The 1920 capture of Damascus was the final stage of the

Franco-Syrian War The Franco-Syrian War took place during 1920 between the Hashemite rulers of the newly established Arab Kingdom of Syria and France. During a series of engagements, which climaxed in the Battle of Maysalun, French forces defeated the forces of th ...

, when French forces captured Damascus with little resistance. The

Kingdom of Syria Kingdom commonly refers to: * A monarchy ruled by a king or queen * Kingdom (biology), a category in biological taxonomy Kingdom may also refer to: Arts and media Television * Kingdom (British TV series), ''Kingdom'' (British TV series), a 200 ...

was brought to an end and the

French mandate of Syria The Mandate for Syria and the Lebanon (french: Mandat pour la Syrie et le Liban; ar, الانتداب الفرنسي على سوريا ولبنان, al-intidāb al-fransi 'ala suriya wa-lubnān) (1923−1946) was a League of Nations mandate foun ...

was put into effect. Shortly after, in September 1920, Damascus was established as the capital of the

State of Damascus The State of Damascus (french: État de Damas; ar, دولة دمشق ') was one of the six states established by the French General Henri Gouraud in the French Mandate of Syria which followed the San Remo conference of 1920 and the defeat of ...

under French Mandate.

History

The war of the Hashemites against the French, which erupted in January 1920, shortly became a devastating campaign for the new proclaimed Arab Kingdom of Syria. Worried about the results of a long bloody fight with the French, King Faisal himself surrendered on 14 July 1920, but his message would not reach King Faisal's defense minister

Yusuf al-'Azma Yusuf al-Azma ( ar, يوسف العظمة, ALA-LC: ''Yūsuf al-ʻAẓmah''; 1883 – 24 July 1920) was the Syrian minister of war in the governments of prime ministers Rida al-Rikabi and Hashim al-Atassi, and the Arab Army's chief of general sta ...

, who ignoring the King, led an army to

Maysalun Maysalun ( ar, ميسلون) is a mountainous region in southwestern Syria located on the eastern slopes of the Anti-Lebanon Mountains about 12 kilometers west of Damascus, in the Rif Dimashq Governorate and has an elevation of about 1090 meters ...

to defend Syria from French advance. The

Battle of Maysalun The Battle of Maysalun ( ar, معركة ميسلون), also called the Battle of Maysalun Pass or the Battle of Khan Maysalun (french: Bataille de Khan Mayssaloun), was a four-hour battle fought between the forces of the Arab Kingdom of Syria an ...

resulted in a crushing Syrian defeat. The French troops later marched on Damascus and captured it on 24 July 1920.Eliezer Tauber. The Formation of Modern Syria and Iraq. Frank Cass and Co. Ltd. Portland, Oregon. 1995. French troops met little resistance from the inhabitants of Damascus, but there were shootouts between the French and residents of the Shaghour and

Midan Al-Midan ( ar, حي الميدان) is a neighbourhood and municipality in Damascus, Syria, south of the old walled city and near the modern city centre. In the 2004 census, it had a population of 177,456. Today, the neighbourhood is often co ...

neighborhoods at the outset of the French entry. A Pro-French government under the leadership of

Aladdin al-Droubi Alaa al-Din Pasha bin Abdul Hamid Pasha al-Droubi (1870 – 21 August 1920) was a Syrian politician who served as Prime Minister of Syria for a month before his assassination in 1920. Biography Born in Homs (Syria), in a well-known family w ...

was installed the next day.

References

Franco-Syrian War 1920 in Mandatory Syria 20th century in Damascus July 1920 events 20th-century military history of France {{battle-stub

History

See also

References