Great Syrian Revolt - Revolution

Revolution

On August 23, 1925 Sultan Pasha al-Atrash officially declared revolution against France. Calling upon Syria's various ethnic and religious communities to oppose the foreign domination of their land, al-Atrash managed to enlist the aid of large sections of the population in a revolt that now spread throughout Syria, led by such notable figures as Hasan Al-Kharratt, Nasib al-Bakri, Abdul Rahman ash-Shahbandar and Fawzi al-Qawiqji.

Fighting began with the Battle of al-Kafr on July 21, 1925, the Battle of al-Mazra'a on August 2–3, 1925, and the subsequent battles of Salkhad, Almsifarh and Suwayda. After initial rebel victories against the French, France sent thousands of troops to Syria and Lebanon from Morocco and Senegal, equipped with modern weapons, compared to the meagre supplies of the rebels. This dramatically altered the results and allowed the French to regain many cities, although fierce resistance lasted until the spring of 1927. The French sentenced Sultan al-Atrash and other national leaders to death, but al-Atrash escaped with the rebels to Transjordan and was eventually pardoned. In 1937, after the signing of the Franco-Syrian Treaty, he returned to Syria where he was met with a huge public reception.