Syria Under the Ba'th

1963-1966 (Jerusalem and N.Y.,1973)

The Ba’th Party established its regime in Syria following the coup d'etat of March 8, 1963. The years 1963-66 saw the first and formative phase of the new regime. During that period Syria underwent significant social and political changes while the nature of the Ba’th Party itself was deeply altered. Itamar Rabinovich has studied those stormy and significant years in Syrian history by drawing on original documents of the Ba’th Party, memoirs and books of polemics, the Arabic press and radio broadcasts. His book establishes the chronology of the period, identifies the issues and the acting forces that shaped it and evaluates the significance of these changes and developments.

Particular emphasis is laid on the unique relationship between the leaders of the Syrian army and the Ba’th Party organization, the role played in Syrian politics by sectarian loyalties and tensions, Syria's complex relationship with Egypt and President Nasser, and the dichotomy of the Ba’th regime and the Syrian population.

The reader is presented with several useful appendixes: lists of Syrian cabinets, Ba’th Party congresses, National and Regional Commands, Ba’th and Syrian personalities, and the first English translation of a major Ba’thi ideological text.