FRENCH IMPERIALISM IN THE MIDDLE EAST: SYRIA IN THE PERIOD OF THE FRENCH MANDATE ADMINISTRATION (1920-1946)

Abstract

This study examines the imperialist the policies of French mandate power covering the period from 1920 to 1946, with particular attention being given to the administrative, financial and cultural policies of France. The work also aims to display the relations of France with Arab nationalist leaders and the minorities, and even the political engagement of urban elites in Syria during the mandate era.

As one of the great powers, France’s interests in the Middle East focused on to preserve her centuries-old ties with the Catholics of Syria, to gain a strategic and financial base in the eastern Mediterranean, to ensure a cheap supply of cotton and silk, and prevent Arab nationalism from spreading her North African empire. Eventually, the Supreme Council of the League of Nations announced on April 24-26, 1920 that Syria was to be divided into the two French Mandates of Lebanon and Syria. Then French troops advanced towards Damascus and defeated irregular Arab forces under Youssef al-Azma at the Battle of Maysalun on July 24, 1920. A day later, French army captured Damascus, Faisal was expelled and Syria became the French mandate.

After the establishment of Greater Lebanon, French authorities tried to form suitable conditions in order to ensure its mandate regime by implementing the policy of ‘dive and rule’ in Syria. They firstly established two different states of Damascus and Aleppo in 1920. The Sanjak of Alexandretta, with its important Turkish population, was largely autonomous administration within the Aleppo state. Moreover, French announced in 1922 that Jabal Druze was a separate unit under French protection, its own governor and elected congress. In the same way, the mountain region in Latakia, with their large Alawite population, was declared an autonomous state. However, in 1922, French authorities decided to establish a Syrian Federation uniting the Damascus, Aleppo and Alawite states. The system of Syrian federation continued a short time and it was dissolved by the end of 1924. Instead, the State of Syria including Damascus and Aleppo and separate Sanjak of Alexandretta was created by France. It is certain that French mandate regime incited the ethnic and denominational separatism and conflict among the Syrian people by creating different regional states. Indeed, this division and conflict triggered by French authority have been affecting the situation in Syria even nowadays.

The French authority in Syria was considered as ‘illegitimate’ and ‘instable’ because Syrian people did not recognize French as a legitimate overlord, as the Sultan-Caliph of the Ottoman Empire had been. Thus, the rigid control of the French mandate administration over the political, judicial, economy and religious institutions caused to the outbreak of a combination of local revolts during 1920s. Especially, great revolt of Druze in 1925 took approximately twelve months to be suppressed. French forces could suppress the revolt in 1926 by bombarding Damascus and killing thousands of people. After the suppression, France had to recognize autonomy of Lebanon.

As for financial policies, France, which pursued a policy of protecting large landowners during the mandate administration, enabled French merchants to make more profits from the cereals production in Syria. In addition, France has managed the markets and paved the way for French tradesmen to gain more wealth imports-exports.

In addition, French Government placed their own ‘‘Frank’’ at the center of international trade in Syria, and left the management of the monetary mechanism in the hands of the French bankers, not the Syrians. In addition, the ports, customs, railways, tobacco regime and many other revenue-generating institutions of Syria and Lebanon were directly linked to the financial department of the French High Commissioner. In fact, the French administration in Syria focused on exploitation rather than its development.

During the mandate period, French also dominated the educational and cultural activities in Syria. Actually, most of the secondary and higher education institutions in Syria and Lebanon were in the hands of European and American missionaries. Particularly in Lebanon, most of the education system and almost all of the higher education was under the French control.

The lessons given in France were also taught in French schools in Syria, and French language became compulsory in schools. Furthermore, they rearranged the curriculum and put books related to French classics, French history and geography instead of Arab-Islamic culture. All these attempts indicate that French authorities aimed to exterminate the traces of Arabic consciousness and identity.

As a consequence, after the Second World War, France had to recognize independence of Syria and Lebanon, and French forces were withdrawn from both countries on April 15, 1946. The period of French mandate in Syria is very important period in which many crucial developments affecting the country in many dimensions emerged. Also, this period is significant in terms of laying the foundations of today's Syrian state structure and including the determination of its borders.

