Syria in change: the search for regional stability and identity

Syria in change: the search for regional stability and identity

In the middle of the chaotic developments in Syria, there are deeply rooted historical factors that shape the current situation of the Alawites. The roots of the Alawite state, which was built during the French mandate from 1920 to 1936, go back to the British-French division of the Ottoman heritage. France divided the area in several pseudostata in 1920 to preserve political control. These six areas, including the Alawite state, revealed the strategic intention of the colonial power to undermine the influence of the local population, as krone.at . The Alawites, an often discriminated part of Syrian society, benefited from the military possibilities that the French administration offered their community. Therefore, they are still strongly represented in the Syrian army, right up to the management positions under Hafez al-Assad.

The background of the Alawite state

The Alawite state, whose geographical borders today coincide with the Latakia and Tartus governorate, was originally set up to grant the Alawite population independence, but under the umbrella of French colonial rule. The creation of this state happened at a time when the colonial powers tried to suppress regional nationalism movements and control local structures of rule. Over 90 percent of the inhabitants of the Alawite state were Alawites, and the region was characterized by a heterogeneous agricultural society. According to wikipedia , the creation of this state was a direct answer to the demographic and religious tensions of the region.

After the end of the First World War and the collapse of the Ottoman Empire, there was a power vacuum that affected the Alawites and other ethnic groups in the country. During the French administration, the separation in religious and geographical communities is supposed to offer the Alawites, but at the same time led to tensions with the Sunni majority, which held economic power. The Alawite state had been incorporated into the Syrian Republic until 1936, but the roots of these domestic differences continue to exist today and could break up in the current situation of the Syrian crisis, especially in view of the recent struggles and uncertainties about the political future of the country.