Ba'ath Party

The Arab Socialist Ba'th Party (also spelled Baath or Ba'ath; Arabic: ??? ????? ?????? ?????????) was founded in 1945 as a radical, left-wing, secular Arab nationalist political party. It functioned as a pan-Arab party with branches in different Arab countries, but was strongest in Syria and Iraq, coming to power in both countries in 1963. In 1966 the Syrian and Iraqi parties split into two rival organisations. Both Ba'th parties retained the same name and maintain parallel structures in the Arab world.

The Ba'th takes power in Syria and Iraq, 1963

In February 1963, the Iraqi Ba'th took power after bloodily overthrowing Abd al-Karim Qasim and quashing communist-led resistance.

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That same year, the Syrian party's military committee succeeded in persuading Nasserist and independent officers to make common cause with it, and they successfully carried out a military coup on 8 March. A National Revolutionary Command Council took control and assigned itself legislative power; it appointed Salah al-Din al-Bitar as head of a "national front" government. The Ba'th participated in this government along with the Arab Nationalist Movement, the United Arab Frontand the Socialist Unity Movement.

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As historian Hanna Batatu notes, this took place without the fundamental disagreement over immediate or "considered" reunification having been resolved. The Ba'th moved to consolidate its power within the new regime, purging Nasserist officers in April. Subsequent disturbances led to the fall of the al-Bitar government, and in the aftermath of Jasim Alwan's failed Nasserist coup in July, the Ba'th monopolised power.

Related Topics:
Hanna Batatu - Jasim Alwan

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