Bashar Assad: How a novice eye doctor and his minority family ruled Sunni-majority Syria for half a century

The Assad family’s rule over Syria, which lasted for more than half a century, has come to a dramatic end after a decade-long bloody civil war. Rebel forces breached the regime’s seat of power in Damascus, prompting President Bashar al-Assad, an ophthalmologist, to flee. This marks the collapse of the Assad family’s long-standing rule over the country.

A Legacy Built by Assad’s Father Hafez al-Assad

Hafez al-Assad, the architect of modern Syria, came to power through a coup on November 13, 1970. At a time when Syria was plagued by political instability and frequent coups, Hafez, an Alawite, rose to prominence as the commander of the Syrian Air Force and Minister of Defence. His strategy of divide-and-rule, exploiting Syria’s ethnic and religious divisions, helped him consolidate power. Hafez elevated the Alawite minority, traditionally marginalized, to key positions in the military and government, ensuring their loyalty and reinforcing his control.

Under his regime, Syria experienced significant political shifts. The Alawite community, making up around 12-15 percent of Syria’s population, became the primary support base of the Assad regime. This loyalty was partly due to the opportunities Hafez provided to the Alawites, particularly within the military and security services.

Bashar al-Assad’s Inherited Rule

After Hafez’s death in 2000, his son Bashar, a relatively inexperienced ophthalmologist, assumed the presidency. Initially, there were hopes that Bashar would introduce reforms, but these hopes quickly faded as he inherited his father’s authoritarian system. His early attempts to replace his father’s allies with his own loyalists isolated him from Syria’s rural population, further weakening state institutions.

Bashar’s consolidation of power involved placing his inner circle, including his brother Maher and cousin Rami Makhlouf, in key positions. While Bashar’s rule brought economic growth, it was accompanied by rising inequality, widespread poverty, and corruption. By the 2010s, the country’s deteriorating economic situation fueled discontent, particularly after a devastating drought forced many rural Syrians into urban areas.

Syria Civil War

Bashar al-Assad’s repressive tactics, first evident during his father’s brutal crackdown on the Muslim Brotherhood in 1982, continued when peaceful protests erupted in Syria in 2011. The government’s violent response to these protests escalated into a full-scale civil war. With support from Russia, Iran, and Iranian-backed militias, Assad’s government regained control of many major cities. However, large parts of the country remain outside government control, and the conflict has claimed over half a million lives and displaced millions.The war in Syria, which began as a pro-democracy uprising, has drawn in numerous regional and global powers. Despite Assad’s efforts to hold onto power, large areas remain under rebel control, and the country remains deeply fragmented.

Who are Syrian Rebels?

Among the rebel forces, groups such as Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), which evolved from the Al-Nusra Front, played a significant role. HTS, initially affiliated with al-Qaeda, broke ties with the terrorist group in 2016. Despite this, many international bodies still consider HTS an al-Qaeda affiliate. This alliance with jihadist groups has complicated the conflict, drawing in various global actors.