French Mandate of Syria and Lebanon 1

French Mandate of Syria and Lebanon

Mandat français en Syrie et au LibanFrenchMandate of Syria and Lebanon

Mandate of France

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1920–1946

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Flag of the French Mandate of Syria (1920-1922)

Capital Beirut

Language(s) Arabic, French

Political structure League of Nations Mandate

Historical era Interwar period

- Mandate granted April 25, 1920

- Battle of Maysalun July 23, 1920

- Federation established June, 1922

- Unification of Damascus and Aleppo December 1, 1924

- Franco-Syrian Treaty of Independence March–September, 1936

- Independence April 17, 1946

Currency Syrian pound

French Mandate of Syria and Lebanon 2

Today part of  Syria  Lebanon  Turkey

Officially the French Mandate for Syria and the Lebanon[1] (also known as the French Mandate of Syria) was aLeague of Nations mandate founded after the First World War and the partitioning of the Ottoman Empire. Duringthe two years that followed the end of the war in 1918, and in accordance with the Sykes-Picot Agreement that wassigned between Britain and France during the war, the British held control of most Ottoman Mesopotamia (modernIraq) and the southern part of the Ottoman Syria (Palestine and Jordan), while the French controlled the rest ofOttoman Syria (modern Syria, Lebanon, Alexandretta and other portions of southeastern Turkey).During the first years of the 1920s, the British and French control of these territories became formalized by theLeague of Nations' mandate system, and France was assigned the mandate of Syria on September 29, 1923, whichincluded modern Lebanon and Alexandretta (Hatay) in addition to modern Syria.The French mandate of Syria lasted until 1943, when two independent countries emerged from the mandate period,Syria and Lebanon, in addition to Hatay which had joined Turkey in 1939. French troops left Syria and Lebanonfinally in 1946.

The Arab Kingdom of SyriaWith the defeat of Ottomans in Syria, British troops under Marshal Edmund Henry Allenby entered Damascus in1918 accompanied by troops of the Arab Revolt led by Faisal, son of Sharif Hussein of Mecca.Faisal established the first Arab government in Damascus in October 1918, and named Ali Rida Pasha ar-Rikabi amilitary governor.

"Kingdom of Syria" in 1918

The new Arab administration formed localgovernments in the major Syrian cities, and thePan-Arab flag was raised all over Syria. The Arabshoped, with faith in earlier British promises, that thenew Arab state would include all the Arab landsstretching from Aleppo in northern Syria to Aden insouthern Yemen.

French Mandate of Syria and Lebanon 3

Arab Flag of Syria under the Arab administration(1918-1920)

However, General Allenby, and in accordance with the secretSykes-Picot Agreement between Britain and France, assigned tothe Arab administration only the interior regions of Syria (theeastern zone). Palestine (the southern zone) was reserved for theBritish, and on October 8, French troops disembarked in Beirutand occupied all the Lebanese coastal region until Naqoura (thewestern zone) replacing British troops there. The Frenchimmediately dissolved the local Arab governments in the region.

The French demanded full implementation of the Sykes–PicotAgreement and the placement of Syria under their influence. OnNovember 26, 1919, the British withdrew from Damascus to avoid

confrontation with the French, leaving the Arab government face to face with the French.

Faisal had voyaged several times in Europe, beginning in November 1918, trying to convince Paris and London tochange their positions, but without success. Signifying the determination of France on its intervention in Syria wasthe naming of General Henri Gouraud as a high commissioner in Syria-Cilicia.At the Paris Peace Conference, Faisal found himself in an even weaker position when the European powers decidedto ignore the Arab demands.In June 1919, the American King-Crane Commission arrived in Syria to inquire about the local public opinionregarding the future of the country. The commission's workspace extended from Aleppo to Beersheba. They visited36 major cities, met with over than 2000 delegations from more than 300 villages, and received more than 3000petitions. Their conclusions confirmed the opposition of Syrians to the mandate in their country as well as to theBalfour declaration, and their demand of a unified Greater Syria encompassing Palestine. The conclusions of thecommission were rejected by France and ignored by Britain.In May 1919, elections were held for the Syrian National Congress. 80% of seats went to conservatives. However,the minority included dynamic Arab nationalist figures such as Jamil Mardam-Bey, Shukri al-Kuwatli, Ahmadal-Qadri, Ibrahim Hanano, and Riyad as-Solh.Unrest erupted in Syria when Faisal accepted a compromise with the French Prime Minister Clemenceau and withthe Zionist leader Weizmann over the issue of Jewish immigration to Palestine. Anti-Hashemite manifestations brokeout, and Muslim inhabitants in and around Mount Lebanon revolted with fear of being incorporated into a new,mainly Christian, state of Greater Lebanon.

