As World War I ended, the commander of the British forces in the region, General Allenby, divided the occupied Arab territories of the Ottoman Empire under his command into four districts, OETA North, West, East and South.
OETA North was the south central areas of what is now the Republic of Turkey. For a year OETA North was occupied and administered by both French and British forces. After British forces withdrew from OETA North and were replaced by French forces in the fall of 1919, local resistance and Turkish National Resistance forces began attacking the French forces in OETA North. The guerilla warfare and battles continued for two years until a peace treaty ended the combat in October, 1921, and the French forces completed their withdrawal, as called for in the peace treaty, from OETA North in January, 1922.
OETA West was the area along the eastern Mediterranean coast between OETA North and OETA South and was predominately under French occupation and administration. There was, however, also a local administration which the French and British occupation forces allowed to operate.
There was a wide gap in the understanding of the roll of this local administration. For many of the local residents it was the beginning of an independent state, but for the British and French it was only a temporary arrangement which would exist until other plans could be formulated.
In spite of the local administration’s efforts to establish an independent country in the zone, as soon as the French Government had formulated its plans, the local administration in OETA West was summarily dissolved and replaced by a French-appointed administration in the summer of 1922.
In the areas of OETA East which were included in the mandate for Syria and the Lebanon events unfolded in a similar manner. OETA East was occupied by British and Arab forces at the end of the war and initially put under an Arab administration which attempted to establish an independent country in the zone. This administration also was removed by the French, although in this case forcibly, and replaced by a French-appointed administration in the summer of 1922.
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
The Mandate for Syria and the Lebanon Timeline 1918 - 1946 is quite long and complex,
so it will be in six installments:
• The Mandate for Syria and the Lebanon Timeline 1918 - 1946 Part I
- Introduction
- Terms
- Excerpts from Documents Relevant to the Mandate for Syria and the Lebanon
• The Mandate for Syria and the Lebanon Timeline 1918 - 1946 Part II
- The Sinai and Palestine Campaign at the End of World War I
- OETA North - From the end of the war to August 10, 1920
- OETA North - August 10, 1920 to January 7, 1922
• The Mandate for Syria and the Lebanon Timeline 1918 - 1946 Part III
- OETA West - From the end of the war to August 10, 1920
• The Mandate for Syria and the Lebanon Timeline 1918 - 1946 Part IV
- OETA East - From the end of the war to August 10, 1920
• The Mandate for Syria and the Lebanon Timeline 1918 - 1946 Part V
- Lebanon - August 10, 1920 to December 31, 1946
• The Mandate for Syria and the Lebanon Timeline 1918 - 1946 Part VI
- Syria - August 10, 1920 to April 17, 1946
- * - * - * -
Please take the time to go over the ‘Terms’ section in Part I.
Understanding the information in it will make it easier to understand the timeline.
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Map of Syria - 1922
The map above can be seen here.
The map can be enlarged and has very useful information
about the borders which existed in the region in 1922.
• Syria - August 10, 1920 to April 17, 1946
January 10, 1920 - The League of Nations officially came into existence.
January 16, 1920 - The Council of the League of Nations met for its first session in Paris.
January 21, 1920 - The Paris Peace Conference officially ended.
April 25, 1920 - The French Republic was selected to be the Mandatory for Syria by the Principal Allied Powers during the San Remo Conference.
The general terms established for the mandate for Syria by the Allied Supreme Council at the San Remo Conference were that ‘Syria and Mesopotamia shall ... be provisionally recognized as independent States, subject to the rendering of administrative advice and assistance by a mandatory until such time as they are able to stand alone’.
The borders of Mandatory Syria were left undefined and were to be determined by the Principal Allied Powers.
July 12, 1920 - The French High Commissioner in Beirut dissolved the Administrative Council of Mount Lebanon and appointed a committee to govern in its place.
July 14, 1920 - The High Commissioner sent an ultimatum to King Faisal’s Government ordering it to surrender or accept his terms for establishing French control over OETA East.
In order to prevent more bloodshed King Faisal accepted the High Commissioner’s terms on July 19, 1920, but this was rejected by the High Commissioner because it came after the deadline of July 17, 1920 which he had set in his ultimatum.
July 24, 1920 - In a brief but bloody battle west of Damascus, French forces defeated the Arab forces and occupied Damascus the next day. Aleppo had been occupied by French forces the previous day.
King Faisal then went into exile, first to Haifa in OETA South and then to live in Europe.
August 10, 1920 - The Treaty of Sevres was signed by the Allies and the Ottoman Empire.
