Division of Syria under the French mandate government and the Alawite state

Abstract

France, which captured Syria to protect its interests in the Mediterranean and Middle East at the end of the World War I, endeavoured to implement the “divide and rule” policy as the easiest way of reigning over these territories. In line with that policy, they established Lebanon, Druse, Alawite, Damascus and Aleppo states in Syria, which they divided according to ethnic, religious and denominational differences and used these states as an instrument to attain their benefits in the region. According to these policies, the French used especially the Nusayris, which were also called Alawi. The Nusayris which had their own state under the name of “Alawite State” during the mandate government of France in Syria, were connected to the Syrian State when France terminated the mandate government in Syria in 1946. This paper gives information about being a Nusayri and the Latakia region where the Nusayris live intensely, in the introduction section. It discusses the operations performed by the French to capture the region as from the World War I and invasion of the region, under the title “The Process Leading to the French Occupation in Syria”. The paper also discusses the policies implemented by the French throughout their mandate government in these territories and reactions to these policies, under the title “Ethnic and Religious Division of Syria under the French Mandate and the Alawite State”. As distinct from the articles written especially on this issue, the paper reviews the “Alawite State” and developments concerning this state using relevant works, compilations, newspapers and archive documents of the era. © 2020 Ankara Haci Bayram Veli University. All rights reserved.