Syrian Independence (Evacuation Day)
Syria had been a French mandate since 1920, and nationalist agitation against French rule was near-continuous, including the major Great Syrian Revolt of 1925-1927. Free French and British forces occupied Syria in 1941 during the Second World War, and the Free French administration proclaimed Syrian independence that same year under pressure from Britain, which wanted to secure the Levant's stability for the Allied war effort; Shukri al-Quwatli was elected president in 1943 and Syria was recognised as a fully independent republic on 1 January 1944, though French troops and administrative control remained. Tensions over the pace of French withdrawal escalated in May 1945, when French forces shelled Damascus and other cities to suppress nationalist demonstrations demanding full sovereignty, killing hundreds of Syrians and severely damaging the parliament building. The bombardment provoked British military intervention to halt the French assault and international condemnation that left France's continued presence untenable; after further negotiation, the last French soldier departed Syria on 17 April 1946, a date since commemorated as Evacuation Day and celebrated as Syria's full independence.
- Year: 1946 CE
- Category: Political