In the treaty the Ottoman Empire gave up all its rights to its Arab territories, agreed to the creation of the mandates of Syria, Mesopotamia and Palestine, and agreed that the Principal Allied Powers would select their mandatories and determine their borders.
However, the treaty was never ratified by the Ottoman Parliament and never came into effect. It was superseded by the Treaty of Lausanne on July 24, 1923.
August - November, 1920 - French forces extended and consolidated their control over the areas of OETA East which were included in the mandate for Syria and the Lebanon; the cities of Damascus, Homs, Hama and Aleppo, the areas south and east of Damascus, the areas east of Homs and Hama, the areas east and north of Aleppo, and the eastern District of Deir Ez-Zor.
At the same time the French forces in OETA North were under constant attack by local resistance and the Turkish National Resistance.
September 1, 1920 - The State of Greater Lebanon was created by a decree of the French High Commissioner in Syria and in the Lebanon.
Most of the Sidon District of the Province of Beirut - which was south of Mount Lebanon, the southern half of the Tripoli District of the Province of Beirut - which was north of Mount Lebanon, the Beqaa Valley and the Anti-Lebanon mountains of the Province of Damascus - which were east and northeast of Mount Lebanon, and the city of Beirut - which was the capital of the Province of Beirut, were annexed to the District of Mount Lebanon to create the State of Greater Lebanon.
The borders of the State of Greater Lebanon, however, were not clearly defined.
December 1, 1920 - By a decree of the High Commissioner the State of Damascus was created in the south central and southeastern areas of Mandatory Syria and the Lebanon, the State of Aleppo was created in the northern and eastern areas of Mandatory Syria and the Lebanon, and the autonomous Alawite Territory was created in the areas north of the State of Greater Lebanon up to the district of Alexandretta which was part of the State of Aleppo.
December 1, 1920 - The Council of the League of Nations created the Permanent Mandates Commission of the League of Nations.
December 1, 1920 - The French Government submitted its draft of the Mandate for Syria and the Lebanon to the Secretariat-General of the League of Nations for the approval of the Council of the League of Nations.
December 23, 1920 - The Franco-British Convention on Certain Points Connected with the Mandates for Syria and the Lebanon, Palestine and Mesopotamia was signed by the British and French Governments.
In the convention the borders between Mandatory Syria and the Lebanon and Mandatory Mesopotamia and between Mandatory Syria and the Lebanon and Mandatory Palestine were defined.
As the border between Mandatory Syria and the Lebanon and Mandatory Palestine from the Mediterranean Sea to the Sea of Galilee was very loosely defined in the convention, a commission was established in the convention to demarcate the borders on the ground and to prepare a final detailed report on the borders for the approval of the British and French Governments.
The convention also stated that if there were any disputes between the two governments about the report, the matter would be referred to the Council of the League of Nations for a final decision.
May 1, 1921 - The autonomous Druze Territory was created in the southern part of the State of Damascus by a decree of the High Commissioner.
October 20, 1921 - The Treaty of Ankara (Franco-Turkish Agreement of Ankara) was signed by the French Government and the Government of the Grand National Assembly of Ankara. The treaty stated that ‘the state of war between them shall cease’ and established the border between Mandatory Syria and the Lebanon and Turkey.
The border established in the treaty is essentially the border which exists today except for the district of Alexandretta which remained in Mandatory Syria and the Lebanon.
The treaty also stated that a special administrative regime was to be established in the Alexandretta District.
March 4, 1922 - The autonomous Druze Territory became the State of Souaida by a decree of the High Commissioner.
July 1, 1922 - The Union of Syrian States (the Syrian Federation) was created by a decree of the High Commissioner. The federation consisted of the State of Damascus, the State of Aleppo, and the autonomous Alawite Territory.
February 3, 1922 - The Demarcation Agreement containing the final report of the commission established in the Franco-British Convention on Certain Points Connected with the Mandates for Syria and the Lebanon, Palestine and Mesopotamia of 1920 was signed by the British and French Governments.
The report included in the agreement defined in detail the border between Mandatory Syria and the Lebanon and the Palestine territory of Mandatory Palestine. No changes to the border between Mandatory Syria and the Lebanon and the Transjordan territory of Mandatory Palestine or to the border between Mandatory Syria and the Lebanon and Mandatory Mesopotamia were made in the agreement.
July 24, 1922 - The Council of the League of Nations approved the terms of the Mandate for Syria and the Lebanon, but with the condition that the Mandate would only go into force after matters regarding the mandate for Syria between France and Italy were resolved.
