The Rise and Fall of Greater Syria: A Political History of the Syrian Social Nationalist Party

Description

The Syrian Social Nationalist Party devoted itself to reviving and unifying the Syrian nation and establishing this nation's complete independence over its historical homeland, Greater Syria. It continues its struggle today, influencing and shaping Lebanese and Syrian society and politics. Yet, the party remains largely unknown and misunderstood, a condition that stems from the lack of any comprehensive study of it. This book fills this gap. Syrian nationalism and nationalist movements, generally speaking, have been largely neglected and ignored by historians, scholars, and observers of the Middle East. So, too, has the SSNP. The lack of detailed and nuanced analyses has left significant gaps in the party's rich history unaddressed and enabled the perpetuation of inaccuracies and misperceptions regarding its past. Given this and the party's ongoing relevance in Lebanon and Syria, a thorough examination of the early history of the SSNP, the political organization and movement that embodied Syrian nationalism's most explicit, most cogent expression is even more necessary. Based on an extensive and thorough examination of Arabic, French, and English primary sources, the monograph is the first comprehensive, systematic history of the SSNP to date, detailing its struggle to fulfill its nationalist vision and establish a secular, independent state in Greater Syria through a thorough analysis of its formation, evolution, and political activities in Lebanon and Syria. Acknowledgments Contents Introduction Imagining Syria: Syrian Nationalism, Greater Syria, and the SSNP The SSNP in Popular Discourse Comparing Radical Rivals: The Communists, the Baʿth, and the Kataʾib The SSNP in Academic Discourse Organization of the Book Part One: A New Generation 1 Nationalist Formation: Antun Saʿadeh in the South American Mahjar 2 Establishing a Nationalist Movement 3 Freedom Proves Fleeting Part Two: The War Years 4 Those Who Have Departed and Those Who Have Remained 5 Tightening the Noose: Life Under Vichy 6 The Early Days of Independence Part Three: The Road to a Failed Revolution and Its Aftermath 7 Erasing the Mandate 8 Return to the Field of Struggle 9 An Inglorious Revolution Part Four: Advance and Retreat 10 Out of the Shadows: Contesting Elections in Syria and Lebanon 11 The Malki Affair: The Uprooting of the SSNP in Syria 12 The Struggle for Lebanon 13 Epilogue: The Rise of Factionalism Bibliography Index