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List of heads of state of Syria

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This is a list of heads of state of Syria since 1920.

Ancient monarchies

Main article: List of Syrian monarchs

Mamluk Sultanate

Main article: List of Mamluk sultans

Ottoman Syria

Main article: Ottoman Syria

Military administrators

OETA South chief administrators

The area was divided into four districts: Jerusalem, Jaffa, Majdal and Beersheba, each under a military governor. Both of the first two British administrators, Generals Money and Watson, were removed by London for not favouring the Zionists over the Arabs; when the OETA administration ended, Liberal party politician (and former British Home Secretary) Herbert Samuel was installed as the first civilian administrator. Samuel recorded his acceptance of the role, and the end of military administration, in an often-quoted document: "Received from Major-General Sir Louis J. Bols K.C.B.—One Palestine, complete."

No.PortraitName
(birth–death)Term of officeRef.Took officeLeft officeTime in office
1Major General
Arthur Wigram Money
(1866–1951)June 1918June 1919
2Major General
Harry Davis Watson
(1866–1945)June 1919December 1919
3[[File:Major-General Sir Louis Jean Bols, KCB, DSO.jpg70px]]Lieutenant General
Louis Bols
(1867–1930)January 1920July 1920

OETA East administrators

OETA East was a joint Arab-British military administration. The Arab and British armies entered Damascus on 1 October 1918, and on 3 October 1918 Ali Rida al-Rikabi was appointed Military Governor of OETA East. Prince Faisal son of King Hussain of Mecca entered Damascus as on 4 October and appointed Rikabi Chief of the Council of Directors (i.e. prime minister) of Syria.

The boundary definition of OETA East left uncertainties to the south and east, leading to competing claims from the Kingdom of Hejaz and Occupied Iraq respectively – see Occupation of Ma'an and Occupation of Zor for further details.

  • Rida al-Rikabi (3 October 1918 – 26 November 1919)

OETA North (West) administrators

  • Marie Antoine de Piépape (7 October 1918 – 19 November 1918)
  • Jules Camille Hamelin (19 November 1918 – 21 November 1919)
  • François Georges Barb (21 November 1919 – 1 September 1920)

OETA North (Cilicia) administrators

  • Édouard Brémond

High Commissioners of France in the Levant

  • Syria or French Syria (1920–1946) (French Mandate of Syria)
PortraitNameTerm of officeNotesTook officeLeft officeTime in office
[[File:Général Gouraud 1923.jpg70px]]Henri Gouraud9 October 191923 November 1922
[[File:Robert_de_Caix_de_Saint_Aymour.jpg70px]]Robert de Caix23 November 192219 April 1923Acting
[[File:Time Maxime Weygand 10 30 33 cropped.jpg70px]]Maxime Weygand19 April 192329 November 1924
[[File:Maurice Sarrail.jpg70px]]Maurice Sarrail29 November 192423 December 1925
[[File:Henry de Jouvenel.jpg70px]]Henry de Jouvenel23 December 192523 June 1926
[[File:Henri-ponsot.jpg70px]]Henri PonsotAugust 192613 July 1933
[[File:Damien de martel.png70px]]Damien de Martel16 July 1933January 1939
[[File:Gabriel puaux.png70px]]Gabriel PuauxJanuary 1939November 1940
[[File:Jean Chiappe 1927.jpg70px]]Jean Chiappe24 November 194027 November 1940Died on flight to take office.
[[File:Henri Dentz.jpg70px]]Henri Dentz6 December 194014 July 1941Dentz was repatriated to Metropolitan France following the Armistice of Saint Jean d'Acre.

General Delegates of Free France in the Levant

PortraitNameTerm of officeNotesTook officeLeft officeTime in office
[[File:Georges Catroux 1940 (cropped).jpg70px]]Georges Catroux24 June 19417 June 1943Catroux was also Chief of Free French Forces in Levant states.
Jean Helleu7 June 194323 November 1943
[[File:Yves Chatigneau.png70px]]Yves Chataigneau23 November 194323 January 1944
Paul Beynet23 January 19441 September 1946

Governors of Jabal Druze State

  • Amir Salim Pasha al-Atrash (1 May 1921 – 15 September 1923)
  • Trenga (provisional) (September 1923 – 6 March 1924)
  • Gabriel Marie Victor Carbillet (6 March 1924 – 14 October 1925), provisional to 1 October 1924
  • Sultan Pasha al-Atrash (18 July 1925 – 1 June 1927), chief of state; in dissidence
  • Charles Andréa (15 October 1925 – 1927)
  • Marie Joseph Léon Augustin Henry (1927)
  • Abel Jean Ernest Clément-Grancourt (1927–1932)
  • Claude-Gabriel-Renaud Massiet (3 February 1932 – 28 January 1934)
  • Justin-Antoine Devicq (1934–1935)
  • Pierre-Joseph-François Tarrit (1935 – 2 December 1936)