March 4, 1923 - The autonomous Alexandretta District was created by a decree of the High Commissioner.
March 7, 1923 - The Demarcation Agreement (which included the final report of the commission established by the December 23, 1920 Franco-British Convention on Certain Points Connected with the Mandates for Syria and the Lebanon, Palestine and Mesopotamia) was ratified by the British and French Governments.
July 24, 1923 - The Treaty of Lausanne was signed by the Allies and the Government of the Grand National Assembly of Turkey. The treaty came into force on August 6, 1924.
In Article 3 the border between Turkey and Syria was recognized as being the border established in the Treaty of Ankara of 1921.
In Article 16 of the treaty Turkey renounced all rights and title to all territories situated outside the borders established in the treaty.
However, Article 16 also stated that any special arrangements which had been or may be concluded with neighboring countries would still be valid. This was primarily to maintain the validity of Article 8 of the Treaty of Ankara of 1921 which established autonomy and other special conditions for the Alexandretta District.
September 23, 1923 - The Council of the League of Nations was notified by the French and Italian Governments that the matters between them regarding the mandate for Syria had been resolved and the Council announced that, as the matters had been settled, the Mandate for Syria and the Lebanon and the Mandate for Palestine entered into force.
Until this announcement the French Government had been administering Mandatory Syria and the Lebanon under the mandate which it had been assigned by the Principal Allied Powers at the San Remo Conference according to the general terms determined by the Allied Supreme Council, also at the San Remo Conference.
Following this announcement Mandatory Syria and the Lebanon was administered by the French Government on behalf of the League of Nations under the supervision of the Council of the League of Nations according to the terms of the Mandate for Syria and the Lebanon.
The Mandate for Syria and the Lebanon which was approved by the Council of the League of Nations on July 24, 1922 and entered into force on September 23, 1923 noted the provisional independence of the territory of Syria and the Lebanon, restated that the Government of the French Republic had been entrusted with rendering administrative advice and assistance until the territory was able to achieve full independence, and stated that the Government of the French Republic would exercise the mandate for Syria on behalf of the League of Nations in conformity with the explicitly defined terms of the Mandate for Syria and the Lebanon.
Article 1 of the Mandate for Syria and the Lebanon stated:
"The Mandatory shall frame, within a period of three years from the coming into force of this mandate, an organic law for Syria and the Lebanon.
This organic law shall be framed in agreement with the native authorities and shall take into account the rights, interests, and wishes of all the population inhabiting the said territory. The Mandatory shall further enact measures to facilitate the progressive development of Syria and the Lebanon as independent states. Pending the coming into effect of the organic law, the Government of Syria and the Lebanon shall be conducted in accordance with the spirit of this mandate.
The Mandatory shall, as far as circumstances permit, encourage local autonomy."
The Mandate for Syria and the Lebanon went on to state that the Mandatory (France) could maintain its forces in the territory, establish and command a local militia for the defense of the territory and the maintenance of order in the territory, impose taxes and customs duties in the territory, and develop the territory’s natural resources.
The Mandate for Syria and the Lebanon also stated that the Mandatory would have the full use of all facilities in the territory for its military at all times, had exclusive control of foreign relations, and would establish a judicial system in the territory.
There was also a provision in the Mandate for Syria and the Lebanon which stated that ‘an arrangement shall be made’ between the Mandatory and the Governments which were established in the territory in which France would be reimbursed by the Governments for all the expenses it incurred while administering the territories under the mandate.
The Mandate for Syria and the Lebanon contained another provision which stated that the future financial obligations which had been assumed by the Mandatory during the mandate period would be fulfilled after the termination of the mandate by the Governments which were established in the territory.
January 23, 1924 - A convention to extend for 15 years, starting April 1, 1924, the concession of the predominately French-owned Bank of Syria to issue the currency of Lebanon and Syria was signed by the French Government and by the Lebanese and Syrian Governments, at the direction of the High Commissioner.
The concession had originally been granted by a decree of the High Commissioner on March 13, 1920.
In the convention the Bank of Syria was renamed the Bank of Syria and Great Lebanon, and the Syrian Pound was renamed the Lebanese-Syrian Pound. The currency was still tied to the French Franc and controlled by the French Treasury.
January 1, 1925 - By a decree of the High Commissioner the Union of Syrian States was dissolved. The State of Damascus and the State of Aleppo were also dissolved and then combined to form the State of Syria.
The autonomous Alawite Territory became the Alawite State.
The State of Syria, the Alawite State, the State of Souaida and the Alexandretta District each had separate local administrations. These local administrations were appointed by and worked under an administrator who represented and was appointed by the High Commissioner.
