Syria, located in the Middle East, has been under the clutches of civil war for the last decade. In this paper an attempt to offer a detailed analysis of the Syrian civil war, begins by a brief review of the history of the Middle East and how the Syrian nation came into existence. The Middle East as we know it today, was under the Ottoman Empire in the beginning of the twentieth century . The whole Mediterranean region covering what is now Syria, Lebanon, Iraq, North Yemen, Jordan, and Palestine was under Ottoman rule . However, after about 500 years, the Ottoman empire began to crumble under the weight of internal insurrections, Arab revolts, and incoming British and French conquests of the region.
With the conclusion of World War I, the British and French governments came up with the Sykes-Picot Agreement that redrew boundaries in the Middle East, dividing into several nation-states. This agreement mainly catered for British and French colonial, strategic, national and geopolitical interests and not those of the region’s inhabitants. However, in the 1920s, Syrians began agitating for independence with nationalists against the division of Greater Syria covering Palestine, Lebanon and Transjordan as British and French Mandates.
The French would later invade Damascus in 1920, overturning Emir rule in Syria. This would later be followed by a rebellion by Druze rebels in 1925 and subsequent revolts until 1936 when an agreement was reached between the French and the Syrians on the terms of independence. Unfortunately the agreement was not ratified by the French whose government fell in 1941 under German invasion in World War II. Before the Germans could get to Syria, the British invaded her. The French left Syria in 1946 with April 17 becoming the official Syrian independence day. The newly independent Syria was composed of Alawites, Druze, Christians, Sunnis, Kurds, Circassians, Turkomans, Jews and Ishmaelites all competing with one another socially, politically, and even economically. These competitions established the roots of the present-day civil war.
Table of Contents
1. Introduction
2. The Syrian Civil War
3. Actors in The Syrian Civil War
4. Conclusion
Research Objectives and Topics
This paper aims to provide a comprehensive analysis of the Syrian Civil War by examining its historical origins, the complex network of internal and external actors involved, and the diverse interests that have fueled the conflict's evolution and persistence over the last decade.
- Historical evolution of the Syrian state post-Ottoman Empire.
- Socio-political and economic triggers of the civil war.
- Identification of internal actors and the role of the government's security apparatus.
- Analysis of external involvement, including regional and global power dynamics.
- Humanitarian impact and the destabilizing consequences for the Middle East.
Excerpt from the Book
The Syrian Civil War
The Syrian civil war was preceded by among other issues, a dysfunctional parliamentary system in the 1950s, pitting majority Sunni Muslims and minority groups composed of Christians, Druze, Shias, Jews, Alawites, and others. A number of coup d’état, four constitutions drafted and adopted in the 1950s and 1960s culminating in the United Arab Republic between 1958-1961 under the leadership of Gammal Abdel Al-Nasser. Syria seceded from this republic in 1961 with President Hafez al-Assad coming into power. What followed next was a strengthening of the Syrian Ba’ath Party composed by most of the Alawite people who would be empowered legally, socially, and politically setting the tone for future civil war.
The Ba’athist party under President Hafez favored Syrian minorities who rose through the ranks of the Army as well as in the countryside, reducing the power and influence of the elites found in Syria’s major cities. Unfortunately, official corruption, land dispossessions, poor agrarian policies destabilized economic conditions in Syria, lowering living standards for a majority of Syrians. When Bashar Assad inherited power from his father, economic conditions remained poor, inflation rose, GDP decreased to the point salaries of private and public sector workers could not sustain decent living. The economic decline peaked in 2011 when the civil war started.
Summary of Chapters
Introduction: Provides a historical overview of the Middle East, detailing the collapse of the Ottoman Empire and the subsequent colonial mandates that shaped modern Syria.
The Syrian Civil War: Examines the socio-political tensions and economic decline under the Ba’athist regime that served as catalysts for the uprising in 2011.
Actors in The Syrian Civil War: Categorizes the various internal and external stakeholders, ranging from government forces and opposition groups to international powers and extremist organizations like ISIS.
Conclusion: Summarizes the transformation of the conflict into a regional proxy war and highlights the severe humanitarian crisis and ongoing instability in the region.
Keywords
Syria, Civil War, Bashar al-Assad, Ba’ath Party, Middle East, Geopolitics, Sectarianism, ISIS, Humanitarian Crisis, Foreign Intervention, Sykes-Picot Agreement, Opposition, Refugees, Economic Decline, Rebellion.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the primary focus of this paper?
This paper provides an analytical overview of the Syrian Civil War, tracing its roots from the historical fragmentation of the Middle East to the complex socio-political conditions that sparked the conflict in 2011.
What are the central thematic areas covered?
The study covers the historical context of the region, the internal political dynamics of the Assad regime, the rise of various opposition groups, and the significant influence of foreign intervention.
What is the main research objective?
The objective is to identify and analyze the primary drivers of the war and the diverse interests of the numerous actors involved in the ongoing conflict.
Which methodology is employed in this research?
The paper utilizes a historical and descriptive analysis, drawing upon existing literature, reports, and documented political events to examine the evolution of the crisis.
What is discussed in the main body of the work?
The main body focuses on the historical background of the Syrian nation, the economic and political factors leading up to the 2011 uprising, and a detailed breakdown of internal and external participants in the war.
How would you describe the primary keywords of this publication?
The work is characterized by terms related to regional conflict, political transformation, humanitarian impact, and the intersection of local and global interests in the Middle East.
How did the Ottoman Empire's collapse impact modern Syria?
The collapse led to the redrawing of borders via the Sykes-Picot Agreement, creating nation-states based on colonial strategic interests rather than the needs of the local inhabitants, which contributed to long-term regional instability.
What role did external powers play in the escalation of the civil war?
External powers, including Russia, Iran, and Western nations, provided various forms of military, logistical, and political support to different factions, effectively transforming a local uprising into a complex regional and international conflict.
How did ISIS influence the trajectory of the war?
The emergence of ISIS forced a shift in priorities for many global powers, redirecting the focus toward counter-terrorism and the prevention of extremist expansion, which added a new layer of complexity to the existing struggle against the Assad regime.
What is the author's outlook on the future of Syria?
The author concludes that the conflict remains highly unpredictable, with the potential for continued instability driven by competing actor interests, prohibited weapon usage, and a worsening humanitarian crisis.
- Citar trabajo
- Mbogo Wa Wambui (Autor), 2020, Syrian Civil War. An Analysis of its Genesis, the Actors and Their Interests, Múnich, GRIN Verlag, https://www.grin.com/document/1130302
