United Arab Republic

The United Arab Republic (Arabic: ???????? ??????? ??????? - al jumhuriya al-'arabia al-muttahida)

Causes of the union

Established on February 1 as a first step towards a pan-Arab nation, the UAR was created when a group of political and military leaders in Syria proposed a merger of the two states to Egyptian president Gamal Abdal Nasser. Pan-Arab sentiment was very strong in Syria, and Nasser was a popular hero throughout the Arab east following the defeat of the Tripartite Agression of 1956. There was thus considerable popular support in Syria for union with Nasser's Egypt.

Related Topics:
February 1 - Pan-Arab - Gamal Abdal Nasser - Tripartite Agression - 1956

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The immediate causes of the union were more specific. The increasing strength of the Syrian Communist Party, under the leadership of Khalid Bakdash, was worrying other political and social groups in Syria, and the Syrian Ba'th Party was alo suffering from an internal crisis fom which prominent members were anxious to find an escape. Syria had had a democratic government since the overthrow of Adib al-Shishakli's military regime in 1954, and the popular pressure for Arab unity was reflected in the composition of parliament. The strength of this popular sentiment was such that the Communist Party and the Muslim Brotherhood both took a positive stance towards unification, despite Nasser's repression of the two parties' organisations in Egypt. The Syrian bourgeoisie also hoped to find a market in Egypt.

Related Topics:
Syrian Communist Party - Khalid Bakdash - Ba'th Party - Adib al-Shishakli - 1954 - Muslim Brotherhood

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