Security in Mandatory Syria and the Lebanon was under the direct command of the French military and the French High Commissioner, and multiple uprisings were put down by the French military in different areas of the territory between 1920 and 1925.
July, 1925 - May, 1927 - The Great Syrian Revolt (the Great Druze Revolt) began when the Druze in the State of Souaida revolted against the French. The revolt then spread to the State of Syria and the eastern areas of the State of Greater Lebanon.
After initial victories by the Druze and Arabs, a large number of troops were sent to the region by the French Government and the French forces began to win back control.
During the revolt Damascus was systematically and heavily bombarded twice by the French. By July, 1926 the revolt had been generally suppressed but full control was not imposed until the spring of 1927.
May 30, 1926 - The Convention of Friendship and Good Neighbourly Relations was signed by the Turkish and French Governments. The convention established ‘relations of friendship and good neighbourhood’ between Turkey and the countries under French authority in Mandatory Syria and the Lebanon.
The convention also defined in more detail the border established between Turkey and Mandatory Syria and the Lebanon in the Treaty of Ankara of 1921 and established a commission to delimit the border. The commission’s work was ratified in the Protocol between France and Turkey of June 29, 1929 and in the Final Delimitation Protocol of May 3, 1930.
June 2, 1927 - The State of Souaida was renamed the Jebel Druze State by a decree of the High Commissioner.
February, 1928 - Martial law was lifted and a general amnesty, except for the leaders of the revolt, was proclaimed by the High Commissioner.
April 10 and 24, 1928 - Elections for the National Constituent Assembly, which had been authorized by the High Commissioner the previous month, were held.
June 9, 1928 - The National Constituent Assembly convened in Damascus to prepare a constitution for the State of Syria.
August 7, 1928 - The National Constituent Assembly completed its draft of a new constitution. The draft constitution envisioned an independent parliamentary republic for the State of Syria.
However there were four points of contention between the National Constituent Assembly and the High Commissioner.
Syrian control of foreign affairs was included in the draft constitution.
Syrian control of the military was included in the draft constitution.
The Jebel Druze State, the Alawite State, the Alexandretta District, the Republic of Lebanon, Palestine, and Transjordan were included in the State of Syria in the draft constitution.
No mention of the Mandate or of the authority of the Mandatory Power was included in the draft constitution.
August 11, 1928 - The National Constituent Assembly refused to make the revisions to the draft constitution which the High Commissioner demanded, and the High Commissioner suspended the Assembly for three months.
The suspension was extended for three months on November 5, 1928 and the Assembly was suspended indefinitely on February 5, 1929.
May 14, 1930 - As all changes to the draft constitution continued to be rejected by the National Constituent Assembly, it was dissolved by the High Commissioner.
The High Commissioner then issued by decree new constitutions for the Jebel Druze State, the Alawite State, the Alexandretta District and the State of Syria.
The constitution for the State of Syria was essentially the draft constitution which had been prepared by the National Constituent Assembly, but with the changes which the High Commissioner had demanded, the most significant change being Article 116, which was added to the constitution by the High Commissioner.
“No provision in the present constitution is or may be in conflict with the obligations assumed by France in respect of Syria, particularly towards the League of Nations. This reservation applies especially to the articles concerned with the maintenance of order, public security and defence of the country, and, those which affect foreign relations. So long as the international obligations of France in respect of Syria are in force, any provision in the constitution which might affect them shall be applied subject to conditions laid down by agreement between France and the Syrian Government. Accordingly, any laws to be enacted which might affect these responsibilities shall not be discussed or promulgated until such agreement has been made.”
The constitution would come into effect upon the election of a Chamber of Deputies.
In the constitution of the Alexandretta District, the district was to be under the authority of a Governor and an Administrative Council, which had 9 elected members and three appointed members.
In the constitution of the Alawite State, the state was to be under the authority of a Governor, who was appointed by the High Commissioner, and a Representative Council, which had both elected members and appointed members, and the approval of the High Commissioner was required for all laws.
In the constitution of the Jebel Druze State, the state was to be under the authority of a Governor, who was appointed by the High Commissioner, and an appointed Consultative Council, and the approval of the High Commissioner was required for all laws.
The new constitutions were accepted by the Permanent Mandates Commission of the League of Nations in July, 1930.
September 22, 1930 - The Alawite State was renamed the State of Latakia with the approval of the High Commissioner.
