The struggle for power in Syria : politics and society under Asad and the Ba'th Party / Nikolaos van Dam.

Previous edition: 1996.

Includes bibliographical references (pages 219-243) and index.

Introduction -- The rise of minorities in the Syrian armed forces and in the Ba'th Party -- Sectarian polarisation in the Syrian armed forces between Sunnis and religious minorities -- The purge of Druze officers in the Syrian armed forces -- The struggle for power within the Alawi community -- Sectarian and regional factionalism in the Syrian politica elite : a statistical analysis -- Sectarian provocation and confrontation -- Sectarian showdown : eradication of the Muslim Brotherhood -- The power elite under Hafiz al-Asad -- Conclusions -- Syrian Ba'thist memoirs.

Rev. and updated paperback edition of the author's thesis, University of Amsterdam, 1977 which was originally published in 1979 as: The struggle for power in Syria : sectarianism, regionalism, and tribalism in politics, 1961-1971.

This classic study of politics and society in modern Syria explains the factors that enabled the regime of Hafiz al-Asad to stay in power much longer than any other since independence. Through an in-depth examination of the role of sectarian, regional and tribal loyalties, van Dam traces developments within the Ba'th Party and the military and civilian power elite from the 1963 Ba'thist takeover up to the present day.