Flag of the Arab Kingdom of Syria (8th March - 24th July1920).

In March 1920, the Syrian national congress in Damascus,headed by Hashim al-Atassi, adopted a resolution rejecting theFaisal-Clemenceau accords. The congress declared theindependence of Syria in her natural borders (includingPalestine), and proclaimed Faisal the king of Arabs. Thecongress also proclaimed political and economic union withneighboring Iraq and demanded its independence as well. Anew government headed by Ali Rida ar-Rikabi was formed onMay 9, 1920.

On April 25, and in the course of the Treaty of Sevres, thesupreme inter-allied council granted France the mandate of Syria (including Lebanon), and granted the UK themandate of Palestine (including Jordan) and Iraq. Syrians reacted with

French Mandate of Syria and Lebanon 4

Faisal, king of Syria. After the fall of hiskingdom in Syria, the British made Faisal

king over Iraq

violent demonstrations, and with the formation of a new government underHashim al-Atassi on May 7, 1920. The new government decided to organizegeneral conscription and began financing an army.

25 Syrian piastre banknote issued in Beirut by the Bank of Syria in1919. The Bank of Syria was later renamed the Bank of Syria andGreater Lebanon, and it continued issuing currency for both Syria

and Lebanon until the 1950s.

These decisions provoked adverse reactions by theFrench as well as by the Maronite patriarchate ofMount Lebanon, which denounced the decisions as a"coup d'état." In Beirut, the Christian press expressedits hostility to the decisions of Faisal's government.Lebanese nationalists profited of the crisis to convene acouncil of Christian figures in Baabda on March 22,1920, that proclaimed the independence of Lebanon.

French Mandate of Syria and Lebanon 5

French drawing depicting Damascus in 1920

On July 14, 1920, General Gouraud issued an ultimatum to Faisalgiving him the choice between submission or abdication. Realizing thatthe power balance was not in his favor, Faisal chose to cooperate.However, the young minister of war, Youssef al-Azmeh, refused tocomply and, during the Franco-Syrian War faced the French at theBattle of Maysaloun. This battle was won by the French under GeneralMariano Goybet in less than a day and Azmeh died on the battlefieldalong with most of those who were with him. General Goybet enteredDamascus on July 24, 1920.

When first arriving in Lebanon, the French were received as liberatorsby the Christian community, but as they were entering Syria they werefaced with a strong resistance. It took France three years from 1920 to1923 to hold full control over Syria and to quell all the insurgenciesthat broke out, notably in the Alawite territories, Mount Druze andAleppo.

The Mandate

Following the San Remo conference and the defeat of King Faisal's short-lived monarchy in Syria at the Battle ofMaysalun, the French general Henri Gouraud subdivided the mandate of Syria into six states. They were the states ofDamascus (1920), Aleppo (1920), Alawites (1920), Jabal Druze (1921), the autonomous Sanjak of Alexandretta(1921) (modern-day Hatay), and the State of Greater Lebanon (1920) which became later the modern country ofLebanon.

Flag of the Syrian Federation (1922-24) and thefollowing State of Syria (1924-30).

In July 1922, France established a loose federation between three ofthe states: Damascus, Aleppo, and the Alawite under the name of theSyrian Federation (Fédération syrienne). Jabal Druze, Sanjak ofAlexandretta, and Greater Lebanon were not parts of this federation,which adopted a new federal flag (green-white-green with Frenchcanton). On December 1, 1924, the Alawite state seceded from thefederation when the states of Aleppo and Damascus were united intothe State of Syria.