October 31, 1931 - The Protocol of Agreement was signed by the British and French Governments. The protocol was based on Article 2 of the Franco-British Convention on Certain Points Connected with the Mandates for Syria and the Lebanon, Palestine and Mesopotamia of 1920 and made minor adjustments in the border between Mandatory Syria and the Lebanon and the Transjordan territory of Mandatory Palestine. The protocol was submitted to the Council of the League of Nations for approval and was approved by the Council on January 30, 1932.
November 19, 1931 - The High Commissioner announced that elections for the Chamber of Deputies would be held the following month.
December 20, 1931 and January 4, 1932 - Elections for the Chamber of Deputies were held.
July, 1932 - The State of Syria became the Republic of Syria. The constitution came into effect when the Chamber of Deputies convened. The Chamber elected the first President of the Republic of Syria who then appointed a Deputy to become the first Prime Minister of the Republic of Syria and form a government. [The exact dates these events happened are not clear. They are given as July 7th, July 11th, and July 15th in the histories I have read.]
The new Syrian Government and the High Commissioner began preparing a treaty to define the relationship between the Republic of Syria and the French Government and to eventually bring an end to the Mandate.
September 10, 1932 - The Report of the Commission entrusted by the Council with the study of the Frontier between Syria and Iraq was accepted by the Council of the League of Nations and finalized the border between Mandatory Syria and the Lebanon and Mandatory Iraq. In the report changes were made to the border, primarily to include of all of the Sinjar Mountains in Iraq.
The commission had been established by the Council in its December, 1931 meeting at the request of the British and French Governments and was based on Article 2 of the Franco-British Convention on Certain Points Connected with the Mandates for Syria and the Lebanon, Palestine and Mesopotamia of 1920.
November 16, 1933 - The Franco-Syrian Treaty was signed by the French and Syrian Governments. In the treaty the French Government agreed to support the Republic of Syria's becoming a member of the League of Nations within four years, and the Syrian Government agreed to an alliance with France for 25 years.
According to the terms of the treaty the French Government would continue to have strong influence in Syria's foreign relations, military, and financial affairs during the duration of the treaty. The Jebel Druze State, the State of Latakia, the Alexandretta District, and the Republic of Lebanon were not included in the Republic of Syria according to the terms of the treaty.
There was strong opposition to the treaty and protests against it grew.
July 14, 1934 - The Mosul-Tripoli Oil Pipeline was opened. The first oil from Mosul reached Tripoli two days later.
November 3, 1934 - The Chamber of Deputies was suspended indefinitely by the High Commissioner following widespread protests against the Franco-Syrian Treaty and strong opposition to it in the Chamber.
February 23, 1936 - As protests and French measures to suppress the protests brought the country to a standstill the High Commissioner agreed to allow the formation of a new cabinet and to negotiate a new treaty. The following month a delegation of Syrian leaders went to Paris to negotiate the new treaty.
September 9, 1936 - The Franco-Syrian Treaty of Friendship and Alliance was signed by the French and Syrian Governments. In the treaty the Republic of Syria was to become a Member of the League of Nations and the Mandate was to end within three years of the treaty’s ratification.
According to the terms of the treaty the Jebel Druze State, the State of Latakia, and the Alexandretta District were to be included in the Republic of Syria, and France was allowed to maintain two military bases in Syria and to use Syrian territory and facilities in times of war.
During the treaty negotiations the Republic of Turkey raised objections to the inclusion of Hatay in the Republic of Syria and took the matter to the Council of the League of Nations for resolution.
November 30, 1936 - Elections for the Chamber of Deputies, which had been authorized by the High Commissioner, were held.
December 21, 1936 - The Chamber of Deputies convened and elected a new President who then appointed a Deputy to be the Prime Minister and form a government.
December 26, 1936 - The Syrian Chamber of Deputies ratified the Franco-Syrian Treaty of Friendship and Alliance.
The Jebel Druze State and the State of Latakia were then integrated into the Republic of Syria with the consent of the High Commissioner.
The French Government never ratified the treaty and it never came into effect. Changing domestic politics in France, protests in Syria about the Hatay Crisis, serious economic problems in Syria and Lebanon, and the growing threat of war were all factors in the French Government’s decision not to ratify the treaty.
January 24, 1937 - The Franco-Turkish Agreement on Alexandretta was signed by the French and Turkish Governments and approved by the Council of the League of Nations.
The agreement was the result of the Turkish Government’s objection, made to the Council of the League of Nations, to Alexandretta’s being included in the Republic of Syria as set out in the terms of the Franco-Syrian Treaty of Friendship and Alliance of September 9, 1936.
