Syria

Independence 1946, French Mandate number of military coups and coup attempts shook the country in the period 1949– coup d'état by Col. Husni al-Za'im, described as the first military overthrow of the Arab World. followed by another overthrow, by Col. Sami al-Hinnawi, who was himself quickly deposed by Col. Adib Shishakli, November 1956, as a direct result of the Suez Crisis Syria signed a pact with the Soviet Union 1958 – 61 UAR Ba’athist Secret Military Committee; Captain Hafez al-Assad 1963 Ba’ath coup (Party split in Iraq and Syria) Six-Day War, Israel capturing two-thirds of the Golan Heights in under 48 hours. The defeat caused a split between Jadid and Assad over what steps to take next

1970 Corrective Movement, a bloodless military coup by Hafez al-Assad 1976, Syria entered Lebanon, beginning the thirty-year occupation late 1970s, an Islamist uprising by the Muslim Brotherhood Attacks on civilians and off- duty military personnel, leading security forces The uprising had reached climax in the 1982 Hama massacre, 40,000 people were killed by regular Syrian Army troops participated in the US-led Gulf War

Hafez al-Assad died on 10 June Basher al Assad President A reformer?

Government a unitary republic. Allows individuals to be elected which do not form part of the National Progressive Front. The President is Head of State Prime Minister is Head of Government. legislature, the Peoples Council passing laws, approving government appropriations and debating policy. The executive branch consists of the president, two vice presidents, the prime minister, and the Council of Ministers (cabinet). constitution requires the president to be a Muslim, but does not make Islam the state religion. The Supreme State Security Court (SSSC) was abolished by al- Assad judicial system has elements of Ottoman, French, and Islamic laws. Syria has three levels of courts:

2012 Constitutional Reforms The constitution 2012 semi-presidential republic the president is elected by Syrian citizens in a direct election. Under the previous constitution no multi-party elections for the legislature with two-thirds of the seats automatically allocated to the ruling coalition. 7 May 2012, Syria held its first elections in which parties outside the ruling coalition could take part.

People Sunni Arab Majoritty, Aramean-Syriac Christians, Armenians, Assyrians, Kurds, Circassians, Mhallami, Mandeans, Turks. Sunni, Christians, Alawite, Druze, Yezidi. about 10 million Syrians, half the population, have been displaced

Economy "lower middle income country." oil sector provides about 40% of export earnings The agriculture sector contributes to about 20% of GDP and 20% of employment. Since the civil war began, the economy shrank by 35%, and the Syrian pound has fallen to one-sixth of its prewar value. The government increasingly relies on credit from Iran, Russia and China % of the Syrian population lives in poverty and 11.4% live below the subsistence level.[66] Prior tot the conflict unemployment 10 %

Economic Effects of the Conflict value of overall exports reduced by two-thirds, 12$ billion in 2010 to only US$4 billion] oil and tourism industries in devastated, with US$5 billion lost to the ongoing conflict of the civil war.[ Reconstruction needed because US$10 billion.[140] Sanctions estimated to cost about $400 million a month. hotel occupancy rates from 90% before the war to less than 15% Around 40% of all employees have lost their jobs since the beginning of the war.

From Protests to Civil War Protests March – July 2011 Damascus, Daraa, Aleppo April 2011: Concessions Lifting of Emergency laws, Limited conscription, more press freedoms, social services May 2011: Crackdown July – October, escalation of armed insurgence November: Civil War