and sack of Damascus by Tamerlane

1516

Conquest of Greater Syria by the Ottoman Emperor Selim the Grim

1683

Breaking of second Ottoman siege of Vienna and beginning of Ottoman decline as a military power

17989

Napoleon conquers Egypt and unsuccessfully invades Greater Syria

183141

Temporary Egyptian occupation of Greater Syria

1839 & 1856

Ottoman tanzimat decrees which attempt to reform the empire. Among the reforms is the abolition of subordinate status of Christians and Jews

1860

Druze defeat Maronites in war on Mount Lebanon and massacres of Christians in Damascus. Establishment of predominantly Maronite autonomous province of Mount Lebanon

1876

Establishment of first Ottoman parliament

1908

Young Turk revolution

1914

Outbreak of Great War

191516

Execution of Arab nationalists in Damascus and Beirut by Turkish viceroy Jamal Pasha

1916

Sykes-Picot Agreement

Outbreak of Arab Revolt in the Hejaz

1917

Balfour Declaration

British conquest of Palestine

1918

British-led conquest of remainder of Greater Syria. Arab armies take Damascus and are first to reach Homs and Aleppo

Armistice at end of Great War; establishment of Arab administration east of coastal mountains and river Jordan but subject to overall British control

1919

The Emir Faisal addresses Paris Peace Conference and pleads for establishment of Arab State

Syrian National Congress elected as a constituent assembly for Greater Syria

1920

Syrian National Congress proclaims Faisal king of Greater Syria

Allied powers agree to partition Greater Syria into French and British Mandates

Battle of Maysaloun French take control of Syria

French set out to sub-divide their mandated territory, splitting Greater Lebanon from the rest of Syria and planning to divide the remainder of Syria into autonomous units which would be dependent on a French presence

Resistance in Alawi mountains; Ibrahim Hananus rebellion in countryside around Aleppo

1921

France and Turkey agree on Syrian border with Turkey

19257

Great Syrian rebellion initial Druze unrest in the Hawran area spreads across much of the country in response to demand for Syrian independence; French temporarily lose control of Hama and then Damascus; revolt eventually crushed after arrival of French reinforcements

1928

Elections for constituent assembly; emergence of politicians who would form the National Bloc

1930

French accept Syrian constitution but insist it is subject to overriding authority of France as the Mandatory power

1932

Elections; organisational structure given to the National Bloc

1933

Failure of attempt to negotiate treaty between Syria and France

1936

Agreement of treaty with France giving Syria independence which is endorsed by a general election in Syria but which France fails to ratify following fall of the Front Populaire government

1939

Cession of the Sanjak of Alexandretta by France to Turkey (although in breach of terms of the Mandate)

Outbreak of World War II. Syria put under martial law and constitution suspended

1940

Fall of France. French administrators in Syria and Lebanon opt to support Vichy

1941

Free French promise Syria sovereign independence and, relying on British support, take control of Syria from pro-Vichy forces. Britain retains ultimate military responsibility.

1943

Elections return National Bloc to power under leadership of Shukri al-Quwwatli

Syrian government gives notice to French that Syria will amend its constitution to provide for complete independence from France

1944

French begin transferring government departments to Syrian control

1945

Syria declares war on Germany and Japan to become founding member of United Nations

French bombard Damascus and shell Syrian parliament in last-ditch attempt to retain their presence in Syria and Lebanon. British garrisons take control. French begin final dismantling of their presence in Syria.