The Republic of Turkey’s objection was based on the Treaty of Ankara of 1921 in which Alexandretta was declared to be autonomous. The Turkish Government maintained that Alexandretta could not be included in the Republic of Syria and that it should become independent just as Lebanon and Syria were.
The French Government and Council of the League of Nations’ position was based on Article Four of the Mandate for Syria and the Lebanon which made France, as the Mandatory Power, ‘responsible for seeing that no part of the territory of Syria and the Lebanon is ceded or leased or in any way placed under the control of a foreign Power’.
The Franco-Turkish Agreement on Alexandretta contained the decision of the Council of the League of Nations. It was decided that Alexandretta would be separate self-governing state, that Alexandretta’s foreign relations would be handled by Syria, that there would be a customs and monetary union between Alexandretta and Syria, that the Council would draft a new constitution for Alexandretta, and that a commission would demarcate the border between Alexandretta and Syria and prepare a report describing the border in detail for the Council.
May 29, 1937 - The Statute and the Fundamental Law of the Sanjak of Alexandretta, which had been prepared by experts selected by the Council of the League of Nations, was ratified by the French and Turkish Governments and adopted by the Council of the League of Nations.
The statute and fundamental law defined the structure of the new government of Alexandretta, defined how the new government would be elected, and stated that a permanent delegate of the Council of the League of Nations would reside in Alexandretta to oversee the statute and fundamental law’s implementation and mediate between Alexandretta and Syria when necessary.
The Council of the League of Nations also appointed an Electoral Commission to oversee the election of a government which would govern under the statute and fundamental law.
November 29, 1937 - The Statute and the Fundamental Law of the Sanjak of Alexandretta came into effect.
December 7, 1937 - The Alexandretta Crisis began when the Turkish Government charged the French and Syrian Governments with preventing or assisting Syrians in preventing ethnic Turks from registering to vote in the upcoming Alexandretta elections, renounced the Convention of Friendship and Good Neighbourly Relations of 1926, and stationed large numbers of troops along the Alexandretta border.
The French Government sent a military mission to Ankara to defuse the situation and negotiate a resolution.
February - March, 1938 - The Syria Petroleum Company, which was a subsidiary of Petroleum Concessions, Ltd., which was a subsidiary of the Iraq Petroleum Company, which was a joint British-Dutch-French-American oil company, was awarded a seventy-five-year concession on 60,000 square miles of Syrian territory by the Syrian Government and a seventy-five-year concession on 500 square kilometers of Lebanese territory by the Lebanese Government, with the approval of the High Commissioner.
A few wells were drilled but the onset of World War II halted drilling.
June 26, 1938 - The League of Nation’s Electoral Commission suspended its work and returned to Geneva because they felt that the French authorities in Alexandretta were interfering in their work. The commission was replaced by a joint French-Turkish Commission.
July 3, 1938 - The Franco-Turkish Agreement on Alexandretta was signed by the French and Turkish Governments to resolve the Alexandretta Crisis. In the agreement 6,000 troops - 2,500 French, 2,500 Turkish and 1,000 local troops - were stationed in Alexandretta to supervise the election registration process and the upcoming election.
September 2, 1938 - The Parliament of Alexandretta convened. The election of its members had been long, complex and controversial, and Turkish candidates won 22 of the 40 seats.
During the election process allegations of election fraud were made by the Turkish Government against the Syrian Government and by the Syrian Government against the Turkish Government. The French and Syrian Governments also accused each other of election fraud.
September 6, 1938 - The Parliament in Alexandretta approved the constitution which had been prepared by the League of Nations and adopted the name the State of Hatay (The Republic of Hatay) for the newly established country.
November 4, 1938 - The Franco-Turkish Commission established by the Council of the League of Nations to demarcate the border between Alexandretta and Syria began demarcating the border.
April 1, 1939 - The concession, signed in 1924, of the predominately French-owned Bank of Syria and Great Lebanon to issue the currency of Lebanon and Syria expired.
The concession to issue the Lebanese Pound was extended for 25 years in an agreement between the bank and the Lebanese Government in 1937. However, I have not been able to find information about an agreement between the bank and the Syrian Government to extend the concession.
However, the bank, whose name was changed to the Bank of Syria and Lebanon, continued to issue the Syrian Pound until the 1950’s, but the accounting for the Lebanese Pound and the Syrian Pound were separated as of April 1, 1939.
Also, after April 1, 1939 the Lebanese Pound and the Syrian Pound were still used interchangeably in both Lebanon and Syria, and the currencies were still tied to the French Franc and controlled by the French Treasury.
