Syrian Civil War: Facts and Timeline - Report Example

College: Syrian Revolution Syria is located on the east coast of the Mediterranean Sea and boarders Iraq to the east, Turkey in the north, Jordan in the south, Palestine from the South East and in the west Lebanon and the Mediterranean Sea. Syria borders Israel from the northeast. Notably, this border is still in dispute even today. The capital city of Syria is Damascus and Arabic is the official language. Syria’s location is strategic because it bridges three continents namely Asia, Europe and Africa. It also has a complex terrain with a desert, mountains and plain land that caused fragmentation in the socio-cultural diversity. Syria is unique in the history of the world especially due to the inclusion of Lebanon and Palestine in its boundaries. Even though Syria is small in size, it has an immense influence (Hitti 3). In the 1800s, the Ottoman Empire was composed of Syria, Israel, Lebanon, Jordan and Palestine. Historically, Syria was initially made up of two separate divisions that are the city and the desert. The city represented a place of wealth and power since it became the route of trading between the East and the West. Syria became a bridge of spreading culture from its neighbors thus becoming loci of civilization and commercial wares (Hitti 4). Civilization in Syria has been continuous and has been largely influenced by the Western culture. In the pre-history Syria, there was wheat plantation, copper was discovered and there was the emergence of pottery. These developments brought about changes in the pattern of life. The Agrarian Revolution started and people began to live a more settled life in small villages and towns (Hitti 6). The surface occupied by the desert is 10% but it became an agrarian society. Agriculture flourished when the state provided security and irrigation. Syria was succeeded by military empires with no sovereign ruling class. One of the greatest empires was the Ottoman (1516-1918) which was headed by a religious sultan. Land was owned by the state and the people were seen as flocks that were to be protected and swindled to sustain the ruling class. Islam was the key unifying creed of the state which ensured that there was allegiance to the state, 90% of the people in Syria were Muslims. Ottoman Empire enhanced bigger markets, improved security and the protection of the peasants against prospective landlords’ thus stimulating trade and industry growth. With the fall of the Ottoman empire after the World War 1, Arabic provided an element of an alternative identity (Seale 4-7). Until 19th century the state owned most of the land hence there was no emergence of estate class, resulting to agricultural decline. Due to the decline in the Syrian economy in the 18th century the state became vulnerable to the Western power (Seale 7-10). The European commercial treaties did not protect the Syrian textile industries. The Europeans who had interest in Syria encouraged the intensification of cash crops production. This created a class of middlemen and money lenders mostly dominated by the minority group- the Christians. Commercial agriculture and private ownership did not stimulated agriculture revolution. The French rule, did not go beyond trade and infrastructure. In 1921-1946, Syrian people revolted against their colonizers until they got their independence in 1946. Thus, the early capitalist penetration stimulated a reliant, lopsided and partial development in Syria. It resulted to a modern state with a patrimonial culture and a dependent economy. Agrarian emergency, class conflict and the drastic change in the army further weakened the frail Syria. The country has emerged through the patriotism which made the country become the heartbeat of the Arabian nationalism. Arab unity and Anticolonialism came about due to the Ba’th party which brought a corrupt political order that resulted to backwardness in political, economical and social structures (Seale 39).The party experienced many weaknesses resulting to the radical change in the country’s governorship. Regional problems and internal conflicts gave Hafiz al-Asad an opportunity to seize power and promote Arab cooperation against the Israelites. He built an authoritarian regime and stood firm in his decision of making Golan Heights part of Syria because of national interest. This legacy is the basis of the significance of Syria in the Arab state-nationalism. That is, it is from this shared consciousness of the Syrian that Nationalism grew (Seale 4-16). Syrian revolution has continued even today with a lot of resistance and blood-shed. Since 1969, People in Syria have been deprived freedom and growth. The country is endowed with natural resources; land, a well educated population and water resources. After independence, there has been several military coup; in 1970, Hafez Al Assad, who was the minister of Defense led a coup de at and managed to rule as a dictator. During his rule people revolted against his regime and he responded by attacking them till they subdued. Later his son succeeded him and continued with the same abusive regime. The Arab spring revolutionary affected Syria has turned to a civil war. This revolution toppled several dictatorial regimes in countries such as Tunisia and Egypt. After years of regular humiliation, the Arabs demanded justice and freedom. Some of the social, economic and political factors that contributed to the Arab Spring revolution include corruption, high unemployment rate, repression, poverty, capitalism and inflation of essential commodities. The Arab spring was sparkled in Tunisia after the death of Mohammed Bouazizi in 2010. Bouazizi, a fruit vendor, was constantly humiliated by the security agencies and committed suicide thus occasioning the Arab Spring in Tunisia. The force of Tunisia Revolution spread in all the directions, Syria being one of them. (Muhamad 89-90). The situation in Syria has moved from the original Arab Spring revolution to a civil war. The differing Syrian factions are currently engaged in sectarian war since radical Sunnis are aiming at toppling Assad’s regime. The UN Security Council has condemned the move by the government to use excessive artillery force in combating the protestors (Olimat 53). The situation in Syria has caused tensions in the Middle East region. For instance, Syria has ended diplomatic tensions with Turkey after it shot down a Turkish plane that has strayed in to Syrian territory in June 2012. On the other hand, Turkey has warned against movement of Syrian troops close to its borders since such move would be perceived as military provocation. In addition, Israel military fired several artillery shells across the Golan Heights in November 2012. In addition, Israel and Syria have engaged in counter-accusations with Syria accusing Israel of military provocation and Israel accusing Syria of using chemical weapons (Olimat 78). Conclusion Syria’s rebel group is currently fighting against the government of Assad. The government regime seeks to control the north and south regions of Damascus while the rebel group is determined to control the northern and eastern part of Syria. This has led to a sectarian class on each side, who are putting up with impact of the war. The rebel group does not have a coherent army or an organized structure of command hence their failure. The Government insists that the insurgent groups are the Islamist extremist. The Alawites protects the regime by carrying out attacks of regions that are revolting. Works cited: Hitti, Philip K. History of Syria: Including Lebanon and Palestine. Piscataway, NJ: Gorgias Press, 2004. Olimat,S, Muhamad. China and the Middle East: from Silk Road to Arab Spring. New York: Routledge, 2013. Seale, Patrick, and Maureen, McConville. Asad of Syria: The Struggle for the Middle East. Berkeley: University of California Press, 1989. Read More