Battle of Damascus

From 18 to 20 October 1925, the Syrian revolt reached its paroxysm with the entry of insurgents into Damascus. Led by Hasan al-Kharrat, Syrian fighters attempted to liberate the capital from the French mandate. The French reaction was immediate: heavy artillery and aviation bombarded the south-eastern quarters, notably Midan and Shaghour. The insurrection was repressed with extreme violence. It was the deadliest and most symbolic battle of the entire Syrian uprising.

After several rebel successes in the Hauran, contestation spread to Damascus. French command, entrenched in the embassy quarter, was taken by surprise by a coordinated attack in the streets of the old town. For Sarrail, it was not merely a matter of defending the capital, but of restoring colonial authority through terror. He ordered massive bombardment of residential zones, provoking a humanitarian and diplomatic catastrophe. This episode would shock international public opinion.

Insurgents conducted a coordinated attack on several points of the town, using narrow alleys for ambushes and lightning assaults. French troops organised a star-shaped defence around administrative buildings, then launched a counter-offensive with heavy artillery positioned at the citadel and aircraft bombing from the Mezzeh base. The Midan quarter was targeted as a priority. French patrols then invested house by house to purge pockets of resistance.

The battle of Damascus broke the immediate momentum of the revolt, but at the price of a bloodbath and massive destruction of the city centre. France's prestige in the East was durably tarnished. Several European countries, including Great Britain, openly criticised French methods. Hundreds of houses were destroyed, and the historic architecture of Old Damascus was heavily damaged. Politically, the battle further radicalised nationalists and broadened the popular base of the revolt throughout Syria.