May 19, 1939 - The Protocol which contained the report of the Franco-Turkish Commission to demarcate the border between Alexandretta and Syria was signed by the French and Turkish Governments.
June 23, 1939 - The Franco-Turkish Agreement on Hatay was signed by the French and Turkish Governments. In the agreement the French Government relinquished all rights to the State of Hatay and the Turkish Government established a fund to compensate the French Government, and individuals in Hatay, for any property losses resulting from the agreement.
The French and Turkish Governments also signed the Franco-Turkish Mutual Aid Agreement in which the two governments pledged to provide aid to each other in the event of aggression or war.
June 23, 1939 - The Parliament of the State of Hatay met and voted to dissolve the government in preparation for the state’s annexation by the Republic of Turkey.
July 1, 1939 - Following the French Government’s announcement that it no longer supported the Franco-Syrian Treaty of Friendship and Alliance of 1936, the Jebel Druze State and the State of Latakia once again became autonomous by a decree of the High Commissioner.
July 7, 1939 - The Turkish Parliament passed a bill annexing Hatay and creating the Hatay District. Three sub-districts from other neighboring districts in Turkey were transferred to the newly created Hatay District.
July 7, 1939 - The President of the Republic of Syria resigned.
July 10, 1939 - The High Commissioner suspended the Syrian constitution, dissolved the Chamber of Deputies and appointed a Council of Commissioners to administer Syria.
July 23, 1939 - The last French troops left Hatay which then became part of the Republic of Turkey.
September 1, 1939 - World War II began.
December 14, 1939 - The Council of the League of Nations met for the last time and suspended operations.
July 10, 1940 - With the surrender of France and the formation of the Vichy Government, the Mandate for Syria and the Lebanon came under the control of Vichy France. The High Commissioner in office at the time remained until a Vichy appointed High Commissioner arrived.
December 6, 1940 - The Vichy appointed High Commissioner took office in Beirut.
April 4, 1941 - The Vichy High Commissioner appointed a Chief of State to administer the country.
June 8, 1941 – July 14, 1941 - The Syria–Lebanon Campaign; British and Free French forces invaded Syria and Lebanon.
July 14, 1941 - The Vichy High Commissioner signed the Armistice of Saint Jean d'Acre and surrendered Syria and Lebanon to the British and Free French forces.
Lebanon and Syria were then occupied by British and Free French forces.
Due to the volatility of the French Franc, the Lebanese Pound and the Syrian Pound were tied to the British Pound. However, the Central Treasury of Free France was to be used as an intermediary between the Bank of Syria and Lebanon and the Bank of England.
July 24, 1941 - The leader of the Free French, General de Gaulle, appointed the first Delegate General of Free France in Syria and Lebanon.
The title High Commissioner was not used for this position by the Free French.
September 16, 1941 - The Delegate General appointed a new Chief of State to administer the country.
September 27, 1941 - The Delegate General declared the conditional independence of the Republic of Syria, and the British Government recognized its independence.
February, 1942 - The British Government appointed a Minister in Syria and in Lebanon who established his headquarters in Beirut. The Minister began pressuring the Delegate General to restore the constitution and to call elections in Syria.
March 25, 1943 - The Delegate General restored the constitution, called for elections, and appointed a new Chief of State to administer the country and make preparations for the elections.
August 17, 1943 - The newly elected Chamber of Deputies convened and elected a President who then called on a Deputy to be the Prime Minister and form a government.
December 27, 1943 - The Government of France agreed to transfer its powers to the Republic of Syria as of January 1, 1944.
The Chamber of Deputies removed all references to the Mandate and French authority from the constitution, and over the next year most French powers were transferred to the Republic of Syria. France retained command of the Syrian military despite Syrian objections.
The Jebel Druze State and the State of Latakia were once again reintegrated into the Republic of Syria during this period.
January 25, 1944 - The French-English-Lebanese-Syrian Protocol was signed by the Lebanese, Syrian and British Governments, and the Free French to set the parity of the Lebanese Pound and the Syrian Pound to the British Pound. The protocol also stated that the parity could not be modified without prior consultation with the Lebanese and Syrian governments.
October 7, 1944 - The Prime Ministers of the Republic of Lebanon, the Republic of Syria, the Emirate of Transjordan, the Kingdom of Iraq, and the Kingdom of Egypt signed the Alexandria Protocol in Alexandria, Egypt.
The protocol called for the establishment of a Council of the League of Arab States to strengthen relations and cooperation between Arab states and to promote the independence and sovereignty of Arab states.
