1954 Syrian Coup D'état
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The 1954 Syrian coup d'état took place in February of that year to overthrow the government of Adib Shishakli. Leading the anti-Shishakli movement were former President Atassi and the veteran Druze leader Sultan al-Atrash.


Background

Colonel Adib Shishakli came to power by a coup in December 1949, forming a military autocracy.''The Middle East and North Africa''. Europa Publications Limited, Volume 50: p.1018. As the leader of Syria, Adib Shishakli recognized the desires of Syria's
Arab Arabs (,  , ; , , ) are an ethnic group mainly inhabiting the Arab world in West Asia and North Africa. A significant Arab diaspora is present in various parts of the world. Arabs have been in the Fertile Crescent for thousands of years ...
majority, and accordingly adopted a policy of
pan-Arabism Pan-Arabism () is a Pan-nationalism, pan-nationalist ideology that espouses the unification of all Arabs, Arab people in a single Nation state, nation-state, consisting of all Arab countries of West Asia and North Africa from the Atlantic O ...
. He clashed frequently with the independent-minded
Druze The Druze ( ; , ' or ', , '), who Endonym and exonym, call themselves al-Muwaḥḥidūn (), are an Arabs, Arab Eastern esotericism, esoteric Religious denomination, religious group from West Asia who adhere to the Druze faith, an Abrahamic ...
minority on the Jabal Druze mountain, accusing them of wanting to topple his government using funds from Jordan, and in 1954 resorted to shelling Druze strongholds to put down resistance to his rule.


Overthrow of Shishakli

Growing discontent eventually led to a coup, in which Shishakli was overthrown in February 1954. The plotters included members of the Syrian Communist Party, Druze officers,
Ba'ath Party The Arab Socialist Ba'ath Party ( ' ), also known simply as Bath Party (), was a political party founded in Syria by Michel Aflaq, Salah al-Din al-Bitar, and associates of Zaki al-Arsuzi. The party espoused Ba'athism, which is an ideology ...
members, and possibly had Iraqi backing. He had also arrested many active officers in the Syrian Army, including the rising young Adnan al-Malki, also a prominent Baathist. Leading the anti-Shishakli movement were former President Atassi and the veteran Druze leader Sultan al-Atrash. The largest anti-Shishakli conference had been held in Atassi's home in
Homs Homs ( ; ), known in pre-Islamic times as Emesa ( ; ), is a city in western Syria and the capital of the Homs Governorate. It is Metres above sea level, above sea level and is located north of Damascus. Located on the Orontes River, Homs is ...
. Shishakli had responded by arresting Atassi and Atrash's sons, Adnan and Mansur (both of whom were ranking politicians in Syria). When the insurgency reached its peak, Shishakli backed down, refusing to drag Syria into civil war. He fled to
Lebanon Lebanon, officially the Republic of Lebanon, is a country in the Levant region of West Asia. Situated at the crossroads of the Mediterranean Basin and the Arabian Peninsula, it is bordered by Syria to the north and east, Israel to the south ...
, but when the Druze leader Kamal Jumblat threatened to have him killed, he fled to
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.


Aftermath

After the overthrow of President Shishakli in 1954 coup, he continued political maneuvering supported by competing factions in the military eventually brought Arab nationalist and socialist elements to power. The early years of independence were marked by political instability. Prior to the union between Syria and Egypt in 1958, Shishakli toyed with the idea of returning to Syria to launch a coup d'état, using funds provided by Iraq. The coup was foiled by Syrian intelligence and Shishakli was sentenced to death ''in absentia''.


See also

* March 1949 Syrian coup d'état * 1963 Syrian coup d'état * 1966 Syrian coup d'état * List of modern conflicts in the Middle East


References

{{DEFAULTSORT:1954 Syrian coup d'etat Military coups in Syria
Syria Syria, officially the Syrian Arab Republic, is a country in West Asia located in the Eastern Mediterranean and the Levant. It borders the Mediterranean Sea to the west, Turkey to Syria–Turkey border, the north, Iraq to Iraq–Syria border, t ...
Conflicts in 1954 1954 in Syria Ba'athism Arab nationalism in Syria Arab nationalist rebellions Arab rebellions in Syria History of the Arab Socialist Ba'ath Party – Syria Region