The Battle
The French forces advanced out of Beirut, led by General Gouraud. Some Maronite Lebanese reportedly fought on the French side, unwilling to join a Muslim-dominated Kingdom of Syria. Understanding the futility of opposing the French forces, King Faisal submitted to the French and withdrew to Iraq where the British made him ruler of the Kingdom of Iraq. However, Syrian defense minister General Yusuf al-Azmah, who was 36 years old at the time, insisted that Syrians could not allow the French to enter unopposed. He led a small force from Damascus, which consisted of a few hundred regular soldiers from the newly formed army and some hastily-summoned citizen volunteers on what was essentially a suicide mission.
The French forces under the command of General Mariano Goybet easily defeated the Syrian forces. Yusuf al-Azmah was killed in the battle, and the French entered Damascus later the next day. Gouraud went to the tomb of Saladdin, kicked it, and said: "Awake, Saladin. We have returned. My presence here consecrates victory of the Cross over the Crescent."
Yusuf al-Azmah is remembered in Syria today as a martyr who died in the cause of Syrian independence. A statue of him now resides at the center of one of the largest squares in Damascus. The battle ushered in the new era of French colonialism and led to more revolts in Northern Syria and Damascus.
Read more about this topic: Battle Of Maysalun
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