French Mandate of Syria

Quick Facts: Who was French Mandate of Syria?

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French Mandate of Syria

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League of Nations mandate governing Syria and Lebanon after WWI until 1946.

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Origins & Early Life

The Mandate for Syria and the Lebanon (French: Mandat pour la Syrie et le Liban; Arabic: الانتداب الفرنسي على سوريا ولبنان, romanized: al-intidāb al-faransī ʻalā sūriyā wa-lubnān, also referred to as the Levant States; 1923−1946) was a League of Nations mandate founded in the aftermath of the First World War and the partitioning of the Ottoman Empire concerning the territories of Syria and Lebanon. The mandate system was supposed to differ from colonialism, with the governing country intended to act as a trustee until the inhabitants were considered eligible for self-government. At that point, the mandate would terminate, and a sovereign state would be born. During the two years that followed the end of the war in 1918 and in accordance with the Sykes–Picot Agreement, signed by the United Kingdom and France during the war, the British held control of most of Ottoman Iraq (now Iraq) and the southern part of Ottoman Syria (now Israel, Palestine and Jordan), and the French controlled the rest of Ottoman Syria (including Lebanon, Alexandretta and portions of Cilicia). In the early 1920s, British and French control of those territories became formalised by the League of Nations' mandate system.

Career & Major Achievements

On 29 September 1923, France was assigned the League of Nations mandate of Syria, which included the territory of present-day Lebanon and Alexandretta in addition to modern Syria. The League of Nations monitored the mandates through the Permanent Mandates Commission (PMC), which allowed other states to voice their thoughts on the management of the mandates, such as on economic matters. The administration of the region under the French was carried out through a number of different governments and territories, including the Syrian Federation (1922–1924), the State of Syria (1925–1930) and the Mandatory Syrian Republic (1930–1946), as well as smaller states: Greater Lebanon, the Alawite State and the Jabal Druze State. Hatay State was annexed by Turkey in 1939. The French mandate lasted until 1946, when French troops finally left Syria and Lebanon, which had both declared independence during World War II.

Enduring Legacy & Impact

With the defeat of the Ottomans in Syria, British troops, under General Sir Edmund Allenby, entered Damascus in 1918 and were accompanied by troops of the Arab Revolt, led by Faisal, the son of Hussein bin Ali, King of Hejaz. Faisal established the first new postwar Arab government in Damascus in October 1918, and named Ali Rikabi a military governor. The new Arab administration formed local governments in the major Syrian cities, and the pan-Arab flag was raised all over Syria. The Arabs, trusting earlier British promises, hoped that the new Arab state would include all Arab lands stretching from Aleppo, in northern Syria, to Aden, in southern Yemen. However, in accordance with the secret Sykes–Picot Agreement between the United Kingdom and France, General Allenby assigned to the Arab administration only the interior regions of Syria (the eastern zone).

Chronological Milestones & Life Events

1. 1918: 1918 Milestone — During the two years that followed the end of the war in 1918 and in accordance with the Sykes–Picot Agreement, signed by the United Kingdom and France during the war, the British held control of most of Ottoman Iraq (now Iraq) and the southern part of Ottoman Syria (now Israel, Palestine and Jordan), and the French controlled the rest of Ottoman Syria (including Lebanon, Alexandretta and portions of Cilicia).
2. 1922: 1922 Milestone — The administration of the region under the French was carried out through a number of different governments and territories, including the Syrian Federation (1922–1924), the State of Syria (1925–1930) and the Mandatory Syrian Republic (1930–1946), as well as smaller states: Greater Lebanon, the Alawite State and the Jabal Druze State.
3. 1923: 1923 Milestone — The Mandate for Syria and the Lebanon (French: Mandat pour la Syrie et le Liban; Arabic: الانتداب الفرنسي على سوريا ولبنان, romanized: al-intidāb al-faransī ʻalā sūriyā wa-lubnān, also referred to as the Levant States; 1923−1946) was a League of Nations mandate founded in the aftermath of the First World War and the partitioning of the Ottoman Empire concerning the territories of Syria and Lebanon.
4. 1939: 1939 Milestone — Hatay State was annexed by Turkey in 1939.
5. 1946: 1946 Milestone — The French mandate lasted until 1946, when French troops finally left Syria and Lebanon, which had both declared independence during World War II.

Historical Fact-Check Quiz: French Mandate of Syria

True or False: “Did the League of Nations initially grant full, immediate independence to all territories under the French Mandate?”

Answer (FALSE ❌): The mandate system was designed as a temporary trusteeship intended to guide inhabitants toward self-government, not granting immediate sovereignty.

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