In 1925, a revolt in Jabal Druze led by Sultan Pasha el Atrash spread toother Syrian states and became a general rebellion in Syria. France

tried to retaliate by having the parliament of Aleppo declare secession from the union with Damascus, but the votingwas foiled by Syrian patriots.

Flag of the Syrian Republic (1932-58, 1961-63).

On May 14, 1930, the State of Syria was declared the Republic ofSyria and a new constitution was drafted. Two years later, in 1932, anew flag for the republic was adopted. The flag carried three red starsthat represented the three districts of the republic (Damascus, Aleppo,and Deir ez Zor).

In 1936, the Franco-Syrian Treaty of Independence was signed, atreaty that would not be ratified by the French legislature. However,the treaty allowed Jabal Druze, the Alawite (now called Latakia), and

Alexandretta to be incorporated into the Syrian republic within the following two years. Greater Lebanon (now the Lebanese Republic) was the only state that did not join the Syrian Republic. Hashim al-Atassi, who was Prime

French Mandate of Syria and Lebanon 6

Minister under King Faisal's brief reign (1918–1920), was the first president to be elected under a new constitutionadopted after the independence treaty.In September 1938, France again separated the Syrian district of Alexandretta and transformed it into the Republic ofHatay. The Republic of Hatay joined Turkey in the following year, in June 1939. Syria did not recognize theincorporation of Hatay into Turkey and the issue is still disputed until the present time.With the fall of France in 1940 during World War II, Syria came under the control of the Vichy Government untilthe British and Free French invaded and occupied the country in July 1941. Syria proclaimed its independence againin 1941 but it wasn't until January 1, 1944, that it was recognized as an independent republic.On May 29, 1945, France bombed Damascus and tried to arrest its democratically elected leaders. While Frenchplanes were bombing Damascus, Prime Minister Faris al-Khoury was at the founding conference of the UnitedNations in San Francisco, presenting Syria’s claim for independence from the French Mandate. Continuing pressurefrom Syrian nationalist groups and British pressure forced the French to evacuate their last troops on April 17, 1946.In the 1940s, Britain secretly advocated the creation of a Greater Syrian state that would secure Britain preferentialstatus in military, economic and cultural matters, in return for putting a complete halt to Jewish ambition inPalestine. France and the United states opposed British hegemony in the region, which eventually led to the creationof Israel.[2]

Post World War II status and the founding of the UNOn September 27, 1941, France proclaimed, by virtue of, and within the framework of the Mandate, theindependence and sovereignty of the Syrian State. The proclamation said "the independence and sovereignty of Syriaand Lebanon will not affect the juridical situation as it results from the Mandate Act. Indeed, this situation could bechanged only with the agreement of the Council of the League of Nations, with the consent of the Government of theUnited States, a signatory of the Franco-American Convention of April 4, 1924, and only after the conclusionbetween the French Government and the Syrian and Lebanese Governments of treaties duly ratified in accordancewith the laws of the French Republic.[3]

Benqt Broms said that it was important to note that there were several founding members of the United Nationswhose statehood was doubtful at the time of the San Francisco Conference and that the Government of France stillconsidered Syria and Lebanon to be mandates.[4]

Duncan Hall said "Thus, the Syrian mandate may be said to have been terminated without any formal action on thepart of the League or its successor. The mandate was terminated by the declaration of the mandatory power, and ofthe new states themselves, of their independence, followed by a process of piecemeal unconditional recognition byother powers, culminating in formal admission to the United Nations. Article 78 of the Charter ended the status oftutelage for any member state: 'The trusteeship system shall not apply to territories which have become Members ofthe United Nations, relationship among which shall be based on respect for the principle of sovereign equality.'"[5]

States created during the French MandateDuring the French mandate, several states were created in the once united Greater Syria. The drawing of those stateswas based primarily on exploiting the diverse sectarian make up of Syria. However, nearly all the Syrian sects werehostile to the French mandate and to the division it created. This was best demonstrated by the numerous revolts thatthe French encountered in all of the Syrian states.Maronite Christians of Mount Lebanon, on the other hand, were a community with a dream of independence thatwas being realized under the French; therefore, Lebanon was the exception to the newly formed states.

