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Syria Coups and Countercoups, 1961-70
The military coup again brought out all the competing
factions and interest groups. In December 1961, all political
groups, except the Communists and pro-Nasser factions,
participated in a general election for a constituent assembly.
Although party labels were not used, only a few known Baathists
were elected to an assembly dominated by moderates and
conservatives.
The new assembly elected Nazim al Qudsi president of the
republic, and he in turn named a conservative, Maruf Dawalibi,
prime minister. In January 1962, the assembly repealed major
sections of a July 1961 decree that had nationalized various
industrial and commercial firms, and, in February, it amended in
favor of the landlords the land-reform measures that had been
implemented during the period of union.
The new government succeeded in pleasing few and alienating
many, and, on March 28, 1962, there was another military coup.
President Qudsi resigned, as did the prime minister and the
cabinet, and the executive and legislative functions of the
government were taken over by an organization called the General
Command of the Army and Armed Forces. Demonstrations against this
new coup broke out in several of the major cities and, on April
5, the seven military officers who had organized and implemented
the coup were sent into exile by other military leaders. On April
10 Qudsi resumed the presidency.
The events between April and September were confusing.
According to some factions, the assembly had been dissolved;
other groups contended that the assembly had voluntarily
resigned; and still others asserted that the assembly continued
to exist although it was not allowed to meet. A new prime
minister formed a government that restored several of the
socialist measures of the UAR period but banned all political
parties.
By early September 1962 clashes between pro-Nasser and antiNasser elements had become more violent and more frequent, as had
the student demonstrations and terrorist bombings. On September
13, President Qudsi appointed Khalid al Azm as the new prime
minister and allowed the National Assembly, supposedly defunct,
to convene at his residence. In its single session, the Assembly
confirmed Azm's appointment and approved three seemingly
contradictory measures: first, the reinstated Constituent
Assembly was to be called the Constitutional Assembly; second,
the government could legislate in the absence of the Assembly;
and third, the government was granted the authority to dissolve
the Assembly with the understanding that new elections would be
held within one year. On September 20 the Assembly was again
dissolved.
Although Azm included representatives of all political
factions except the extreme pro-Nasser group in this cabinet, he
was unable to govern effectively and, by early 1963, four of the
seven military officers who had been exiled after their
successful coup in March 1962 made another coup attempt. This
time they were unsuccessful, and they again went into exile.
Their abortive coup was poorly planned and elicited no
discernible support from the military, but in February the
government attempted to purge the army of an estimated 120
officers who were believed to pose a threat. On March 8 there was
yet another coup by the military, and on March 9 Salah al Din al
Bitar, who with Michel Aflaq had founded the Baath Party in the
1940s, became prime minister for the first of several times.
Bitar included five pro-Nasserites in his cabinet, but in
early May these five ministers were forced to resign, and 47
officers and 1,000 noncommissioned officers who were believed to
be pro-Nasser were forced out of the army. On May 11 Bitar
resigned, but a week later he returned to form a new government.
During May and June 1963, the situation continued to be confused,
and on July 17 and 18 an estimated 2,000 Nasserites attempted a
coup. The fighting was intense for a few hours in Damascus, but
the coup was crushed. Major General Amin al Hafiz--a Sunni
Baathist army officer who had risen with the neo-Baathists--
emerged as the strong man, serving as commander in chief of the
armed forces, president of the National Council of the
Revolutionary Command (subsequently known as the National Council
of the Revolution--NCR), deputy prime minister, minister of
defense, minister of the interior, and deputy military governor.
On August 4, Bitar formed another government, his third in six
months.
The attempted coup marked a turning point in the country's
domestic affairs. It was the first time that a coup or coup
attempt had resulted in widespread violence and loss of life. On
July 19, eight army officers and 12 civilians were convicted in
summary trials before revolutionary security courts and were
executed by firing squads the same day. This pattern of violence
was to be repeated by the Baathists in seizing and retaining
power.
On November 11, 1963, Bitar again resigned, and Hafiz became
prime minister, retaining as well the other posts he previously
held. By April 1964 urban unrest had again become serious. In
Hamah, for example, the military measures taken to suppress the
uprisings resulted in what Hafiz described as "frightful
carnage." On May 14, Hafiz resigned as prime minister but
retained his other posts, and Bitar formed another government.
Between May 1964 and February 1966, there were frequent
changes of government reflecting the contest for power between
the centrist and leftist wings of the Baath Party. The occasional
urban and town riots, student disorders, and pro-Nasser
demonstrations were sternly repressed. During this period Hafiz
continued to dominate the public scene, but two other Baathist
generals, both Alawis, began to exercise decisive power. On
February 23, 1966, these two generals, Salah al Jadid and Hafiz
al Assad, joined Nureddin Atassi in a coup that placed the more
extremist wing of the Baath Party in power.
Data as of April 1987
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