The Syrian Federation (Arabic: الاتحاد السوري; French: Fédération syrienne), officially the Federation of the Autonomous States of Syria (French: Fédération des États autonomes de Syrie), was constituted on 28 June 1922 by High Commissary Gouraud.[3] It comprised the States of Aleppo, Damascus, and of the Alawites,[4] spanning an area of 119,000 to 120,000 km2.[5] It was officially dissolved by decree of 5 December 1924 "which received its application starting on 1 January 1925".[6]
Federation of the Autonomous States of Syria Fédération des États autonomes de Syrie | |||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1922–1925 | |||||||||||||||
 Flag | |||||||||||||||
| Status | Federal state administered by the French Mandate of Syria | ||||||||||||||
| Capital | |||||||||||||||
| President | |||||||||||||||
• 1922–1925 | Subhi Bey Barakat | ||||||||||||||
| Legislature | Federal Council[1] | ||||||||||||||
| History | |||||||||||||||
• Established | 28 June 1922 | ||||||||||||||
• Dissolution effective | 1 January 1925 | ||||||||||||||
| Area | |||||||||||||||
| [2] | 119,000–120,000 km2 (46,000–46,000 sq mi) | ||||||||||||||
| Currency | Lebanese-Syrian pound | ||||||||||||||
| |||||||||||||||
| Today part of | Syria, Turkey | ||||||||||||||
a The capital was initially planned to alternate between Aleppo and Damascus. | |||||||||||||||
History
editThe Syrian Federation was founded on 28 June 1922 as a result of Decree 1459 from the High Commissioner of the Levant, Henri Gouraud.[7] It comprised the states of Aleppo, Damascus, and the Alawites, spanning an area of 119,000 to 120,000 km2.[8][9] The federation's government consisted of the President of the Federation and the Federal Council, which initially alternated between sitting in Aleppo and Damascus.[10][11] Homs was also considered a potential capital city.[12] The first session of the Federal Council opened in Aleppo on 28 June 1922 with a speech from Gouraud.[13] On 8 January 1923 Damascus became the permanent seat of government, creating divisions in the country's political leadership.[11] The Syrian Federation's only president was Subhi Bey Barakat, who claimed in his first three presidential decrees to have been elected by the Federal Council on 29 June, 1922.[14] However, according to Syrian historian and jurist Edmond Rabbath, Barakat was in fact "ineligible in the year following the end of his presidency" and therefore "appointed and not elected."[15] Barakat was nevertheless formally elected president by the Federal Council on 17 December 1923.[16]
The Syrian Federation was officially dissolved by Decree 2980, which was issued on 5 December 1924 by High Commissioner Maxime Weygand and took effect on 1 January 1925.[17] The decree merged the states of Aleppo and Damascus into the State of Syria and named Barakat president of the new country.[18]
Government
editThe President of the Federation was elected by an absolute majority of the Federal Council and held office for a term of one year. Afterwards, the president would be ineligible for re-election for one year following their departure from office.[15] They exercised executive powers such as the preparation of the federal budget, the nomination of government officials and the negotiation of treaties with non-federated states, all subject to the ratification of the High Commissariat of the Levant. The Federal Council was a deliberative body composed of five representatives. It studied proposals leading to the adoption of legislation and dealt with economic affairs, such as public works.[19]
References
edit- ^ Batsell, Walter Russell; Garfield, Wadsworth; Colegrove, Kenneth Wallace (1927). "European Economic and Political Survey".
- ^ Le Conte 1923, p. 287
- ^ Malsagne 2011, p. 62; Annales des sciences politiques 1924; Joffre 1924.
- ^ Annales des sciences politiques 1924 ; Sartre & Sartre-Fauriat 2016.
- ^ Le Conte 1923, p. 287.
- ^ Malsagne 2011, p. 62; Rapport sur la situation de la Syrie et du Liban 1925, p. 9.
- ^ Malsagne 2011, p. 62; Annales des sciences politiques 1924; Joffre 1924.
- ^ Annales des sciences politiques 1924 ; Sartre & Sartre-Fauriat 2016.
- ^ Le Conte 1923, p. 287.
- ^ Albert-Sorel, Jean (1929). Le mandat français et l'expansion economique de la Syrie et du Liban (in French). M. Giard.
- ^ a b Travaux de droit, d'économie et de sociologie (in French). Librairie Droz. 1963.
- ^ Damas: miroir brisé d'un Orient arabe (in French). Autrement. 1993. ISBN 978-2-86260-394-0.
- ^ Menassa, Gabriel (1924). Les mandats A et leur application en Orient: il faut convoquer les assemblées constituantes (in French). Jouve.
- ^ "Bulletin mensuel ["puis" officiel] des actes administratifs du Haut Commissariat ["puis" administratifs de la Délégation]". Gallica. 1922-10-08. Retrieved 2022-07-12.
- ^ a b Rabbāṭ, Idmūn (1928). L'évolution politique de la Syrie sous mandat (in French). M. Rivière.
- ^ L'Illustration (in French). 1925.
- ^ Malsagne 2011
- ^ étrangères, France Ministère des affaires (1926). Rapport à la Société des Nations sur la Situation de la Syrie et du Liban (in French).
- ^ Albert-Sorel, Jean (1929). Le mandat français et l'expansion economique de la Syrie et du Liban (in French). M. Giard.
Sources
edit- Annales des sciences politiques. 1924.
- Le Conte, René (5 May 1923). "Géographie administrative du Levant français". La Nature.
- Joffre, Alphonse (1924). Le mandat de la France sur la Syrie et le Grand-Liban.
- Sartre, Maurice; Sartre-Fauriat, Annie (12 May 2016). Palmyre. Place des éditeurs. ISBN 9782262067892.
- Rapport sur la situation de la Syrie et du Liban. 1925.
- Malsagne, Stéphane (2011). Fouad Chéhab, 1902-1973: une figure oubliée de l'histoire libanaise (in French). KARTHALA Editions. ISBN 9782811105167.