Lebanon and Syria

Abstract

The events in Syria and Lebanon during World War II form one of the strangest stories of that war. Crises occurred repeatedly in that region and were fuelled by personality conflicts between General Sir Edward Spears — who, as we will remember, had brought de Gaulle to London — and almost every French official in the area. However, there was much more to the problem than a simple question of individuals. To begin with, there was the strategic significance of the Levant which was of immense importance to the British who otherwise had few interests there. The British and Free French had moved into this area initially because the Germans were using it as a base to attack the British. As long as the Suez Canal remained threatened the British would consider these territories to be extremely important, and even afterwards they would remain vital because many Allied supplies for the Pacific War passed through the Suez Canal. These regions also bordered the powder-keg of Palestine, which was under British mandate and was threatening to explode into violence between Jew, Arab and British occupier. Any events in Lebanon and Syria would automatically have significant repercussions in Palestine, and, needless to say, the British wanted to avoid this at all costs. The Middle East was also vital as a whole because of the importance of its oil supplies to the war effort.