Among the institutions left behind by the French administration, the army has a special place in the forthcoming years with respect to its effectiveness in shaping the country's future. In fact, the Syrian army, built on the basis of minorities during the French mandate, played an active role in how the political life in the country would be shaped after the independence. In addition, the mosaic structure of the army has also affected the recent disintegration of the Syria as ‘opposition group’ and ‘pro-regime’ officers.

In fact, this study is crucial in the sense of shedding light on the recent developments in the Middle East with the civil war in Syria. There is no doubt that the French policies triggering the sectarian and ethnic separatism and their approach to the minorities affected the civil war in Syria. In other words, French sowed the seeds of ethnic and religious based conflict among the Syrian people and this fact prepared the ground for conflict in Syria even after a long period of time. Thus, the era of French administration in Syria has a good historical laboratory for the international community that wants to construct order and stability in Syria today.

Keywords

• The Middle East,French Imperialism,French Mandate,Economy in Syria,Political Life,Arab Nationalism

ORTADOĞU’DA FRANSIZ EMPERYALİZMİ: FRANSIZ MANDA YÖNETİMİ DÖNEMİNDE SURİYE (1920-1946)

Abstract

Bu çalışma, 1920-1946 yılları arasında Fransız mandası olarak yönetilen Suriye'de, Fransız idaresinin uyguladığı siyasi, ekonomi ve kültür politikalarını incelemektedir. Suriye'deki siyasi, sosyal ve iktisadi hayatın her alanına nüfuz eden Fransız politikalarının temel odak noktasını, etnik ve mezhepsel ayrılıklar ve bölgesel çatışmalar oluşturmuştur. Genel olarak 'böl ve yönet' anlayışıyla hareket eden Fransız yönetimi, Suriye'de farklı etnik ve mezhepsel temellere dayanan dört bölgesel devlet kurmuşlar ve böylece, Suriyelilerin siyasi birlik ve bütünlük içinde kendilerine karşı harekete geçmelerini engellemeyi hedeflemişlerdir. Fransız yönetimi, manda yönetimi boyunca Suriye’deki bütün ekonomik faaliyetlerin denetimini de kendi ellerinde tutmuş, kendi para birimi olan Frank'ı ticari faaliyetlerin merkezine koymuştur. Fransız manda yönetiminin yön verdiği ekonomik sistemde sadece büyük toprak sahipleri kâr edebilmiş, küçük toprak sahipleri ve köylüler ise çok kötü şartlarda yaşamak zorunda kalmışlardır. Ayrıca, yirmi beş yıldan fazla bir süre Suriye'de kalan Fransız idaresi, bölgede uyguladıkları eğitim ve kültür politikalarıyla halkı adeta kültürel asimilasyona maruz bırakmışlardır. Okullarda Suriye tarihi yerine, Fransız tarihinin okutulması ve Fransızcanın belli bir süre zorunlu dil haline getirilmesi, Fransız manda idaresinin Suriye'de beyin yıkama politikalarından sadece birkaçıdır.

Bu makalede, Fransız manda idaresinin 1920-1946 yılları arasında Suriye’de uyguladığı sömürge politikaları analitik bir bakış açısıyla ele alınmıştır. Ayrıca, üzerinden yaklaşık yüz yıl geçmiş olmasına rağmen, bu politikaların etkilerinin bölgede hala nasıl hissedildiği ortaya konulmaya çalışılmıştır. Bu noktadan hareketle söz konusu çalışma, yaklaşık on yıldır devam eden Suriye’deki iç savaşın temel sebeplerini ve bölgede meydana gelen diğer gelişmeleri, Fransız idaresinin sömürge politikaları ışığında, çok daha farklı bir bakış açısıyla değerlendirmeyi amaçlamaktadır.

Keywords

• Ortadoğu,Fransız Emperyalizmi,Fransız Mandası,Suriye’de Ekonomi,Siyasi Hayat,Arap Milliyetçiliği

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