Federation of the Autonomous States of Syria
Fédération des États autonomes de Syrie
1922–1925
Flag of Syrian Federation
Flag
StatusFederal state administered by the French Mandate of Syria
Capital
President 
• 1922–1925
Subhi Bey Barakat
LegislatureFederal Council[1]
History 
• Established
28 June 1922
• Dissolution effective
1 January 1925
Area
[2]119,000–120,000 km2 (46,000–46,000 sq mi)
CurrencyLebanese-Syrian pound
Preceded by		Succeeded by
State of Aleppo
State of Damascus
Alawite Territory
State of Syria
State of the Alawites
Today part ofSyria, Turkey
a The capital was initially planned to alternate between Aleppo and Damascus.

The Syrian Federation (Arabic: الاتحاد السوري; French: Fédération syrienne), officially the Federation of the Autonomous States of Syria (French: Fédération des États autonomes de Syrie), was constituted on 28 June, 1922, by High Commissary Gouraud.[3] It comprised the States of Aleppo, Damascus, and of the Alawites,[4] spanning an area of 119,000 to 120,000 km2.[5] It was officially dissolved by decree of 5 December, 1924, "which received its application starting on 1 January, 1925".[6]

History

The Syrian Federation was founded on 28 June, 1922, as a result of Decree 1459 from the High Commissioner of the Levant, Henri Gouraud.[7] It comprised the states of Aleppo, Damascus, and the Alawites, spanning an area of 119,000 to 120,000 km2.[8][9] The federation's government consisted of the President of the Federation and the Federal Council, which initially alternated between sitting in Aleppo and Damascus.[10][11] Homs was also considered a potential capital city.[12] The first session of the Federal Council opened in Aleppo on 28 June, 1922, with a speech from Gouraud.[13] On 8 January, 1923, Damascus became the permanent seat of government, creating divisions in the country's political leadership.[11] The Syrian Federation's only president was Subhi Bey Barakat, who claimed in his first three presidential decrees to have been elected by the Federal Council on 29 June, 1922.[14] However, according to Syrian historian and jurist Edmond Rabbath, Barakat was in fact "ineligible in the year following the end of his presidency" and therefore "appointed and not elected."[15] Barakat was nevertheless formally elected president by the Federal Council on 17 December, 1923.[16]

The Syrian Federation was officially dissolved by Decree 2980, which was issued on 5 December, 1924, by High Commissioner Maxime Weygand and took effect on 1 January, 1925.[17] The decree merged the states of Aleppo and Damascus into the State of Syria and named Barakat president of the new country.[18]

Government

The President of the Federation was elected by an absolute majority of the Federal Council and held office for a term of one year. Afterwards, the president would be ineligible for re-election for one year following their departure from office.[15] They exercised executive powers such as the preparation of the federal budget, the nomination of government officials and the negotiation of treaties with non-federated states, all subject to the ratification of the High Commissariat of the Levant. The Federal Council was a deliberative body composed of five representatives. It studied proposals leading to the adoption of legislation and dealt with economic affairs, such as public works.[19]

Decree 1459, which created the Syrian Federation on 28 June 1922

References

  1. ↑ Batsell, Walter Russell; Garfield, Wadsworth; Colegrove, Kenneth Wallace (1927). "European Economic and Political Survey".
  2. ↑ Le Conte 1923, p. 287
  3. ↑ Malsagne 2011, p. 62; Annales des sciences politiques 1924; Joffre 1924.
  4. ↑ Annales des sciences politiques 1924 ; Sartre & Sartre-Fauriat 2016.
  5. ↑ Le Conte 1923, p. 287.
  6. ↑ Malsagne 2011, p. 62; Rapport sur la situation de la Syrie et du Liban 1925, p. 9.
  7. ↑ Malsagne 2011, p. 62; Annales des sciences politiques 1924; Joffre 1924.
  8. ↑ Annales des sciences politiques 1924 ; Sartre & Sartre-Fauriat 2016.
  9. ↑ Le Conte 1923, p. 287.
  10. ↑ Albert-Sorel, Jean (1929). Le mandat français et l'expansion economique de la Syrie et du Liban (in French). M. Giard.
  11. 1 2 Travaux de droit, d'économie et de sociologie (in French). Librairie Droz. 1963.
  12. ↑ Damas: miroir brisé d'un Orient arabe (in French). Autrement. 1993. ISBN 978-2-86260-394-0.
  13. ↑ Menassa, Gabriel (1924). Les mandats A et leur application en Orient: il faut convoquer les assemblées constituantes (in French). Jouve.
  14. ↑ "Bulletin mensuel ["puis" officiel] des actes administratifs du Haut Commissariat ["puis" administratifs de la Délégation]". Gallica. 1922-10-08. Retrieved 2022-07-12.
  15. 1 2 Rabbāṭ, Idmūn (1928). L'évolution politique de la Syrie sous mandat (in French). M. Rivière.
  16. ↑ L'Illustration (in French). 1925.
  17. ↑ Malsagne 2011
  18. ↑ étrangères, France Ministère des affaires (1926). Rapport à la Société des Nations sur la Situation de la Syrie et du Liban (in French).
  19. ↑ Albert-Sorel, Jean (1929). Le mandat français et l'expansion economique de la Syrie et du Liban (in French). M. Giard.

Sources

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