there was no consolidation among the Syrian political elite and thus no political stability in Syria .
Two other theories of military interventionrelevent to this topic are the theories of conflict and regional differences , which are closely related . According to the conflict theory , “ ethnic antagonisms including cultural diversities , ethnic dominance and ethnic competitions are largely responsible for military interventions in politics ” 19 . This draws attention to the heterogeneity of the population concerned , concluding that the more diverse it is within its internal structures , the higher the chances of military coups . On the other hand , the theory of regional differences suggests that the various factions of the ruling class attempt to establish their dominance via the military . Consequently , this analysis can also be situated within the Syrian context . Primarily , there was an ongoing conflict among different religious groups in Syria , particularly the Sunnis , who were the majority , and the Alawites , who were a minority but held key positions within the military . The ongoing conflict concerned the formation of the government and maintaining stability within the state of Syria . Additionally , as suggested in the theory of regional differences , it would be appropriate to note the territorial divisions of Syria into at least four divisions , each of which was populated mostly by a single religious group .
Therefore , the newly independent state encountered significant challenges in the post-colonial period and failed to achieve political stability during the early years of its independence . The traces of Western influence could still be noticed in the process of Syrian state-building in two ways . First , anti-western tendencies dominated the attitude of the Syrian people . The importance of the Syrian identity was continuously growing , and rising nationalist attitudes exacerbated the hatred towards former colonizers . On the other hand , Syrian state-building faced a series of difficulties while attempting to establish stability in all spheres of the Syrian reality . Creating an arena of prospective foreign engagement , Syria attracted Soviet and American interest in its domestic politics . A brief review of the developments in Syria in this stage shows how international communism penetrated Syrian political life . However , military coups prevented Syria from achieving stability and had continuously shaken the Syrian state . The most organized political group was that of minorities — the Alawites . This was primarily due to the fact that Alawites had the experience of ruling the state throughout the years of the French mandate . Being a minority and having limited opportunities to expand their influence over
19
Edeh Herbert C . and Michael I . Ugwueze , Military and Politics : Understanding the Theoretical Underpinnings of Military Incursion in Third World Politics , Mediterranean Journal of Social Sciences .
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