Who Were The Lebanese Founding Fathers Of Lebanon's Independence
The year 1943, especially November of that year, was a very crucial and pivotal period for Lebanon; it is during that year that the Lebanese fought their final battle with colonialism and, ultimately, achieved their longtime dream, leading their country to become an independent state.
Although most dusty Lebanese history books end with the achievement of independence in 1943, the history of Lebanon certainly does not end there.
Executive Bulletin
In fact, that year and the ones that followed independence brought forth some decorated Lebanese figures who helped rebuild and change the course of this country.
Below is a list of some of the most prominent Lebanese political figures who played significant roles both before and after Lebanon's independence:
#1 Riad Al-Solh
View on Instagram
One of the most familiar and recognizable names in Lebanon's history, Riad Al-Solh was the first prime minister of Lebanon after its independence. He was born in the southern city of Sidon in 1894 to a land-owning family.
He studied law and political science at the University of Paris and spent most of his youth in Istanbul, as his father was a deputy in the Ottoman Parliament. Riad Al-Solh and his father Reda were both exiled from the Ottoman empire for political reasons.
View on Instagram
Before serving as Prime Minister of Lebanon, which he did twice, he served as Minister of the Interior in Emir Faisal’s government in Damascus.
Al-Solh is known for amending the constitution and eliminating articles related to the French Mandate in 1943, thus granting Lebanon its independence. He was assassinated on 17 July 1951 in Amman by members of the Syrian Social Nationalist Party.
#2 Sabri Hamadeh
Sabri Beik Hamadeh
He was the first Speaker of Parliament in Lebanon after Independence and served for five terms. He was born in the city of Hermel in the Bekaa Valley in 1902.
Hamadeh played a crucial role in the events leading to Lebanon's independence and was instrumental in the establishment of a separate Higher Council for the Shiites of Lebanon.
Sabri Hamadeh was also well-known for his moderation and compromise in the national political scene and, being Shiite himself, he was an important figure and representative for the Shiite community in the Lebanese politics following World War 2. He died at the age of 74 in 1976.
#3 Habib Abou Chahla
Habib Abou Chahla
Born in Beirut in 1902, he studied at the American University of Beirut (AUB) and the University of Sorbonne in Paris. He was an active politician in post-independence Lebanon; he was the Minister of Justice in 1943 and was an elected MP several times after that year.
Habib Abou Chahla also served as Minister of Education, and was the Speaker of the Lebanese Parliament between 1946 and 1947, following the first term of Sabri Hamadeh. He died in 1957 at the age of 55.
#4 Camille Chamoun
Camille Nimr Chamoun
Camille Nimr Chamoun was the second post-independence president of Lebanon. He was elected in 1952, after Bechara El-Khoury's term, and served as president for two consecutive terms (until 1958). He was born in Deir al-Qamar on 3 April 1900.
View on Instagram
In addition to his presidency, Chamoun held various positions in the Lebanese government throughout his political career; he was elected to the Lebanese parliament in 1934 and was reelected in 1937 and 1943.
He was also an ambassador to the United Kingdom from 1944 to 1946, and an ambassador to the United Nations thereafter.
#5 Majid Arslan
Prince Majid Arslan
Emir (Prince) Majid Toufic Arslan was the head of the Arslan feudal Druze ruling family and the leader of the Yazbaki faction in Lebanon.