NationMaster - Encyclopedia: Battle of Maysalun

The Battle of Maysalun, also called The Battle of Maysalun Pass, took place between Syrian and French forces about 12 miles west of Damascus on July 23, 1920. The battle occurred when the French moved to topple the newly proclaimed nationalist government of Hashim al-Atassi under King Faisal. An independent Kingdom of Syria had recently been proclaimed after an Arab army, which included British colonel T. E. Lawrence defeated the Ottomans and captured Damascus. However, as a result of negotiations between the western powers at the San Remo conference, and the secret Sykes-Picot Agreement between Britain and France, the French were given a mandate over Syria by the League of Nations, which Faisal and his government refused to recognize. Faisal also refused to recognize Lebanese independence from "Greater Syria". The French had set up the republic on the remnants of a former Ottoman Christian-majority autonomous province. The French forces advanced out of Beirut, led by General Gouraud. Some Maronite Lebanese reportedly fought on the French side, unwilling to join a Muslim-dominated Kingdom of Syria. Combatants France Syria Commanders King Faisal The Franco-Syrian War was a war from 1919 to 1921 between Syria and France. ... Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... is the 204th day of the year (205th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1920 (MCMXX) was a leap year starting on Thursday (link will display 1920) of the Gregorian calendar. ... Anti-Lebanon is a mountain range of Lebanon and Syria. ... Image File history File links This is a lossless scalable vector image. ... Image File history File links Arab_Revolt_flag. ... Image File history File links This is a lossless scalable vector image. ... Henri Gouraud (1867–1946) was a French soldier, best known for his leadership of the French Fourth Army at the end of the First World War. ... Image File history File links Arab_Revolt_flag. ... Yusuf Al-Azmah (other spellings: Yousef Al-Azmah, Yusuf Al-Azmeh, Yousef Al-Azmeh) (1883 - July 24, 1920) was the Syrian Minister of War and Chief of Staff under Prince (then King) Faisal (later to become Faisal I of Iraq) from 1918 to 1920. ... For other uses, see Damascus (disambiguation). ... is the 204th day of the year (205th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1920 (MCMXX) was a leap year starting on Thursday (link will display 1920) of the Gregorian calendar. ... President Hashim al-Atassi Hashim (Bay Khalid) al-Atassi (1875 - Dec. ... This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ... For other uses, see Arab (disambiguation). ... Lawrence of Arabia redirects here. ... Ottoman redirects here. ... The San Remo conference (19-26 April 1920, San Remo, Italy) of the post-World War I Allied Supreme Council determined the allocation of Class A League of Nations mandates for administration of the former Ottoman-ruled lands of the Middle East by the victorious powers. ... Zones of French and British influence and control established by the Sykes-Picot Agreement The Sykes-Picot Agreement of May 16, 1916 was a secret understanding between the governments of Britain and France defining their respective spheres of post-World War I influence and control in the Middle East (then... Mandates in the Middle east and Africa. ... The League of Nations was an international organization founded as a result of the Paris Peace Conference in 1919â€“1920. ... Self-governance is an abstract concept that refers to several scales of organization. ... This article is about the Lebanese city. ... Henri Gouraud (1867–1946) was a French soldier, best known for his leadership of the French Fourth Army at the end of the First World War. ... Maronites (Marunoye Ü¡ÜªÜ˜Ü¢ÜÜÜ¶; in Syriac, MÃ¢runiyya Ù…Ø§Ø±ÙˆÙ†ÙŠØ© in Arabic) are members of an Eastern Catholic Church in full communion with the Pope of Rome. ...

King Faisal had ordered that the Syrian army not resist the French advance, but Syrian defence minister General Yusuf al-Azmeh, who was 36 years old at the time, insisted on leading his forces to oppose their advance. The French forces easily defeated the Syrian forces, which consisted of a few hundred regular soldiers from the newly formed army and hastily-summoned citizen volunteers from Damascus. Yusuf al-Azmah was killed in the battle, and he is considered by some a Martyr who went to an already lost battle, knowing that he would die for the glory of Syria. The French entered Damascus later the next day. The battle ushered in the new era of French colonialism and led to more revolts in North Syria and Damascus. Yusuf Al-Azmah (other spellings: Yousef Al-Azmah, Yusuf Al-Azmeh, Yousef Al-Azmeh) (1883 - July 24, 1920) was the Syrian Minister of War and Chief of Staff under Prince (then King) Faisal (later to become Faisal I of Iraq) from 1918 to 1920. ... Yusuf Al-Azmah (other spellings: Yousef Al-Azmah, Yusuf Al-Azmeh, Yousef Al-Azmeh) (1883 - July 24, 1920) was the Syrian Minister of War and Chief of Staff under Prince (then King) Faisal (later to become Faisal I of Iraq) from 1918 to 1920. ...

Syrian soldiers at Maysalun

Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ...

Further reading GA_googleFillSlot("encyclopedia_square");

Further reading