On April 17, Syria celebrates one of its main public and national holidays – Independence Day, also known as Evacuation Day, – in honor of the date when the last foreign soldier left the land of this Arab country and it gained real independence.
It so happened that Syria, throughout its centuries-old history, has found itself in the sphere of geopolitical interests of its strong neighbors. Among these in different historical periods are the Roman Empire, the crusader states that controlled these lands until 1187, then – Egypt, which owned Syria until the early 16th century. Egypt was replaced by the Ottoman power, which absorbed the territories of Syria and owned them until the end of the First World War, with the exception of a short period in the mid-19th century.
As a result, Syria, being one of the oldest states in the Middle East, was part of these strong neighboring states for most of its history and was unable to develop as an independent state in its own right.
The financial and economic interests of European powers in the Middle East did not allow independent Syria to be born after the end of the Great War. The processes of independence that began in 1920 after the collapse of the Ottoman Empire were nipped in the bud by European powers, the greatest role among which was played in this by France and Great Britain. But the country has even developed a draft Constitution…
Under the terms of the Sykes-Picot secret agreement concluded in 1916, the territory of the Ottoman Empire was subject to division into spheres of influence, which was carried out by direct occupation or the establishment of a protectorate. Under the terms of this agreement, the lands of Syria and Lebanon ended up in the zone of influence of France. Based on these agreements with England, the French army launched an offensive on Damascus in 1920 and occupied Syrian territory, taking advantage of the fact that the army of the Syrian Arab Kingdom was only at the formation stage.
In 1922, the League of Nations effectively legalized French and British actions in Asia Minor, giving them Mandates to administer the occupied territories.
France repeatedly expressed its willingness to grant independence to the mandated territory, and in 1936 even signed a bilateral agreement recognizing Syria as an independent state by 1939. However, all this remained only at the level of the agreement, without being fulfilled.
The end of World War II, a focus on rebuilding its own economy, and increased Syrian resistance to the colonial occupation regime eventually forced France to recognize Syrian independence in 1946 (although this was officially done in 1941, French troops remained in Syria until 1946).
Independence Day is celebrated on the date when all French troops were evacuated from Syria – on April 17, 1946.
The series of coups in the country that followed Syria's acquisition of full independence does not negate the significance of the event, which is now celebrated annually as a public holiday. All subsequent events only once again confirm the fact that Syria, even having gained independence, still remained in the zone of struggle between the foreign policy interests of the strongest world powers. Unfortunately, this struggle continues today.
Fears of terrorist attacks are forcing the Syrian authorities to cautiously hold mass celebrations in honor of Independence Day. However, successes in the fight against terrorism and the forces supporting it unite the Syrian people, who rejoice and take to the streets and squares of cities, celebrating a solemn day.