Syria's revolution began long before the Arab Spring

The toppling of Bashar al Assad and the regime change in Syria within two weeks of the opposition's advancements from Idlib and Daraa came as a shock to many. Assad's ouster came after 13 years of civil war. But it is actually the result of a process that started some 100 years ago.

On the fifth anniversary of the Syrian uprising in March 2016, commentators argued that the revolution had failed. Arab Spring turned into Arab Winter. And Syria especially turned into a cold case.

Revolutionary dynamics force us to think beyond geopolitical analysis, which focuses on the role of regional and global actors. In the case of Syria, this was achieved by the steadfastness of the Syrian opposition, who kept their memory fresh regarding the cruelties of the al Assad regime, even in the diaspora.

The social and political dynamics of the recent December 8th revolution in Syria will be analysed more thoroughly in the coming decades from different sides. If we are fortunate enough, we will read accounts from all parties involved about how the revolutionary blitzkrieg was achieved, and the reaction of the Assad family.

However, one thing should be clear by now: the Syrian revolution must be analysed as a continuation of a process that started not in 2011, but one that goes back in time to the anti-colonial Great Syrian Revolt against the French in 1925.

Revolution is a structure, not an event. Revolution is a generational phenomenon where every new generation learns from the experience of their forefathers. Revolution has eyes, ears, and a mind of its own. When the momentum is ready, it can be ignited and catch everyone by surprise. This is precisely what happened in Syria.

Generation of revolution

This may sound like an overstatement, but the modern political systems around the world haven't seen a shift like that has taken place in Syria. Yes, the overthrow of Assad came after the storm of the Arab Uprisings reached Damascus in 2011 and settled in 2024.

However, it cannot be compared to rapid regime changes that took place in other parts that were affected by waves of protests, such as Tunisia and Egypt.

Zine El Abidine ben Ali ruled Tunisia between 1987 and 2011. Hosni Mubarak ruled Egypt between 1981 and 2011. Ben Ali's reign came to an end after a 28-day campaign of civil resistance. Mubarak had to step down after 18 days of civil disobedience.

When the winds of Arab Spring reached Damascus in 2011, the momentum and memory were still fresh from previous attempts to overthrow a dictator. This became more apparent after the gates of Sednaya prison were finally opened last month.

A case in point: Syrian Air Force pilot Ragheed Al-Tatari, who was jailed at the age of 27 years old in 1980 for refusing the military's orders to bomb civilians in Hama and freed after 43 years. The generation that initiated the earlier steps of the revolution came from different cultures, occupations, and cities.

The call for change has always been the same, simple but constant, for the last 100 years, from 1925 to 2025. When Syrians revolted against the French mandate system, their demands invoked the French Revolution's famous slogan: Freedom, Equality, and Brotherhood.

From its early days, in the Syrian example, on the other hand, a famous slogan was initiated by the regime and its supporters: "Assad or We Burn the Country." Indeed, this was the case after 13 years of civil war. 13 years, 8 months, and 23 days, to be precise.

Despite the political crisis and deadlock in Libya and Yemen, we can say with the Syrian Revolution, the Arab Spring is relatively over with the fall of Bashar al Assad. The new Syrian government is attempting to redesign the country's political, economic, and military system from the bottom up, which is not easy.

To put it into perspective, one must underline the fact that Syria has always been politically chaotic since its foundation. Between 1922 and 1970 for example, there were 16 transitions of power, seven of them via military coup. Before the Assads took over, most leaders only lasted 18 months.

Revolutionary momentum

Meanwhile, the Arab Spring might be over, but turmoil in the Middle East continues.

After a year and half of genocide in Gaza by Israel, the Syrian revolution has reminded us of the fact that political change is possible.

Could Assad's ouster lead to Arab Spring 2.0? This is a legitimate question. But at least for the time being, Syria's transitional government and its foreign policy initiatives have demonstrated no attempt to "export" its revolution to the region.

Revolution calls for basic human needs and dignity. It is in a sense a rebellion against the old guard's insistence on trying to focus the public perception on the "bigger picture" or "enemies foreign and domestic," and instead writing a glorious history of their own.

Syria of two Assads was a prime example of this. Speaking at the Joint Arab Islamic Extraordinary Summit, three weeks before he was toppled, Bashar al Assad wasn't shying away from portraying Syria as the champion of the Palestinian cause.

Whereas on the other hand, his father Hafez was the one who helped the fragmentation of Palestinian resistance by targeting its efforts in Lebanon.

Indeed, while the Republic of Syria may have achieved independence when the last remaining French troops withdrew on April 17, 1946, the Syrian people achieved their true independence when Bashar al Assad fled from Damascus to Moscow.