Iraq, Egypt and Transjordan were occupied by British forces; Lebanon and Syria were occupied by British and French forces; and Lebanon, Syria and Transjordan were still under Mandatory administration at the time.
February 26, 1945 - The Republic of Syria declared war on the Axis Powers.
March 22, 1945 - The Charter of League of Arab States was signed in Cairo by the Presidents of the Republic of Lebanon and the Republic of Syria, the Emir of the Emirate of Transjordan, and the Kings of the Kingdom of Iraq, the Kingdom of Egypt, and Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.
The charter established the Arab League in order to put into practice the objectives outlined in the Alexandria Protocol.
May 8, 1945 - World War II in Europe ended.
May 17, 1945 - Additional French forces landed in Beirut to reinforce the French Occupation Forces who had been in Lebanon and Syria since July, 1941, causing major protests, unrest and street fighting to break out in both Lebanon and Syria.
May 21, 1945 - The Lebanese and Syrian Governments broke diplomatic relations with France because the French Government had sent troops into both countries without prior consent.
May 29, 1945 - French forces in Damascus bombed the Syrian Parliament and tried to arrest the leaders of the Syrian Government.
May 31, 1945 - British Prime Minister Winston Churchill demanded that General de Gaulle order the French Occupation Forces to cease fire and end the fighting in Syria and Lebanon.
June 26, 1945 - The Republic of Syria signed the United Nations Charter at the signing ceremony in San Francisco held at the end of the conference which had prepared the Charter.
August 1, 1945 - The French Government transferred command of the Syrian military to the Republic of Syria.
August 15, 1945 - World War II ended with the surrender of the Empire of Japan. The Japanese Instrument of Surrender was signed on September 2, 1945.
October 24, 1945 - The Republic of Syria became a founding Member of the United Nations as the United Nations Charter entered into force.
January 1, 1946 - The Arab League boycott of Zionist goods and services in and from the Palestine territory of the British Mandate for Palestine began.
January 10, 1946 - The first session of the United Nations General Assembly was held in London.
April 19, 1946 - The League of Nations was dissolved by a vote of the Assembly of the League of Nations. The League’s property and assets were transferred to the United Nations.
September 1, 1946 - The office of the French Delegate General in Syria and in the Lebanon ceased to exist.
April 17, 1946 - The last remaining French and British forces left Syria.
February 7, 1949 - The Convention on Winding-Up Operations, the Convention on Settlement of Debt-Claims, and the Payments Agreement, were signed by the Syrian and French Governments. In the agreements the French Government agreed to return to the Syrian Government, over a period of ten years, the Syrian treasury funds and other assets which it had retained possession of.
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
• The Series
The Arabian Peninsula during and after World War I
The Mandate for Mesopotamia Timeline 1916 - 1932 Part I
The Mandate for Mesopotamia Timeline 1916 - 1932 Part II
The Mandate for Syria and the Lebanon Timeline 1918 - 1946 Part I
The Mandate for Syria and the Lebanon Timeline 1918 - 1946 Part II
The Mandate for Syria and the Lebanon Timeline 1918 - 1946 Part III
The Mandate for Syria and the Lebanon Timeline 1918 - 1946 Part IV
The The Mandate for Syria and the Lebanon Timeline 1918 - 1946 Part V
• Treaties, Resolutions, Etc.
The McMahon-Hussein Correspondence - July 14, 1915 - January 30, 1916
The Sykes Picot Agreement - May 16, 1916
The Proclamation of Baghdad - March 19, 1917
The Declaration to the Seven - June 16, 1918
The Anglo-French Declaration - November 7, 1918
Memorandums by the Emir Feisal - January 1 and 29, 1919
The Faisal-Weizmann Agreement - January 3, 1919
Draft Resolutions in Reference to Mandatories - January 30, 1919
Council of Ten Meeting with Emir Faisal - February 6, 1919
The Covenant of the League of Nations - April 28, 1919
The King-Crane Commission Report - Syrian Congress - August 28, 1919
The Anglo-French Accord - September 15, 1919
Memorandum of Agreement at San Remo - April 24, 1920
The San Remo Resolution - April 25, 1920
The Draft of the Mandate for Mesopotamia - December 7, 1920
The Treaty of Ankara of 1921 - October 20, 1921
The Mandate for Syria and the Lebanon - July 24, 1922
The Anglo-Iraqi Treaty of Alliance of 1922 - October 10, 1922
Council of the LoN Meeting Minutes - September 29, 1923
• Notes
I used many sources to collect this information and there is no way I can list all of them.
I have tried to present the information so that anyone who wants to look for more information can do searches easily.
- * - * - * -