Uprising
In January 2011, Syrian President Bashar al-Assad talked to The Wall Street Journal. They asked if he thought protests happening in other Arab countries would also happen in Syria. Assad thought Syria would be safe from protests because his government opposed the United States and Israel, which he believed matched what most Syrians wanted.
But soon after the interview, protests started in Syria too. This showed that Assad’s situation was more serious than he thought. Syria already had many problems with its politics and economy that made people unhappy. Assad was supposed to bring positive changes when he became president in 2000. However, he didn’t fulfill those hopes. Instead, he used strict rules like his father did, and many people who opposed him faced violence. Assad also changed the economy to help his friends get richer, making the gap between rich and poor bigger.
Another problem was a long drought from 2006 to 2010 which made many farming families poor. They moved to cities for help but found none.
The protests began in Darʿa in March 2011 when children were arrested for writing against the government. People protested for political and economic changes, but the government responded harshly, arresting and shooting at them. This made more people join the protests in other cities too. Videos of the violence spread quickly, making more people angry.
Most protesters were Sunni Muslims, while Assad and his family were from the ʿAlawite minority. Many in the security forces were also Alawite and attacked protesters. At first, people from all religions protested together, but later, divisions became stronger. Assad said the protesters were terrorists and tried to scare minorities into supporting him.
As protests grew so did the violence from the government. Some protesters started fighting back, and in June, Syrian troops attacked a town, sending many people to Turkey as refugees.
Countries around Syria took sides. The United States and Europe criticized Assad and asked him to leave. Countries like Qatar, Turkey, and Saudi Arabia also opposed him. But Iran and Russia supported Assad and blocked efforts to condemn him at the United Nations.
Syrian Civil War: Facts & Timeline
Syrian Civil War: Refugee and asylum-seeker statistics- Over half of Syria’s population is displaced due to the continuation of hostilities, with an estimated 16.7 million people requiring emergency aid in 2024. Approximately 6.5 million are recognized as refugees and asylum-seekers. The Syrian Civil War began in 2011 over concerns such as employment, corruption, and democracy.
In this article, we’ll talk about the Syrian Civil War: Facts & Timeline. We will cover what happened during the war, when it started, how it unfolded over time, and the impact of war.
Table of Content
- Syrian Civil War Overview
- Syrian Civil War Key Facts
- Syrian Civil War Timeline
- Uprising
- Civil war
- Impact of Syrian Civil War
- Conclusion
- FAQs on Syrian Civil War: Facts & Timeline