Great Syrian Revolt against the French mandate

On 22 July 1925, three days after the capture of Salkhad, France attempted to regain lost ground by launching a column toward Al-Kafr, a strategic point of Jabal al-Druze. This punitive expedition, composed of approximately 360 men, fell into a carefully prepared ambush by the Druze troops of Sultan al-Atrash. The near-complete annihilation of the French column shocked command in Damascus and heralded an insurrection far more powerful than anticipated.

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.

The battle of al-Mazraa was the largest military engagement of the Syrian revolt. Believing they would definitively crush the insurrection, General Michaud launched a massive expedition against Druze forces entrenched near Suwayda. But rugged terrain, oppressive heat, and above all the mobility of Druze cavalry took the slow French column by surprise. The attack turned into disaster. The insurgents won a resounding victory that galvanised all Syria and marked a turning point in the uprising.

On 17 September 1925, French forces attacked al-Musayfirah, a strategic village of the Hauran plain controlled by insurgents since July. The operation was conceived as a demonstration of force to regain military initiative. After a methodical advance supported by aviation and artillery, colonial troops recaptured the village. Fighting was intense and ended with occupation of the centre. After the battle, the French summarily executed several hundred prisoners, provoking shock throughout the Near East.

On 10 and 11 December 1925, French troops launched an offensive to secure Qanawat, a sacred site and strategic point in the Druze massif. The attack aimed to cut rebel communication lines between Suwayda and northern villages. Despite initial progress supported by aviation, French forces met fierce resistance in wooded ravines. Fighting turned into positional warfare. The village was briefly occupied, but the French retreat was precipitated by the extension of combat.

From 20 to 24 November 1925, the small fort of Rashaya, on the borders of Lebanon and Syria, was encircled by Druze forces. The 76 French soldiers resisted for five days without supplies or reinforcements. Despite repeated assaults, the defenders held thanks to discipline and their dominant position. The siege ended on the 24th, but the besieged were only relieved in January 1926, after a general French offensive in the region. The episode became a symbol of French tenacity in the Levant.

On 20 July 1925, Druze troops under Sultan al-Atrash attacked and seized the French military post of Salkhad, in Jabal al-Druze. This coup inaugurated the great Syrian revolt against the French mandate. The engagement was brief but decisive. French troops, encircled, were outnumbered and outmatched militarily. Their surrender triggered a political shock wave in Damascus and marked the beginning of a generalised uprising in southern Syria.

From 20 to 22 November 1925, France launched a vast offensive to retake the town of Suwayda, capital of Jabal al-Druze and heart of the insurrection. Despite an initially successful assault, French troops were encircled during the Druze counter-offensive. A precipitate retreat was ordered after heavy losses. It was one of the severest military reverses of the campaign, which reinforced the legitimacy of Sultan al-Atrash and prolonged the war by more than a year.

From 15 to 17 February 1926, French troops launched a large-scale operation to retake the village of Al-Qrayya, a strategic Druze stronghold in the south of the massif. After weeks of logistical preparation, the assault was launched with massive air support. Druze resistance was fierce but disorganised by French technological superiority. The battle ended in a clear French victory, which marked the beginning of progressive reconquest of Jabal al-Druze.

Between June and August 1926, the French army conducted a series of battles and skirmishes in the Anti-Lebanon range to eliminate the last organised pockets of Druze resistance. Facing guerrilla entrenched in deep valleys and inaccessible villages, colonial troops adopted a methodical encirclement strategy. These operations mark the final phase of the Syrian revolt: Sultan al-Atrash was forced into exile, and the rebellion ceased to exist as a structured force.

The battle of Salkhad was a major offensive conducted by the French army to control the south-eastern flank of Jabal al-Druze. This symbolic town, former stronghold of the rebellion, became the theatre of direct confrontation between French motorised columns and the last contingents of organised insurrection. After several days of intense urban combat and bombardment, Salkhad fell to colonial troops. This victory opened the way to systematic reconquest of the Druze high plateaus.