1925 Hama uprising
1925 Hama uprising | |||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Part of the Great Syrian Revolt | |||||||
| |||||||
Belligerents | |||||||
| Syrian rebels | ||||||
Commanders and leaders | |||||||
Gen. Maurice Gamelin Com. Eugène Coustillère | Fawzi al-Qawuqji | ||||||
Strength | |||||||
French garrison in Hama Two company reinforcements (250 men) |
Hundreds (mutinous auxiliaries of the French Syrian Legion and Mawali irregulars) | ||||||
Casualties and losses | |||||||
N/A | 76 deaths (French claim) | ||||||
344 civilian deaths |
The 1925 Hama uprising was one of the major events of the
Background
In 1918, during
The city of Hama, which was part of the State of Damascus and was third largest city in Syria at the time, was "known for its Islamic conservatism and fierce opposition to French rule," according to historian Michael Provence.[3] Together with members of the city's religious establishment, al-Qawuqji formed the Hizb Allah ("Party of God"), an outfit for anti-French activity. The party, according to al-Qawuqji, was devoted to nationalism and independence from France, but there was also an apparent religious character to the organization. Hama itself was far more outwardly religious compared to Damascus.[4]
Planning
Following the Druze assault against the French Army at al-Musayfirah, al-Qawuqji sent emissaries to al-Atrash to notify him of the strength of his Hama-based forces, request that al-Atrash maintain the pressure against French troops in the Hauran, and to establish oral communication between their forces via a trusted connection. Al-Qawuqji's membership in the French Mandatory army allowed for him to keep track of the routines and activities of the French command in Hama. His party also had the support of large segments of Hama's inhabitants, many of whom were members,[2] while the French lacked any local sympathy.[5] In the months preceding the uprising in Hama, al-Qawuqji had been fostering close ties with Hama's religious leaders, local Bedouin, the merchants and the police, encouraging them to join in a holy war against the French and promising them to divide the riches of the government's offices and banks, which he claimed had been stolen from the Syrian people.[6] The city's landlords also lent their support to al-Qawuqji due to their opposition to planned French land reforms.[7] Despite al-Qawuqji's apparently wide scale campaign promoting rebellion, French intelligence was unaware of an impending uprising.[6]
Uprising
On 4 October, at 7:00 pm, al-Qawuqji commanded the mutiny of his entire cavalry unit and together with irregulars from the nomadic
In response, French forces commenced a heavy aerial bombardment of the city from sunrise the following morning, 5 October, until the early afternoon.
The uprising and the subsequent bombardment ended with the deaths 344 Syrians, mostly civilians, according to a petition by the city's residents to the League of Nations. The authorities countered that only 76 people were killed, all of them rebels. However, French intelligence documented more than 100 Syrian deaths.[8] Al-Qawuqji was charged with high treason and sentenced to death in absentia while 355 people from Hama were detained by the authorities.[10] Property damage included the destruction of 115 shops, two souks,[8] 144 homes,[10] including several villas.[8] On 10 October the French newspaper Bulletin de Renseignements proclaimed "... the excellent impression produced by the energetic manner in which order was restored during the events in Ḥamâh. The prestige of France is vastly increased ..."[11]
Aftermath
After withdrawing, al-Qawuqji and his forces regrouped with
On 18 October rebels under the leadership of
In the following months rebels continued their guerrilla campaign in the Ghouta, but after the imprisonment and exile of hundreds of nationalist leaders, including al-Qawuqji and al-Atrash, the death of al-Kharrat and the defection of al-Shallash,[15] the rebels were largely defeated by 26 November. Sporadic fighting in Hama as well as Jabal al-Arab continued until 1927.[7]
References
- ^ Provence, 2005, pp. 98–99.
- ^ a b Provence, 2005, p. 97.
- ^ a b c Provence, 2005, p. 95.
- ^ Provence, 2005, p. 96.
- ^ Provence, 2005, pp. 97–98.
- ^ a b c d e Provence, 2005, p. 98.
- ^ a b Thompson, 2000, p. 46.
- ^ a b c d e f g h Provence, 2005, p. 99.
- ^ a b c Rogan, 2011, p. 230.
- ^ a b Moubayed, 2006, p. 79.
- ^ Provence, 2005, pp. 99–100.
- ^ a b Provence, 2005, p. 100.
- ^ Rogan, 2011, p. 231.
- ^ Provence, 2005, p. 103.
- ^ Provence, 2005, pp. 138–139.
Bibliography
- Moubayed, Sami (2006). Steel and Silk. Cune Press. ISBN 1-885942-41-9.
- Provence, Michael (2005). The Great Syrian Revolt and the Rise of Arab Nationalism. University of Texas Press. ISBN 978-0-292-70680-4.
- Rogan, Eugene L. (2011). The Arabs: A History. Basic Books. ISBN 978-0-465-02504-6.
- Thompson, Elizabeth (2000). Colonial Citizens: Republican Rights, Paternal Privilege, and Gender in French Syria and Lebanon. Columbia University Press. ISBN 0-231-10661-0.