For over 50 years, Syria’s Baath Party, led by the Assad family, ruled the country with fear and violence. This changed dramatically when rebels attacked and captured Damascus. In 2011, President Bashar al-Assad reacted to peaceful protests by using force, just like his father Hafez had done before him.
The Baath Party, which means “resurrection” in Arabic, was created in 1947 by two educated Syrians, Michel Aflaq and Salah Bitar. It aimed to unite Arab nations. The party grew popular after merging with the Arab Socialist Party. In 1963, a military coup put the Baath Party in power, and a few years later, Hafez al-Assad took control, pushing out the party’s founders.
Hafez al-Assad cemented his power in 1970, becoming the head of state and ruling until his death in 2000. A new constitution made the Baath Party the leader of the country. For 30 years, political opposition was not allowed, and protests were banned. In 1982, the government violently suppressed a revolt by the Muslim Brotherhood, killing thousands of people in a hidden massacre.
In this system, Hafez and his son Bashar were both ‘elected’ with more than 90% of the vote, even though there was no real competition. When Hafez died, Bashar was too young to be president, so they changed the rules to allow him to take over—a move many saw as making a hereditary monarchy.
The Assads belong to the Alawite minority, a branch of Shiite Islam in a mostly Sunni country. As the 2011 Arab Spring spread to Syria, it became a serious challenge for the Assads. Bashar promised change but responded with violence against protestors. Although the government held a referendum for a new constitution in 2012, the violence escalated into a civil war, causing the deaths of over half a million people and displacing millions.
Recently, Islamist rebels took control of Damascus after a fast attack, signaling an end to the Assad family’s long and oppressive rule and a hope for a new beginning for Syria.
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