French Mandate of Syria and Lebanon 7

State of Greater Lebanon

Flag of Greater Lebanon during theFrench mandate.

On September 1, 1920, General Gouraud proclaimed the establishment of theState of Greater Lebanon (French: État de Grand Liban) (Arabic: نانبل ةلود

.(ريبكلا

Greater Lebanon was created by France to be a "safe haven" for the Maronitepopulation of the Mutasarrifia (Ottoman administrative unit) of MountLebanon. Mt. Lebanon, an area with a Maronite majority, had enjoyedvariable degrees of unofficial autonomy during the Ottoman era. However,Greater Lebanon included in addition to Mount Lebanon other mainlyMuslim regions that were not part of the Maronite Mutasarrifia, and hence theword "greater." Those regions correspond today to north Lebanon, south Lebanon, Biqa' valley, and Beirut.

The capital of Greater Lebanon was Beirut. The new state was granted a flag merging the French flag with the cedarof Mt. Lebanon.Muslims in Greater Lebanon rejected the new state upon its creation. They boycotted the general census in 1922, andrefused to receive new identity cards before General Gouraud agreed to remove from the cards the part statingLebanese citizenship. The Muslim continuous demand for reunification with Syria eventually brought about anarmed conflict between Muslims and Christians in 1958 when Muslim Lebanese wanted to join the newlyproclaimed United Arab Republic, while Christians were strongly opposed.Although most of the Lebanese sects were not enthusiastic for the new state, Maronites were the majority andmanaged to preserve its independence; an independence that created a unique precedent in the Arab world asLebanon was the first Arab country in which Christians were not a minority.The State of Greater Lebanon existed until May 23, 1926, after which it became the Lebanese Republic.

State of Alawites

Flag of the Alawite State during theFrench mandate.

The State of Alawites (French: État des Alaouites) (Arabic: نييولعلا ةلود)was located on the Syrian coast and incorporated a majority of Alawites, abranch of Shia Islam. The port city of Latakia was the capital of this state.

Initially it was an autonomous territory under French rule known as theAlawite Territories. It became part of the Syrian Federation in 1922, but leftthe federation again in 1924 and became the State of Alawites. On September22, 1930, it was renamed the Independent Government of Latakia. Thepopulation at this time was 278,000. The government of Latakia finally joinedthe Syrian Republic on December 5, 1936.

This state witnessed several rebellions against the French. The most prominent of which were under Salih al-Ali, anAlawite anti-French figure.

French Mandate of Syria and Lebanon 8

State of Jabal Druze

Flag of the State of Jabal Druze duringthe French mandate.

Jabal Druze was a French mandate from 1921 to 1936 created for the Druzepopulation of southern Syria. It had a population of some 50,000 and had itscapital in As Suwayda.

State of Aleppo

Flag of the State of Aleppo

The State of Aleppo (1920–1925) (French: État d'Alep) (Arabic: بلح ةلود‎)included a majority of Sunni Muslims. It covered northern Syria in addition tothe entire fertile basin of river Euphrates of eastern Syria. These regionsrepresented much of the agricultural and mineral wealth of Syria. Theautonomous Sanjak of Alexandretta was added to the state of Aleppo in 1923.

The capital was the northern city of Aleppo, which had large Christian andJewish communities in addition to the Sunni Muslims. The state alsoincorporated minorities of Shiites and Alawites. Ethnic Kurds, Syriacs, and

Assyrians inhabited the eastern regions alongside the Arabs.

The primarily Sunni population of the state of Aleppo was strongly opposed to the division of Syria. This resulted inits quick end in 1925, when France united the states of Aleppo and Damascus into the State of Syria.

State of Damascus

Flag of the State of Damascus.

The State of Damascus was a French mandate from 1920 to 1925. The capitalwas Damascus.

French Mandate of Syria and Lebanon 9

Sanjak of Alexandretta

Protests in Damascus by women demonstrators againstTurkeys annexation of the Sanjak of Alexanderetta in1939. One of the signs reads: "Our blood is sacrificed

for the Syrian Arab Sanjak."

