Wiser World 62. Syria 101 Part 3/5—Coups, Ba’athism, and the Assads (1946–2000)
This is Part 3 of 5 of the Syria 101 series: a foundational history of Syria. This episode is a concise, foundational history of Syria from 1946 to 2000, designed for those who know little to nothing about Syria's history, to set the stage for modern Syria. This episode covers:
- How Syria’s new democracy after independence quickly fell into instability
- Why the 1948 war with Israel shook Syria and triggered its first coup
- The cycle of military coups (1949–1963) and Cold War involvement
- The rise of Pan-Arabism and Ba’athism, including Syria’s union with Egypt
- How Hafez al-Assad seized power in 1970 and built an authoritarian state
- What daily life looked like under Assad — security, repression, minorities, economy, and foreign
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Sources used in the making of this episode.
Transcript for this episode.
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