Fareed Zakaria on what Assad’s fall says about Russia

CNN’s Fareed Zakaria explores what Syria’s stunning fall to rebels says about Russia, one of the Assad regime’s most powerful backers.

Here’s a short history of Syria with links for further reading:

Ancient History

• Syria has been inhabited for millennia, with evidence of civilizations dating back to the Paleolithic era.
• Important ancient cities like Ebla and Mari flourished during the Bronze Age.
• The region was part of various empires, including the Egyptian, Hittite, Assyrian, and Babylonian empires.
• In the Hellenistic period, Syria was part of the Seleucid Empire before becoming part of the Roman Empire.

Links:

• Ancient History Encyclopedia – Syria
• Britannica – Syria, Ancient Syria

Islamic Period

• In the 7th century, Syria came under Islamic rule.
• Damascus became the capital of the Umayyad Caliphate, a major Islamic empire.
• Later, Syria was ruled by various dynasties, including the Abbasids, Ayyubids, and Mamluks.

Links:

• Wikipedia – Islamic conquest of Syria

Ottoman Rule

• In the 16th century, Syria became part of the Ottoman Empire for about 400 years.

Link:

• Wikipedia – Ottoman Syria

French Mandate and Independence

• After World War I, the Ottoman Empire was divided, and Syria came under French mandate.
• Syria gained independence in 1946.

Links:

• Wikipedia – French Mandate for Syria and Lebanon

Modern Syria

• Syria experienced political instability and a series of coups after independence.
• The Ba’ath Party rose to power in the 1960s.
• Hafez al-Assad became president in 1971 and ruled until his death in 2000, succeeded by his son Bashar al-Assad.
• The ongoing Syrian Civil War began in 2011.

Links:

• BBC News – Syria profile