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Coll 6/93(2) 'SYRIA: Situation in – after capitulation of France, 1940. Incl. Proclamation of Independence.' [302v] (604/626)
The record is made up of 1 file (311 folios). It was created in 3 Jul 1941-12 Dec 1944. It was written in English and French. The original is part of the British Library: India Office The department of the British Government to which the Government of India reported between 1858 and 1947. The successor to the Court of Directors. Records and Private Papers Documents collected in a private capacity. .
Transcription
This transcription is created automatically. It may contain errors.
ANNEXURE TO /iPPEKDIX T A f .
THE FREE FRENCH IN SYRIA .
EXTRACTS FROM .OBSERVER^ REPORTS.
1. I have spent four days in Damascus. The attitude of
the Free French is that they are now of right reinstalled in
Syria, and they are in process of re-establishing a form of
semi-military rule such as existed before. The people are
surprised and disappointed; they realise that it was we who
made possible the entry of the Free French into Damascus, and
cannot understand why, under these circumstances, we stay in
the backgroundo They are disappointed at seeing no sign of
a change in the regime. The guarantee which we have given
of support for General Catroux’s promise of independence has
had little effect. They believe what they see and that,
as General Catroux himself told some Druze leaders in my
presence, is that the French Flag will fly as it did before,
over the whole of Syria.
Local impressions may tend to obscure the larger view.
It is recognised however that the de Gaullist hope that the
salvation of the French Empire and mandated territories
from Germany and Italy will influence world and French
opinion in favour of their movement may be well founded.
But if the method of creating this favourable opinion is
such as to add to the difficulties of winning the war, it
can only be described as deplorably short-sighted. That it
does tend to add to these difficulties I have no doubt
whatever.
Since returning I have had a message from a well-known
Arab Christian saying^that "the Syrians prefer Germans to any
French". This is undoubtedly an exaggeration as applied to
the mass of the people at the present time. They have not
yet lost hope that we shall somehow show that their
protestations of friendship for us are recognised, and that
v/e shall save them from a continuance of French rule and
hasten their promised independence.
If it was certain that protestations of friendship
were designed to create a difficult situation between us and
the Free French, the issue would be clear. It is certain
that it is not wholly so, and even doubtful whether it is at
all.
To reuel advances made to us is in no way beneficial
to the French. Our potential friend becomes our certain enemy,
If v/e give encouragement the French are certain to suspect
that we are intriguing to reduce their influence.
French jealousy and suspicion of our influence recall
exactly the jealousy and suspicion of King Faisal’s
entourage in 1922 and onwards. Leaders friendly to us in the
About this item
- Content
Following on from an earlier file (IOR/L/PS/12/2166), this file concerns British policy relating to Syria, following the success of the British-Free French military campaign in Syria [Operation Exporter]. (The abbreviation 'Incl.' in the title stands for 'Including').
The date range of this file is 1941-44; however, most of the material dates from 1941.
Notable correspondents include the following: His Majesty's Ambassador in Cairo (Miles Wedderburn Lampson); Minister of State, Cairo (Oliver Lyttelton); His Majesty's Ambassador in Bagdad [Baghdad] (Sir Kinahan Cornwallis); His Majesty's Ambassador in Washington (Edward Frederick Lindley Wood, referred to in the correspondence as Viscount Halifax); the Secretary of State for India (Frederick William Pethick-Lawrence); General Charles de Gaulle; General Georges Catroux; officials of the Foreign Office, the War Office, and the Government of India's External Affairs Department.
The file includes discussion of the following:
- The British Government's relationship with Free France in Syria (particularly with General Charles de Gaulle) and the possibility that the Free French authorities are suspicious of Britain's interest in Syria.
- Concerns expressed by the Government of India (and to a lesser degree, by the War Office) that the Free French authorities intend to take the place of the Vichy administration in Syria and renege on promises of imminent independence.
- Arrangements for the repatriation of Vichy French officers and the return of British prisoners of war.
- The wording of a Free French declaration (a translated draft of which is included) announcing Syria's independence and the formation of a Syrian Government, with Sheikh Taj ed Din el Hassani [Taj al-Din al-Hasani] as President, issued on 27 September 1941.
- Britain's formal recognition of Syrian independence on 28 October 1941.
- Reports of unrest in the Deir es Zor [Deir ez-Zor] region during October 1941.
- The wording of a Free French declaration announcing Lebanon's independence (particularly the wording of paragraph 16, which makes reference to Lebanon as 'an indivisible unit'), issued on 26 November 1941 (a translated draft of the declaration is included).
- Whether the proclamations of Syrian and Lebanese independence constitute the termination of the French Mandate.
- Whether treaty negotiations should be initiated following the declarations of independence, or delayed until the end of the war.
- The appointment of Major General Sir Edward Spears as Envoy Extraordinary and Minister Plenipotentiary A diplomatic representative who ranks below an ambassador. The term can be shortened to 'envoy'. to the Governments of Syria and Lebanon.
Also included are copies of daily summaries produced by the Middle East Intelligence Centre (MEIC) in Cairo, covering early July 1941.
There is a small amount of French language material, consisting of extracts from drafts of both of the aforementioned declarations, as well as a copy of the full text of the declaration of Lebanese independence.
The file includes two dividers which give a list of correspondence references contained in the file by year. These are placed at the back of the correspondence (folio 2-3).
- Extent and format
- 1 file (311 folios)
- Arrangement
The papers are arranged in approximate chronological order from the rear to the front of the file.
- Physical characteristics
Foliation: the foliation sequence (used for referencing) commences at the front cover with 1, and terminates at the last folio with 312; these numbers are written in pencil, are circled, and are located in the top right corner of the recto The front of a sheet of paper or leaf, often abbreviated to 'r'. side of each folio. A previous foliation sequence, which is also circled, has been superseded and therefore crossed out.
- Written in
- English and French in Latin script View the complete information for this record
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Coll 6/93(2) 'SYRIA: Situation in – after capitulation of France, 1940. Incl. Proclamation of Independence.' [302v] (604/626), British Library: India Office Records and Private Papers, IOR/L/PS/12/2168, in Qatar Digital Library <https://www.qdl.qa/archive/81055/vdc_100043060294.0x000007> [accessed 18 April 2024]
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- Reference
- IOR/L/PS/12/2168
- Title
- Coll 6/93(2) 'SYRIA: Situation in – after capitulation of France, 1940. Incl. Proclamation of Independence.'
- Pages
- front, front-i, 2r:15v, 17r:56v, 59r:59v, 60v:82v, 84r:91v, 94r:137v, 140r:161v, 162v:184v, 187r:215v, 218r:256r, 257r:312v, back-i, back
- Author
- East India Company, the Board of Control, the India Office, or other British Government Department
- Usage terms
- Open Government Licence