Prolonging French occupation of Syria-

raharris1973

Gone Fishin'
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AH challenge - with as late a PoD as possible, and containing the
effects as much as possible to the Levant, have the French army still
operating in Syria in '48 and '49.
In OTL, unlike in other French imperial possessions, the other powers
really were keen to recognize Syrian sovereignty and get the French
out of their Syrian mandate. Meanwhile, the French overstayed the
Syrian's welcome and even the rest of the world's welcome, keeping
their army around trying to salvage some special concessions from
independent Syria. First off, I wonder why even the British in
particular, were so interesting in easing the French out there, when
they were happy to ease them back in to Indochina?
Anywhoo, if we can keep the French army in Syria, we can prevent the
participation of the Syrian army in the Israeli war of independence.
Syria only occupied a really small piece of land, but later in history
it proved troublesome, and during the war itself, the potential threat
of Syria surely had to effect Israeli operations. How does the Israeli
war of independence go differently if they do not have to worry about
the Lebanese and Syrian armies and are only attacked through Egypt and
Jordan by those countries' armies and the Iraqis?
Would the French, if still occupying Syria and Lebanon, also prevent
the passage of major guerrilla bands into the Galilee? And would they
control the border to prevent the northward flow of Palestinian
refugees?
If all the above happen, northern Israel could have a much bigger Arab
population (I think only a small number of Galileean Palestinians
would pass through Israeli lines to Jordanian controlled territory,
most would go north or go nowhere). Would Ben-Gurion, looking at the
demographics, actually want to perhaps leave an independent "Galilee
wedge" or "Nazarene Strip" in the north, to ensure a Jewish majority,
if it can find somebody local to enforce an armistice (hmm, French
peacekeepers?)
 
Well Britain liberated Syria 3 times in 30 years so they could have become fed up with the task. From Turkey in 1918, from France in 1941 and again 1945 to make the point that they actually meant it in 1941. Only 1 in 7 French troops in 1941 chose to stay with the Free French. The rest chose to return to the Vichy army in France. Then the Gaullists in Syria failed to honour the agreement for Syrian independence until British troops and armoured cars made an appearance in Damascus. De Gaulle's comments of the time suggest that, had the French Army in Syria been stronger he would have let them oppose British forces with arms. The use of armoured cars and lorried infantry was enough to show genuine intent to carry Syrian independence forward and the French knew that it was backed up by air power, armour, artillery and more infantry across the borders. It could easily have turned very nasty and De Gaulle never forgave Britain for this. Mind you he never forgave Britain for most things from his first mug of tea on fleeing France onwards.
 
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