September 28, 1961
The military coup in Syria leads to the end of the United Arab Republic between Egypt and Syria.
Damascus, Syria | Syrian Army
On September 28, 1961, Syria experienced a military coup that effectively ended the United Arab Republic (UAR), a political union between Egypt and Syria. The United Arab Republic had been established on February 1, 1958, bringing together the two nations under a single political entity led by Egyptian President Gamal Abdel Nasser. This union was part of a broader movement towards Pan-Arabism, driven by the desire to strengthen Arab unity and resist Western influence and intervention in the region.
The union of Egypt and Syria into the United Arab Republic was initially seen as a triumph for Pan-Arab nationalists. However, it soon presented several challenges. Despite the UAR’s ambitious goals, tensions quickly arose due to economic and political centralization, with Cairo holding dominant authority. This led to dissatisfaction in Syria, where local autonomy and interests felt overshadowed by Egyptian control.
Syrian businesses and political bodies opposed the heavy-handed policies implemented from Cairo, which included economic reforms and nationalization programs that many Syrian elites viewed as unfavorable. Moreover, the Egyptian secret police’s involvement in Syrian political affairs further fueled discontent.
On September 28, 1961, a group of Syrian army officers, dissatisfied with the centralized power and loss of Syrian autonomy, executed a military coup in Damascus. These officers, disillusioned by Egypt’s dominance and the lack of benefits perceived from the union, swiftly took control of key installations and communication centers in the city, proclaiming Syria’s secession from the United Arab Republic.
The immediate aftermath of the coup saw the swift establishment of a new Syrian government, which moved to annul the union with Egypt. Political prisoners were released, and ministries that had been abolished or merged with Egyptian counterparts were reinstated in Syria. The Egyptian government, led by President Nasser, initially attempted to resist the dissolution diplomatically but ultimately accepted Syria’s independence as the reality of the situation set in.
The breakup of the United Arab Republic marked a significant moment in the history of Pan-Arabism. It underscored the challenges of creating unified political entities in a region characterized by diverse national interests and significant political, social, and economic differences.
The failure of the UAR cast a long shadow on subsequent attempts at Arab unity and illustrated the complexities inherent in such unions. It served as a reminder of the strong undercurrent of nationalism within individual Arab states, which often conflicted with efforts at greater unification.
The dissolution of the United Arab Republic on September 28, 1961, was a pivotal development in Middle Eastern politics and set a precedent for future regional alliances and national relations.
Source: www.britannica.com