Home > Hafez al-Assad

al-Assad was born in rural Syria as part of the minority Alawite community. He was the first member of his family to attend High School and finished top of his class. Because his family had no money to send him to university al-Assad went to the Syrian Military Academy and received a free higher education. He joined in 1951 and was assigned to the Air Force division. Showing real aptitude Assad was sent to the Soviet Union to receive advanced training.

Like many of Syria's young officers al-Assad was politically active. At age 16 he had joined the Ba'ath Party and as he rose through the ranks of the military became an important figure. al-Assad opposed the creation of the United Arab Republic and despite being stationed in Cairo worked with other officers to end the union between Syria and EgyptJumhuriyat Misr al-Arabiyah ( In Detail) Official language Arabic Capital Cairo Largest City Cairo President Hosni Mubarak Prime Minister Ahmed Nazif Area Total % water Ranked 29th 1,001,450 km² 0. 6% Population Total (2003) Density Ranked 15th 74,718,797.

The union collapsed in 19611961 (As MAD Magazine pointed out on its first cover for the year) was the first "upside-down" year i. one that looked the same upside down since 1881, and the last until 6009. Events January January 1 The farthing coin, used since the 13th century, cease. In the chaos that followed the dissolution the Ba'athists seized power and al-Assad was appointed head of the airforceThe Syrian Air Force Al Quwwat al-Jawwiya al Arabiya as-Souriya in Arabic) is the Aviation branch of the Syrian armed forces. History The end of World War II led to a withdrawal of the United Kingdom from the Middle East, and this included a withdrawal fr. The state was officially ruled by Amin al-Hafiz a Sunni Muslim, but it was run by a coterie of young Alawites.

In 1966Events January January 1 In a coup, Colonel Jean-Bedel Bokassa ousts president David Dacko and takes over the Central African Republic. January 2 Strike of public transportation workers in New York City ends January 13 January 3 First Acid Test at the Fil these Alawites lanched a violent coup. al-Assad became Minister of Defence , and the true ruler of the country. After being discredited by the failure of the Syrian military in the Six Days War in 1967Events January January 4 British motorboat racer Donald Campbell dies while attempting a water speed record in Coniston Lake. January 4 Algerian revolutionary Mohammed Khider is shot in Madrid. January 6 Vietnam War: USMC and ARVN troops launch " Operatio al-Assad overthrew the civilian government and became ruler of Syria in 1970Events January events January 1 Construction begins on Arcosanti, by Paolo Soleri, in Mayer, Arizona, located 65, miles north of Phoenix, Arizona. January 1 Unix epoch at 00:00:00 UTC. January 12 Biafra capitulates, ending the Nigerian civil war. January.

al-Assad ruled Syria through the power of the army. He did achieve some popularity because of his moderate reforms and the vast increase in Syria's military power, but was always mistrusted by the population for his secularism and his Alawite roots.

During al-Assad's presidency, Syria played a major role in the 1973 Arab-Israeli war and deployed troops as a peacekeeping force to Lebanon in 1976. During his period, the country had been put on political freeze due to the brutality he showed in his ruling, most notable, the Hamah massacre in which an estimated 35000 civilians were killed and the infamous Tadmor prison shooting where several thousands political prisoners were group-eliminated without trails.

al-Assad ruled the country until his death in 2000 due to a heart attack while speaking on the telephone with Lebanese Prime Minister Selim al-Hoss. He was succeeded by his son Bashar al-Assad.