The Sanjak of Alexandretta was autonomous from 1921 to 1923,under the French-Turkish treaty of October 20, 1921, due to thepresence of an important Turkish community along with Arabs ofvarious religious denominations: Sunni Muslims, Alawites, SyriacOrthodox, Greek Orthodox, Greek Catholics, Maronites. Therewere also communities of Jews, Assyrians, Kurds, Armenians andGreeks. In 1923 Alexandretta was attached to the State of Aleppo,and in 1925 it was directly attached to the French mandate ofSyria, still with special administrative status.

The 1936 elections in the sanjak returned two MPs favoring theindependence of Syria from France, and this prompted communalriots as well as passionate articles in the Turkish and Syrian press.This then became the subject of a complaint to the League ofNations by the Turkish government under Mustafa Kemal Atatürkconcerning alleged mistreatment of the area's Turkish populations.Atatürk demanded that Alexandretta become part of Turkey,claiming that the majority of its inhabitants were Turks. Thesanjak was given autonomy in November 1937 in an arrangement

brokered by the League. Under its new statute, the sanjak became 'distinct but not separated' from the FrenchMandate of Syria on the diplomatic level, linked to both France and Turkey for defence matters.

In 1938 the Turkish military went into the Syrian province and expelled most of its Arab and Armenianinhabitants.[6] Before this, Alawi Arabs and Armenians were the majority of Alexandrettas population.[6]

The allocation of seats in the sanjak assembly was based on the 1938 census held by the French authorities underinternational supervision: out of 40 seats, 22 were given to the Turks, nine for Alawi Arabs, five for Armenians, twofor Sunni Arabs, and two for Christian Arabs. The assembly was appointed in the summer of 1938 and theFrench-Turkish treaty settling the status of the Sanjak was signed on July 4, 1938.On September 2, 1938, the assembly proclaimed the Sanjak of Alexandretta as the Republic of Hatay, taking as anexcuse that rioting had broken out between Turks and Arabs. The Republic lasted for one year under joint Frenchand Turkish military supervision. The name "Hatay" itself was proposed by Atatürk and the government was underTurkish control. The president Tayfur Sökmen was a member of Turkish parliament elected in 1935 (representingAntakya (Greek: Αντιόχεια) and the prime minister Dr. Abdurrahman Melek, was also elected to the Turkishparliament (representing Gaziantep) in 1939 while still holding the prime-ministerial post.In 1939, following a popular referendum, the Republic of Hatay became a Turkish province. For the referendum,Turkey had crossed tens of thousands of Turks into Alexandretta to vote.[7] This referendum has been labeled both"phoney" and "rigged", and that it was a way for the French to let Turks take over the area, hoping that they wouldturn on Hitler.[6] [8]

French Mandate of Syria and Lebanon 10

References• Mandat Syria-Liban ... (1920-146) [9]

• La Syrie et le mandat français (1920-1946) [10]

• Les Relations franco-libanaises dans le cadre des relations Internationales [11]

• Mandat français au Proche-Orient [12]

[1] League of Nations Official Journal, Vol 3, August 1922, p1013[2] https:/ / www. haaretz. co. il/ hasen/ spages/ 950373. html[3] See Foreign relations of the United States diplomatic papers, 1941. The British Commonwealth; the Near East and Africa Volume III (1941),

pages 809-810; and Statement of General de Gaulle of November 29, 1941, concerning the Mandate for Syria and Lebanon, Marjorie M.Whiteman, Digest of International Law, vol. 1 (Washington, DC: U. S. Government Printing Office, 1963) 680-681

[4] See International law: achievements and prospects, by Mohammed Bedjaoui, UNESCO, Martinus Nijhoff; 1991, ISBN 9231027166, page 46(http:/ / books. google. com/ books?id=jrTsNTzcY7EC& pg=PA46& dq=& client=#v=onepage& q=& f=false)

[5] Mandates, Dependencies and Trusteeship, by H. Duncan Hall, Carnegie Endowment, 1948, pages 265-266[6] Jack Kalpakian (2004). Identity, Conflict and Cooperation in International River Systems (http:/ / books. google. com/

books?id=EmlX4Y7PMjgC& printsec=frontcover& dq=Identity,+ conflict+ and+ cooperation+ in+ international+ river+ systems& hl=en&ei=UoIzTe22C86gOsDqsbUC& sa=X& oi=book_result& ct=result& resnum=1& ved=0CCcQ6AEwAA#v=onepage& q& f=false)(Hardcover ed.). Ashgate Publishing. p. 130. ISBN 0754633381. .

