Abdullah Atfeh ( ar, عبدالله عطفة; 1897–1976) was a Syrian career military officer who served as the first chief of staff of the

Syrian Army " (''Guardians of the Homeland'') , colors = * Service uniform: Khaki, Olive * Combat uniform: Green, Black, Khaki , anniversaries = August 1st , equipment = , equipment_label = , battles = 1948 Arab–Israeli War Six ...

after the country's independence.

Career

Early career

Abdullah Atfeh began his military career at the Ottoman Military Academy in

Istanbul Istanbul ( , ; tr, İstanbul ), formerly known as Constantinople ( grc-gre, Κωνσταντινούπολις; la, Constantinopolis), is the List of largest cities and towns in Turkey, largest city in Turkey, serving as the country's economic, ...

. After his graduation in 1915, he served as an officer in the

Ottoman Army The military of the Ottoman Empire ( tr, Osmanlı İmparatorluğu'nun silahlı kuvvetleri) was the armed forces of the Ottoman Empire. Army The military of the Ottoman Empire can be divided in five main periods. The foundation era covers the ...

. He defected in 1916 to join the

Arab Revolt The Arab Revolt ( ar, الثورة العربية, ) or the Great Arab Revolt ( ar, الثورة العربية الكبرى, ) was a military uprising of Arab forces against the Ottoman Empire in the Middle Eastern theatre of World War I. On ...

led by Sharif Hussein against the

Ottomans The Ottoman Turks ( tr, Osmanlı Türkleri), were the Turkic founding and sociopolitically the most dominant ethnic group of the Ottoman Empire ( 1299/1302–1922). Reliable information about the early history of Ottoman Turks remains scarce, ...

. After the end of

World War I World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was List of wars and anthropogenic disasters by death toll, one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, ...

and the defeat of the Ottoman Empire, Atfeh joined the newly created

under King Faisal I. Following the defeat at Maysalun and the French occupation of Syria in 1920, the Syrian Army was dissolved and Atfeh fled to

Jordan Jordan ( ar, الأردن; tr. ' ), officially the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan,; tr. ' is a country in Western Asia. It is situated at the crossroads of Asia, Africa, and Europe, within the Levant region, on the East Bank of the Jordan Ri ...

to avoid arrest. He returned in 1921 following a general amnesty. Atfeh joined the

Army of the Levant The Army of the Levant (french: Armée du Levant) identifies the armed forces of France and then Vichy France which occupied, and were in part recruited from, the French Mandated territories in the Levant during the interwar period and early Wor ...

, which was created by

France France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of overseas regions and territories in the Americas and the Atlantic, Pacific and Indian Oceans. Its metropolitan ar ...

, and received advanced military training at the École Supérieure de Guerre in 1938. Atfeh rose in the ranks and by

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the World War II by country, vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great power ...

he became commander of Syria's coastal region. During the 1945 uprising in Damascus, Atfeh led his troops to mutiny against the French.

Syrian Army

The last French troops left Syria in 1946 and the country regained its independence. Syrian president Shukri al-Quwatli appointed Atfeh as chief of staff of the newly formed Syrian Army. The army was formed around the nucleus of the French-led Army of the Levant, and Atfeh was tasked with ensuring the allegiance of the army to the Syrian Republic. Atfeh continued his role as chief of staff when the 1948 Arab–Israeli War broke out. Syrian troops suffered heavy losses during the first days of the war. Atfeh, along with

Minister of Defense A defence minister or minister of defence is a cabinet official position in charge of a ministry of defense, which regulates the armed forces in sovereign states. The role of a defence minister varies considerably from country to country; in so ...

Ahmad al-Sharabati Ahmad al-Sharabati ( ar, أحمد الشرباتي; 1909 – 1975) was a Syrian politician and the defense minister of Syria between 1946 and 1948, serving in the post as Syria gained its independence from France and during the early days of the 194 ...

, were considered the principal parties responsible for the poor preparation and management of the war. Consequently, Atfeh was relieved from his duties soon after and replaced with then-Director of Public Security, Husni al-Za'im. In 1949, al-Za'im led a

military coup A military, also known collectively as armed forces, is a heavily armed, highly organized force primarily intended for warfare. It is typically authorized and maintained by a sovereign state, with its members identifiable by their distinct ...

that overthrew the al-Quwatli's government, and appointed Atfeh as his defense minister. Al-Za'im's rule lasted around five months, and in August 1949 Atfeh switched his allegiances again and supported the politicians that replaced him. After the 1949 elections Atfeh was appointed minister of defense by Syria's new president, Hashim al-Atassi. However, his term did not last long and he was relieved from his post after three months, after which he retired from public life.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Atfeh, Abdullah 1897 births Chiefs of Staff of the Syrian Army 1976 deaths Syrian ministers of defense People from Damascus Turkish Military Academy alumni