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WEEKLY NEWSLETTER
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Lebanon
Index
After the Vichy government assumed power in France in 1940,
General Henri-Fernand Dentz was appointed high commissioner of
Lebanon. This appointment led to the resignation of Emile Iddi on
April 4, 1941. Five days later, Dentz appointed Alfred Naqqash
(also given as Naccache or Naccash) as head of state. The Vichy
government's control ended a few months later when its forces were
unable to repel the advance of French and British troops into
Lebanon and Syria. An armistice was signed in Acre on July 14,
1941.
After signing the Acre Armistice, General Charles de Gaulle
visited Lebanon, officially ending Vichy control. Lebanese national
leaders took the opportunity to ask de Gaulle to end the French
Mandate and unconditionally recognize Lebanon's independence. As a
result of national and international pressure, on November 26,
1941, General Georges Catroux, delegate general under de Gaulle,
proclaimed the independence of Lebanon in the name of his
government. The United States, Britain, the Soviet Union, the Arab
states, and certain Asian countries recognized this independence,
and some of them exchanged ambassadors with Beirut. However, even
though the French technically recognized Lebanon's independence,
they continued to exercise authority.
General elections were held, and on September 21, 1943, the new
Chamber of Deputies elected Bishara al Khuri as president. He
appointed Riyad as Sulh (also cited as Solh) as prime minister and
asked him to form the first government of independent Lebanon. On
November 8, 1943, the Chamber of Deputies amended the Constitution,
abolishing the articles that referred to the Mandate and modifying
those that specified the powers of the high commissioner, thus
unilaterally ending the Mandate. The French authorities responded
by arresting a number of prominent Lebanese politicians, including
the president, the prime minister, and other cabinet members, and
exiling them to the Castle of Rashayya (located about sixty-five
kilometers east of Sidon). This action united the Christian and
Muslim leaders in their determination to get rid of the French.
France, finally yielding to mounting internal pressure and to the
influence of Britain, the United States, and the Arab countries,
released the prisoners at Rashayya on November 22, 1943; since
then, this day has been celebrated as Independence Day.
The ending of the French Mandate left Lebanon a mixed legacy.
When the Mandate began, Lebanon was still suffering from the
religious conflicts of the 1860s and from World War I. The French
authorities were concerned not only with maintaining control over
the country but also with rebuilding the Lebanese economy and
social systems. They repaired and enlarged the harbor of Beirut and
developed a network of roads linking the major cities. They also
began to develop a governmental structure that included new
administrative and judicial systems and a new civil code. They
improved the education system, agriculture, public health, and the
standard of living. Concurrently, however, they linked the Lebanese
currency to the depreciating French franc, tying the Lebanese
economy to that of France. This action had a negative impact on
Lebanon. Another negative effect of the Mandate was the place given
to French as a language of instruction, a move that favored
Christians at the expense of Muslims.
The foundations of the new Lebanese state were established in
1943 by an unwritten agreement between the two most prominent
Christian and Muslim leaders, Khuri and Sulh. The contents of this
agreement, later known as the National Pact or National Covenant
(al Mithaq al Watani), were approved and supported by their
followers.
The National Pact laid down four principles. First, Lebanon was
to be a completely independent state. The Christian communities
were to cease identifying with the West; in return, the Muslim
communities were to protect the independence of Lebanon and prevent
its merger with any Arab state. Second, although Lebanon is an Arab
country with Arabic as its official language, it could not cut off
its spiritual and intellectual ties with the West, which had helped
it attain such a notable degree of progress. Third, Lebanon, as a
member of the family of Arab states, should cooperate with the
other Arab states, and in case of conflict among them, it should
not side with one state against another. Fourth, public offices
should be distributed proportionally among the recognized religious
groups, but in technical positions preference should be given to
competence without regard to confessional considerations. Moreover,
the three top government positions should be distributed as
follows: the president of the republic should be a Maronite; the
prime minister, a Sunni Muslim; and the speaker of the Chamber of
Deputies, a Shia Muslim. The ratio of deputies was to be six
Christians to five Muslims.
From the beginning, the balance provided for in the National
Pact was fragile. Many observers believed that any serious internal
or external pressure might threaten the stability of the Lebanese
political system, as was to happen in 1975.
Lebanon became a member of the League of Arab States (Arab
League) on March 22, 1945. It also participated in the San
Francisco Conference of the United Nations (UN) and became a member
in 1945. On December 31, 1946, French troops were completely
withdrawn from the country, with the signing of the Franco-Lebanese
Treaty.
Data as of December 1987
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