[7] Robert Fisk (2007). The Great War for Civilisation: The Conquest of the Middle East (http:/ / books. google. com/books?id=SJHtAAAAMAAJ& q="The+ Turks+ trucked+ tens+ of+ thousands+ of+ people+ into+ the+ sanjak+ for+ the+ referendum,+ and+naturally+ the+ "people"+ voted+ to+ be+ part+ of+ Turkey. "& dq="The+ Turks+ trucked+ tens+ of+ thousands+ of+ people+ into+ the+sanjak+ for+ the+ referendum,+ and+ naturally+ the+ "people"+ voted+ to+ be+ part+ of+ Turkey. "& hl=en& ei=0IUzTcCBIc7oOcGsjbUC&sa=X& oi=book_result& ct=result& resnum=1& ved=0CCMQ6AEwAA) (Paperback ed.). Vintage. p. 335. ISBN 1400075173. .

[8] Robert Fisk (19 March 2007). "Robert Fisk: US power games in the Middle East" (http:/ / www. independent. co. uk/ opinion/ commentators/fisk/ robert-fisk-us-power-games-in-the-middle-east-440856. html). The Independent. . Retrieved 15 December 2010.

[9] http:/ / www. diplomatie. gouv. fr/ fr/ IMG/ pdf/ III_-_Protmand_modifie_mandat. pdf[10] http:/ / maaber. 50megs. com/ issue_august03/ lookout2f. htm[11] http:/ / www. lebarmy. gov. lb/ article. asp?ln=fr& id=1010[12] http:/ / 209. 85. 129. 104/ search?q=cache:0uumjqryX5YJ:perso. orange. fr/ pierre. gay/ PagesFra/ ColPrOFR+ mandat+ syrie& hl=fr&

gl=fr& ct=clnk& cd=4& client=firefox-a

External references• "No Yo-Yo!." (http:/ / www. time. com/ time/ magazine/ article/ 0,9171,745025,00. html). Time Magazine.

January 30, 1933. Retrieved August 19, 2009.

Article Sources and Contributors 11

Article Sources and ContributorsFrench Mandate of Syria and Lebanon  Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?oldid=429213710  Contributors: A.h. king, Adimovk5, AgadaUrbanit, AladdinSE, Anas Salloum,Asabbagh, Attilios, Auntof6, Axeman89, Baristarim, Barticus88, Bnynms, Boleslaw, BomBom, Brian Sayrs, Caerwine, Cedrus-Libani, CharlesMartel, Chris the speller, ChrisCork, Debresser,Dereye, Dialectric, Domino theory, Ewawer, Flatterworld, Formeruser-81, FunkMonk, George Al-Shami, Ghuzmeli, Good Olfactory, Gotipe, HD86, Harlan wilkerson, Hmains, Hugo999, IanPitchford, Izzedine, J04n, Jayjg, Jeysee, John of Reading, KHarbaugh, Karenjc, Kerem Ozcan, Kmobayed, Kordas, KureCewlik81, Lackett, LarRan, Lectonar, Lipton1995, Logan, Macguba,Manxruler, Mkpumphrey, Mttll, NSH002, Orionist, Pearle, Picaballo, R'n'B, R-41, Redrose64, Reedy, Reg porter, Rich Farmbrough, Rjwilmsi, SeNeKa, Shaolin128, Shilonite, StaticGull,Supreme Deliciousness, Tabletop, The Prince Manifest, Vadac, Vanjagenije, Volker89, Waterloo1974, Wolterstorff, Woohookitty, Yuber, Zero0000, Zibran 2, Zozo2kx, 60 anonymous edits

