Syria Crisis: The Death Of Assad Dynasty, Decoding How A Shia Follower Ruled A Sunni Nation For Decades

Not five or ten; it is to be noted that for fifty four long years the Assad family has maintained power over Syria through a combination of authoritarian control and sectarian alliances. But their rule abruptly ended when rebel forces stormed into Damascus, forcing President Bashar al-Assad to abandon his presidential palace. That marked the end of a regime that had shaped modern Syria for decades.

Hafez al-Assad: Architect of the Regime

The founder of the Assad dynasty, Hafez al-Assad, ascended to power through a coup in 1970. In charge of a country plagued by political instability, Hafez exploited his influence in the military and the Ba’ath Party to accumulate power. As an Alawite, a minority group in Syria, he promoted his community, historically marginalized, to significant roles in the military and the government. Such a move guaranteed loyalty but also furthered cleavages within Syrian society.

Hafez’s rule was based on a regime of repression and manipulation, taking advantage of Syria’s ethnic and sectarian divisions to sustain his power. His regime was centralized with weak institutions, and thus his successors inherited a very fragile foundation.

Bashar Makes His Debut

Hafez al-Assad had groomed his eldest son, Bassel, as his successor. However, after Bassel’s death in a car accident in 1994, Hafez shifted focus to his younger son, Bashar, an ophthalmologist with little political experience. After Hafez’s death in 2000, Bashar took over the presidency, receiving nearly unanimous support from a referendum.

After some initial optimism regarding reforms when Bashar came to power, he adopted the same autocratic character of his father and concentrated the circle of power among family members and loyalists. This, naturally, alienated rural populations side-lined grassroots connections, and thus, the economy under Bashar was more biased towards widening inequality, benefitting the small elite and leaving behind many Syrians in poverty.

The 2011 Uprising and Civil War

The Syrian Arab Republic under Assad had its greatest challenge in 2011 during the Arab Spring. The peaceful protests demanding reforms soon became a civil war when the government reacted with violent crackdowns. For ten years, the war devastated Syria, killing hundreds of thousands and displacing millions.

The Escape Of Bashar Al Assad and The End Of Dynasty

The war flared again in 2024 through a huge offensive by the Syrian rebels, led by Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS). The insurgent group, which was once tied to al-Qaeda, seized much of the country and entered the capital, Damascus, a complete collapse of the regime of Bashar al-Assad, as he fled the city.

Also Read: Syria Civil War: Thousand Of Prisoners Released, Viral Video Of A Prisoner Who Lost Memory