Governors of Hatay State

Hatay State (; ; ), also known informally as the Republic of Hatay (), was a transitional political entity that existed from 7 September 1938 to 29 June 1939, being located in the territory of the Sanjak of Alexandretta of the French Mandate of Syria. The state was transformed de facto into the Hatay Province of Turkey on 7 July 1939, *de jure * joining the country on 23 July 1939.

Governors of Alawite State

The Alawite State was run by a succession of French governors from 1920 to 1936:

  • 2 September 1920 – 1921: Colonel Marie Joseph Émile Niéger (b. 1874; d. 1951)
  • 1921–1922: Gaston Henri Gustave Billotte (b. 1875; d. 1940)
  • 1922–1925: Léon Henri Charles Cayla (b. 1881; d. 1965)
  • 1925 – 5 December 1936: Ernest Marie Hubert Schoeffler (b. 1877; d. 1952)

The Sunni landowners, primarily living in the province's cities, were supporters of Syrian unity; however, the French were supported by the rural Alawite communities to whom they catered.

In 1930 the Alawite State was renamed as the Government of Latakia, the only concession by the French to Arab nationalists until 1936.

Heads of state of Syria

NamePortraitTook officeLeft officePartyPositionIndependent politician}};"Independent politician}};"Independent politician}};"Independent politician}};"Independent politician}};"Independent politician}};"Independent politician}};"Independent politician}};"Independent politician}};"National Bloc (Syria)}};"Independent politician}};"Independent politician}};"Independent politician}};"Independent politician}};"Independent politician}};"National Bloc (Syria)}};"National Bloc (Syria)}};"Syrian Social Nationalist Party}};"Military rule}};"People's Party (Syria)}};"Syrian Social Nationalist Party}};"Military rule}};"Arab Liberation Movement}};"Independent politician}};"People's Party (Syria)}};"National Party (Syria)}};"National Union (Egypt)}};"Independent politician}};"Independent politician}};"People's Party (Syria)}};"Ba'ath Party}};"Ba'ath Party}};"Ba'ath Party}};"Ba'ath Party}};"Ba'ath Party}};"Ba'ath Party}};"Ba'ath Party}};"Hayʼat Tahrir al-Sham}};"Independent politician}};"
Occupied Enemy Territory Administration (1918–1920)
محمد سعيد الجزائري[[File:Muhamad said al jaziri.png80px]]17 September 191830 September 1918Head of Government
Ali Rida Pasha al-Rikabi
علي رضا باشا الركابي[[File:Rida pasha alrikabi.jpg80px]]30 September 19185 October 1918
Faisal I
فيصل الأول[[File:1307109799 king-faisal-i-of-iraq-kopiya.jpg80px]]5 October 19188 March 1920
Arab Kingdom of Syria (1920)
Faisal I
فيصل الأول[[File:1307109799 king-faisal-i-of-iraq-kopiya.jpg80px]]8 March 192024 July 1920
(expelled)King
Ali Rida Pasha al-Rikabi
علي رضا باشا الركابي[[File:Rida pasha alrikabi.jpg80px]]8 March 19203 May 1920Prime Minister
Hashim al-Atassi
هاشم الأتاسي[[File:Hashim Al Atassi.jpg80px]]3 May 192028 July 1920
Federation of the Autonomous States of Syria (1920–1924)
(Part of the French Mandate of Syria and Lebanon)Vice President of Syria
Subhi Bay Barakat al-Khalidi
صبحي بك بركات الخالدي[[File:Subhi barkat.jpg80px]]28 June 192231 December 1924IndependentPresident
State of Syria (1925–1930)
(Part of the French Mandate of Syria and Lebanon)
Subhi Bay Barakat al-Khalidi
صبحي بك بركات الخالدي[[File:Subhi barkat.jpg80px]]1 January 192521 December 1925IndependentPresident
François Pierre-Alype
فرانسوا بيير أليب[[File:Pierre Alype - NAC.jpg80px]]9 February 192628 April 1926IndependentEnvoy Extraordinary of the High CommissionerActing President
Ahmad Nami
أحمد نامي[[File:Ahmad nami (3x4 cropped).jpg80px]]28 April 192615 February 1928IndependentPresident
Taj al-Din al-Hasani
تاج الدين الحسني[[File:Taj al-Din al-Hasani (3x4 cropped).jpg80px]]15 February 192814 May 1930IndependentPrime MinisterActing President
Syrian Republic (1930–1936)
(Part of the French Mandate of Syria and Lebanon)
Taj al-Din al-Hasani
تاج الدين الحسني[[File:Taj al-Din al-Hasani (3x4 cropped).jpg80px]]14 May 193019 November 1931IndependentPrime MinisterActing President
Léon Solomiac
ليون سولومياك[[File:Coat of arms of Syria-1957.svg80px]]19 November 193111 June 1932IndependentHigh CommissionerActing President
Muhammad Ali al-Abid
محمد علي العابد[[File:Muhammad Ali al-Abid.jpg80px]]11 June 193227 September 1936IndependentPresident
Syrian Republic (1936–1946)
(Franco-Syrian Treaty of Independence signed but not ratified)
Muhammad Ali al-Abid
محمد علي العابد[[File:Muhammad Ali al-Abid.jpg80px]]27 September 193621 December 1936IndependentPresident
Hashim al-Atassi
هاسم الأتاسي
(1st time)[[File:Hashim Al Atassi.jpg80px]]21 December 19367 July 1939National Bloc
Bahij al-Khatib
بيج الخطيب[[File:Bahij al-Khatib.jpg80px]]10 July 19394 April 1941IndependentPresident of the Council of Directors General
