DOI : 10.52837 / 25792970-2021-10.1-5
ANI MATEVOSYAN
EXAMINING STATE-BUILDING OF THE SYRIAN REPUBLIC AND THE LEGACY OF ITS COLONIAL PAST
Abstract : This research tackles essential elements of Syrian state-building processes through a structural analysis incorporating several theories and concepts including but not limited to colonialism , nationalism , military interventions , institutional development , minority rule , and eventually neocolonialism . The article reveals how minority rule and different implications of military interventions shaped today ’ s Syria , as well as addresses some of the current issues such as the absence of domestic political consolidation . The primary aim of this research is to contextualize the role of France — as a former colonizer , within the state-building process of Syria by examining different phases of Syria ’ s historical past . An examination of Syria ’ s political developments proved that having inherited a colonial past , the current state of Syria has also inherited an unavoidable legacy of political instability from its colonial past . Keywords : Syria , Middle East , State-Building , Colonialism , Military Interventions .
Introduction
As a modern country without pre-colonial history as an independent state , Syria began its first phase of state-building when it was colonized by France . It is important to note that three important phases have followed the abolishment of the French mandate , which are analyzed within the scope of this article . To explore each stage of Syria ’ s development , the following phases are identified : the postcolonial period , the beginning of neo-colonialism , and the transition from escalations to civil war . Once established in Syria , the French mandate laid the foundations of state-building processes . This article attempts to uncover the roots of Syrian state-building by analyzing its colonial past and interpreting it from the theoretical perspectives of colonialism , military intervention , institutional development , minority rule , and neocolonialism .
The link between State Failure and Colonial Heritage Scholars argue that in the long term , colonialism is closely associated with state failure . According to one perspective , the communities which have been
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