Image Sources, Licenses and ContributorsFile:Ottoman Flag.svg  Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=File:Ottoman_Flag.svg  License: Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported  Contributors: The originalis created by en:user:Kerem Ozcan, it was uploaded to commons by user:OttomanReference.File:Flag of Kingdom of Syria (1920-03-08 to 1920-07-24).svg  Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=File:Flag_of_Kingdom_of_Syria_(1920-03-08_to_1920-07-24).svg  License:Public Domain  Contributors: Ch1902File:Syria-flag 1932-58 1961-63.svg  Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=File:Syria-flag_1932-58_1961-63.svg  License: Public Domain  Contributors: User:AnonMoosFile:Flag of Lebanon.svg  Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=File:Flag_of_Lebanon.svg  License: Public Domain  Contributors: Traced based on the CIA World Factbook withsome modification done to the colours based on information at Vexilla mundi.File:Flag of Turkey.svg  Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=File:Flag_of_Turkey.svg  License: Public Domain  Contributors: David Benbennick (original author)File:Flag of the French Mandate of Syria (1920).svg  Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=File:Flag_of_the_French_Mandate_of_Syria_(1920).svg  License: Public Domain Contributors: ThommyFile:Mandate of Syria.png  Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=File:Mandate_of_Syria.png  License: Creative Commons Attribution 2.5  Contributors: Original uploader wasHD1986 at en.wikipedia (Original text : HD1986 (talk))File:Flag of Syria.svg  Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=File:Flag_of_Syria.svg  License: Public Domain  Contributors: see belowImage:FEisalKingdom.png  Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=File:FEisalKingdom.png  License: Creative Commons Attribution-Sharealike 3.0  Contributors: Busterof666Image:Arab Revolt flag.svg  Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=File:Arab_Revolt_flag.svg  License: Public Domain  Contributors: AnonMoos, Denelson83, Liftarn, Permjak,Pumbaa80, R-41, Stolee, 4 anonymous editsImage:Flag of Kingdom of Syria (1920-03-08 to 1920-07-24).svg  Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=File:Flag_of_Kingdom_of_Syria_(1920-03-08_to_1920-07-24).svg License: Public Domain  Contributors: Ch1902Image:King Faisal Of Syria 1920.jpg  Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=File:King_Faisal_Of_Syria_1920.jpg  License: Creative Commons Attribution-Sharealike 3.0 Contributors: HD86Image:SYRIAN 25 PIASTRES 1919.jpg  Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=File:SYRIAN_25_PIASTRES_1919.jpg  License: Public Domain  Contributors: Original uploaderwas HD1986 at en.wikipedia (Original text : HD1986 (talk))Image:Damas Juillet 1920.jpg  Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=File:Damas_Juillet_1920.jpg  License: Creative Commons Attribution-Sharealike 3.0,2.5,2.0,1.0  Contributors:Chevalier Henri Goybet Arrière petit fils de MarianoImage:Flag of Syria French mandate.svg  Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=File:Flag_of_Syria_French_mandate.svg  License: Public Domain  Contributors: F l a n k e rImage:Syria-flag 1932-58 1961-63.svg  Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=File:Syria-flag_1932-58_1961-63.svg  License: Public Domain  Contributors: User:AnonMoosImage:Lebanese French flag.svg  Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=File:Lebanese_French_flag.svg  License: Public Domain  Contributors: w:User:MysidImage:Latakiya-sanjak-Alawite-state-French-colonial-flag.svg  Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=File:Latakiya-sanjak-Alawite-state-French-colonial-flag.svg  License: PublicDomain  Contributors: AnonMoos, Frank C. Müller, Fry1989, FunkMonk, Homo lupus, Mattes, Pieter Kuiper, PixeltooImage:Flag of Jabal ad-Druze (state).svg  Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=File:Flag_of_Jabal_ad-Druze_(state).svg  License: Public Domain  Contributors: ThommyImage:Flag of the State of Aleppo.svg  Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=File:Flag_of_the_State_of_Aleppo.svg  License: Public Domain  Contributors: ThommyImage:Flag of the State of Damascus.svg  Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=File:Flag_of_the_State_of_Damascus.svg  License: Public Domain  Contributors: ThommyImage:ProtestsAnnexationAlexanderetta.jpg  Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=File:ProtestsAnnexationAlexanderetta.jpg  License: Public Domain  Contributors: Unknown

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