Khalid al-Azm
خالد العظم[[File:Khalid al-Azm.jpg80px]]4 April 194116 September 1941IndependentPrime MinisterActing President
Taj al-Din al-Hasani
تاج الدين الحسني[[File:Taj al-Din al-Hasani (3x4 cropped).jpg80px]]16 September 194117 January 1943
(died in office)IndependentPresident
Jamil al-Ulshi
جميل الألشي[[File:Jamil al-Ulshi.jpg80px]]17 January 194325 March 1943IndependentPrime MinisterActing President
Ata al-Ayyubi
عطا الأيوبي[[File:Ata al-Ayyubi (3x4 cropped).jpg80px]]25 March 194317 August 1943Independent
Shukri al-Quwatli
شكري القوتلي
(1st time)[[File:Portrait of Shukri al-Quwatli in 1943 (3x4 cropped).jpeg80px]]17 August 194317 April 1946National BlocPresident
Syrian Republic (1946–1958)
Shukri al-Quwatli
شكري القوتلي
(1st time)[[File:Portrait of Shukri al-Quwatli in 1943 (3x4 cropped).jpeg80px]]17 April 194630 March 1949
(deposed)National Bloc
National PartyPresident
Husni al-Za'im
حسني الزعيم[[File:Husni al-Zaiim (3x4 cropped).jpg80px]]30 March 194926 June 1949Military
Syrian Social Nationalist PartyCommander-in-Chief of the Army and Armed Forces
26 June 194914 August 1949
(deposed)President
Sami al-Hinnawi
سامي الحناوي[[File:Sami al-Hinnawi.jpg80px]]14 August 194915 August 1949MilitaryCommander-in-Chief of the Army and Armed Forces
Hashim al-Atassi
هاشم الأتاسي
(2nd time)[[File:Hashim Al Atassi.jpg80px]]15 August 19495 September 1950People's PartyHead of State
5 September 19502 December 1951President
Adib Shishakli
أديب الشيشكلي[[File:Adib al-Shishakli.jpg80px]]2 December 19513 December 1951Military
Syrian Social Nationalist PartyChairman of the General StaffPresident of the Supreme Military Council
Fawzi Selu
فوزي السلو[[File:Fawzi Selu (3x4 cropped).jpg80px]]3 December 195111 July 1953MilitaryHead of State
Adib Shishakli
أديب الشيشكلي[[File:Adib al-Shishakli.jpg80px]]11 July 195325 February 1954
(deposed)Military
Arab Liberation MovementPresident
Maamun al-Kuzbari
مأمون الكزبري[[File:Maamun_al-Kuzbari_(1914-1998)_portrait.png80px]]26 February 195428 February 1954IndependentVice PresidentActing President
Hashim al-Atassi
هاشم الأتاسي
(3rd time)[[File:Hashim Al Atassi.jpg80px]]28 February 19546 September 1955People's PartyPresident
Shukri al-Quwatli
شكري القوتلي
(2nd time)[[File:Portrait of Shukri al-Quwatli in 1943 (3x4 cropped).jpeg80px]]6 September 195522 February 1958National Party
United Arab Republic (1958–1961)
Gamal Abdel Nasser
جمال عبد الناصر[[File:Stevan Kragujevic, Gamal Abdel Naser u Beogradu, 1962.jpg80px]]22 February 195829 September 1961National UnionPresident
Syrian Arab Republic (1961–1963)
Maamun al-Kuzbari
مأمون الكزبري[[File:Maamun_al-Kuzbari_(1914-1998)_portrait.png80px]]29 September 196120 November 1961IndependentPrime MinisterActing President
Izzat al-Nuss
عزت النص[[File:Sy izzat al-nuss.png80px]]20 November 196114 December 1961Independent
Nazim al-Kudsi
ناظم القدسي[[File:Nazim al-Kudsi (3x4 cropped).jpg80px]]14 December 19618 March 1963
(deposed)People's PartyPresident
Syrian Arab Republic (1963–2024)
Luai al-Atassi
لؤي الأتاسي[[File:Luai al-Atassi.jpg80px]]9 March 196327 July 1963Military
Ba'ath Party
(Syria Region)Presidents of the National Council for the Revolutionary Command
Amin al-Hafiz
أمين الحافظ[[File:Amin al-Hafez 1965.jpg80px]]27 July 196313 May 1964Military
Ba'ath Party
(Syria Region)
13 May 196423 February 1966
(deposed)President of the Presidential Council
Nureddin al-Atassi
نور الدين الأتاسي[[File:Nureddin Atassi (3x4 cropped).jpg80px]]25 February 196618 November 1970
(deposed)Military
Syrian Ba'ath Party
(Syria Region)Head of State
Ahmad al-Khatib
أحمد الخطيب[[File:Ahmad al-Khatib, the interim head of state who ruled Syria for four months from November 1970 to March 1971.png80px]]18 November 197012 March 1971Syrian Ba'ath Party
(Syria Region)Acting Head of State
Hafez al-Assad
حافظ الأسد[[File:Hafez al-Assad official portrait.jpg80px]]12 March 197110 June 2000
(died in office)Military
Syrian Ba'ath Party
(Syria Region)
(National Progressive Front)President
Abdul Halim Khaddam
عبد الحليم خدام[[File:President Jimmy Carter and Abdul Halim Khaddam (cropped).jpg80px]]10 June 200017 July 2000Syrian Ba'ath Party
(Syria Region)
(National Progressive Front)Vice PresidentActing President
Bashar al-Assad
بشار الأسد[[File:Bashar al-Assad (2018-05-17) 02 (cropped).jpg80px]]17 July 20008 December 2024
(deposed)Syrian Ba'ath Party
(Syria Region)
(National Progressive Front)President
Syrian Arab Republic (2024–present)
Ahmed al-Sharaa
أحمد الشرع[[File:Ahmed al-Sharaa in January 2026.jpg107x107px]]8 December 202429 January 2025Hay'at Tahrir al-ShamDe facto Leader
29 January 2025IncumbentIndependentPresident

