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Syrian Federation

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Federation of the Autonomous States of Syria
Fédération des États autonomes de Syrie
1922–1925
Flag of Syrian Federation
Flag
StatusFederal state administered by the French Mandate of Syria
Capital
  • Aleppo[a] (1922–1923)
  • Damascus (1923–1925)
President 
• 1922–1925
Subhi Bey Barakat
LegislatureFederal 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)
CurrencyLebanese-Syrian pound
Preceded by		 Succeeded by
State of Aleppo
State of Damascus
Alawite Territory
State of Syria
State of the Alawites
Today part ofSyria, Turkey
a The capital was initially planned to alternate between Aleppo and Damascus.

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]

History

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The 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

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The 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]

Decree 1459, which created the Syrian Federation on 28 June 1922

References

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  1. ^ Batsell, Walter Russell; Garfield, Wadsworth; Colegrove, Kenneth Wallace (1927). "European Economic and Political Survey".
  2. ^ Le Conte 1923, p. 287
  3. ^ Malsagne 2011, p. 62; Annales des sciences politiques 1924; Joffre 1924.
  4. ^ Annales des sciences politiques 1924 ; Sartre & Sartre-Fauriat 2016.
  5. ^ Le Conte 1923, p. 287.
  6. ^ Malsagne 2011, p. 62; Rapport sur la situation de la Syrie et du Liban 1925, p. 9.
  7. ^ Malsagne 2011, p. 62; Annales des sciences politiques 1924; Joffre 1924.
  8. ^ Annales des sciences politiques 1924 ; Sartre & Sartre-Fauriat 2016.
  9. ^ Le Conte 1923, p. 287.
  10. ^ Albert-Sorel, Jean (1929). Le mandat français et l'expansion economique de la Syrie et du Liban (in French). M. Giard.
  11. ^ a b Travaux de droit, d'économie et de sociologie (in French). Librairie Droz. 1963.
  12. ^ Damas: miroir brisé d'un Orient arabe (in French). Autrement. 1993. ISBN 978-2-86260-394-0.
  13. ^ Menassa, Gabriel (1924). Les mandats A et leur application en Orient: il faut convoquer les assemblées constituantes (in French). Jouve.
  14. ^ "Bulletin mensuel ["puis" officiel] des actes administratifs du Haut Commissariat ["puis" administratifs de la Délégation]". Gallica. 1922-10-08. Retrieved 2022-07-12.
  15. ^ a b Rabbāṭ, Idmūn (1928). L'évolution politique de la Syrie sous mandat (in French). M. Rivière.
  16. ^ L'Illustration (in French). 1925.
  17. ^ Malsagne 2011
  18. ^ étrangères, France Ministère des affaires (1926). Rapport à la Société des Nations sur la Situation de la Syrie et du Liban (in French).
  19. ^ Albert-Sorel, Jean (1929). Le mandat français et l'expansion economique de la Syrie et du Liban (in French). M. Giard.

Sources

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