A national army was formed in August 1945 from remnants of French Troupes Speciales. In December 2024, the army fell apart amid a lightning HTS-led offensive that toppled the regime.

HTS's recent overthrow of the Assad regime recalls the key role militias played throughout history—from Sudan's recent civil war all the way back to the American Revolution. Al Majalla explains.

The visit of a Syrian president to Saudi Arabia in 1945 ushered in a new era in the region. Will the visit of Syria's new president on 2 February also be the start of a new chapter?

Three-time president Hashim al-Atassi presided over the drafting of Syria's first charter in 1920, its second in 1928, and its third in 1950, earning him the moniker "Father of the Constitution"

There is a huge misconception that Syria's Alawite community was a major benefactor of the Assad regime. But nothing is further from the truth. Al Majalla explains.

Al Majalla lays out the long and often chaotic array of leaders, military coups, and governing systems that Syria has gone through in the past century

In its public statements, the Syrian government has long supported the Palestinian cause. In reality, the Assads sought to stymie the PLO, whose famous leader, Yasser Arafat, never trusted Damascus.

Although it scored some achievements, the Syrian Union was controversial from the start and became a huge headache for the French Mandate, which dissolved it after two years

A flag that has become synonymous with opposition to Assad rule was actually the flag of the first Syrian Republic under French mandate. Al Majalla debunks regime lies about what this flag represents.

One of Syria's four largest cities, Hama's history pre-dates Christianity. However, it is most famously known for a bloody assault carried out by Hafez al-Assad in 1982, which killed thousands.