Timeline

ImageSize = width:1050 height:auto barincrement:10 PlotArea = top:3 bottom:100 right:130 left:20 AlignBars = late

Define $today =

DateFormat = dd/mm/yyyy Period = from:01/01/1922 till:31/12/ TimeAxis = orientation:horizontal ScaleMajor = unit:year increment:5 start:1922 ScaleMinor = unit:year increment:1 start:1922

Colors = id:none value:rgb(0.82,0.83,0.84) legend:None_(Independent) id:nationalbloc value:rgb(0.39,0.58,0.93) legend:National_Bloc id:nationalparty value:rgb(0,0.32,0.62) legend:National_Party id:ssnp value:rgb(0,0,0) legend:Syrian_Social_Nationalist_Party id:military value:rgb(0.66,0.59,0.47) legend:Military id:alm value:rgb(0.80,0.50,0.20) legend:Arab_Liberation_Movement id:nationalunion value:rgb(0.86,0.08,0.24) legend:National_Union id:people'sparty value:rgb(1,0.84,0) legend:People's_Party id:baath value:rgb(0.09,0.40,0.29) legend:Arab_Socialist_Ba'ath_Party_(Syria_Region)

Legend = columns:3 left:200 top:60 columnwidth:190

TextData = pos:(20,65) textcolor:black fontsize:M text:"Political parties:"

