Broken Promises: The French Expulsion of Emir Feisal and the Failed Struggle for Syrian Independence
For well over a century, global powers have sought to exert their influence over the peoples and the resources of the Middle East. This paper analyzes how Emir Feisal, son of the Sherif of Mecca and leader of the Arab Rebellion during World War I, failed to navigate either the demands of the Syrians who proclaimed him king in March 1920 or the political realities imposed by the Paris Peace Conference. Using primary and secondary source material in English, French, and Arabic, this paper argues that Feisal’s diplomatic, political, and military resistance to the French Mandate caused the French Government to evict him from the country in July 1920, terminating his brief rule as King of Syria. These sources detail the broken promises made by the Allies to supporters of Arab independence and the lost promise of an independent Syrian state after World War I.
History
Date
2011-01-01Advisor(s)
Laurie EisenbergDepartment
- History