Battle of Maysalun

Battle of Maysalun معركة ميسلون
Part of the Franco-Syrian War
French general Henri Gouraud inspecting his troops in the Anti-Lebanon Mountains the day before the Battle of Maysalun
Date 24 July 1920 (06:30-10:30; with intermittent clashes until 13:30) Location Khan Maysalun and Wadi al-Qarn, Anti-Lebanon Mountains, Syria Result French victory
Belligerents
France	Syria
Commanders and leaders
Henri Gouraud Mariano Goybet	Yusuf al-Azma † Hassan al-Hindi Militia commanders: Muhammad al-Ashmar Yasin Kiwan †
Strength
12,000 troops (backed by tanks and aircraft)	1,400–4,000 regulars Bedouin cavalrymen civilian volunteers
Casualties and losses
42 killed 152 wounded 14 missing (French claim)[1]	~150 killed ~1,500 wounded (French claim)[1]

The Battle of Maysalun (Arabic: معركة ميسلون), also known as the Battle of Maysalun Pass or the Battle of Khan Maysalun (French: Bataille de Khan Mayssaloun), was a four-hour battle fought between the forces of the Arab Kingdom of Syria and the French Army of the Levant on 24 July 1920 near Khan Maysalun in the Anti-Lebanon Mountains, about 25 kilometres (16 mi) west of Damascus.

In October 1918, Arab rebels, under Hashemite Emir Faisal, captured Damascus during the British-backed Arab Revolt against the Ottoman Empire. Faisal then formed a government under the auspices of the Allied military occupation administration of "OETA East", consistent with an earlier Anglo-French agreement. The French encountered local revolts when their forces entered the country, and in March 1920, Faisal was proclaimed King of Syria. A month later, the League of Nations allocated Syria to France as a mandate.^[2]

The Battle of Maysalun ensued as French forces set out from Lebanon to assert control over Damascus and topple Faisal's government. With remnants of the Syrian army and local volunteers, Faisal's war minister, General Yusuf al-Azma, set out to confront them. The better-equipped French troops, led by General Mariano Goybet, defeated al-Azma, who was killed in action. The French entered Damascus the following day, encountering little resistance. Soon afterward, Faisal was expelled from Syria. Despite the Syrian army's decisive defeat, the battle is viewed in Syria and the rest of the Arab world as a symbol of courageous resistance against a stronger, imperial power.