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PlotData = width:5 align:left fontsize:S shift:(5,-4) anchor:till

bar:SubhiBeyBarakat from: 29/06/1922 till: 21/12/1925 color:none text:"Subhi Bey Barakat" bar:FrançoisPierre-Alype from: 09/02/1926 till: 28/04/1926 color:none text:"François Pierre-Alype" bar:AhmadNami from: 28/04/1926 till: 15/02/1928 color:none text:"Ahmad Nami" bar:Tajal-Dinal-Hasani from: 15/02/1928 till: 19/11/1931 color:none from: 16/09/1941 till: 17/01/1943 color:none text:"Taj al-Din al-Hasani" bar:LéonSolomiac from: 19/11/1931 till: 11/06/1932 color:none text:"Léon Solomiac" bar:MuhammadAlial-Abid from: 11/06/1932 till: 21/12/1936 color:none text:"Muhammad Ali al-Abid" bar:Hashimal-Atassi from: 21/12/1936 till: 07/07/1939 color:nationalbloc from: 15/08/1949 till: 02/12/1951 color:people'sparty from: 28/02/1954 till: 06/09/1955 color:people'sparty text:"Hashim al-Atassi" bar:Bahijal-Khatib from: 08/07/1939 till: 04/04/1941 color:none text:"Bahij al-Khatib" bar:Khalidal-Azm from: 04/04/1941 till: 16/09/1941 color:none text:"Khalid al-Azm" bar:Jamilal-Ulshi from: 17/01/1943 till: 25/03/1943 color:none text:"Jamil al-Ulshi" bar:AtaBeyal-Ayyubi from: 25/03/1943 till: 17/08/1943 color:none text:"Ata Bey al-Ayyubi" bar:Shukrial-Quwatli from: 17/08/1943 till: 01/01/1947 color:nationalbloc from: 01/01/1947 till: 30/03/1949 color:nationalparty from: 06/09/1955 till: 22/02/1958 color:nationalparty text:"Shukri al-Quwatli" bar:Husnial-Za'im from: 30/03/1949 till: 14/08/1949 color:ssnp text:"Husni al-Za'im" bar:Samial-Hinnawi from: 14/08/1949 till: 15/08/1949 color:military text:"Sami al-Hinnawi" bar:AdibShishakli from: 02/12/1951 till: 03/12/1951 color:ssnp from: 11/07/1953 till: 25/02/1954 color:alm text:"Adib Shishakli" bar:FawziSelu from: 03/12/1951 till: 11/07/1953 color:military text:"Fawzi Selu" bar:Maamunal-Kuzbari from: 25/02/1954 till: 28/02/1954 color:alm from: 29/09/1961 till: 20/11/1961 color:none text:"Maamun al-Kuzbari" bar:GamalAbdelNasser from: 22/02/1958 till: 29/09/1961 color:nationalunion text:"Gamal Abdel Nasser" bar:Izzatal-Nuss from: 20/11/1961 till: 14/12/1961 color:military text:"Izzat al-Nuss" bar:Nazimal-Kudsi from: 14/12/1961 till: 08/03/1963 color:people'sparty text:"Nazim al-Kudsi" bar:Lu'ayal-Atassi from: 09/03/1963 till: 27/07/1963 color:none text:"Lu'ay al-Atassi" bar:Aminal-Hafiz from: 27/07/1963 till: 23/02/1966 color:baath text:"Amin al-Hafiz" bar:Nureddinal-Atassi from: 25/02/1966 till: 18/11/1970 color:baath text:"Nureddin al-Atassi" bar:Ahmadal-Khatib from: 18/11/1970 till: 12/03/1971 color:baath text:"Ahmad al-Khatib" bar:Hafezal-Assad from: 12/03/1971 till: 10/06/2000 color:baath text:"Hafez al-Assad" bar:AbdulHalimKhaddam from: 10/06/2000 till: 17/07/2000 color:baath text:"Abdul Halim Khaddam" bar:Basharal-Assad from: 17/07/2000 till: 08/12/2024 color:baath text:"Bashar al-Assad" bar:Ahmedal-Sharaa from: 08/12/2024 till: 29/01/2025 color:military from: 29/01/2025 till: $today color:none text:"Ahmed al-Sharaa"

References

References

  1. Fieldhouse, D. K.. (6 April 2006). "Western Imperialism in the Middle East 1914-1958". OUP Oxford.
  2. Owen, C. V.. (2004). "Bols, Sir Louis Jean (1867–1930)".
  3. Watson, William E.. (2003). "Tricolor and Crescent: France and the Islamic World". Greenwood Publishing Group.
  4. Tauber, Eliezer. (5 March 2014). "The Arab Movements in World War I". Routledge.
  5. Tauber, Eliezer. (13 September 2013). "The Formation of Modern Iraq and Syria". Routledge.
  6. (1930). "Military Operations: Egypt and Palestine, From June 1917". HMSO.
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