A look back at 100 years of Lebanon ¦ WION Ground Report ¦ Lebanon history

Lebanon, a country which is now facing an unprecedented challenge in the aftermath of a deadly blast. The foundation for modern day Lebanon was laid a hundred years ago. From a flourishing economy to civil war, Lebanon has seen it all. And today the country finds itself in the middle of a deep political and economic crisis. But how did Lebanon get to this point? What did Lebanon's journey look like? This next report tells you more. Take a look. Whether it is a blast, a civil war or an economic collapse, it seems that Lebanon and the Lebanese people cannot have an uninterrupted peaceful life. Every decade a new flock of Phoenicians migrate away, while others die in varied battles. To understand this misery, we need to take a quick look at history. This is Beirut city, the capital of Lebanon. One hundred years ago and before Henry Gouraud declared greater Lebanon, Beirut was still a part of Syria. This is Greater Syria, also known as Fertile Crescent or the Levant. It remained for centuries under the Ottoman Empire's occupation till they lost World War I. Upon a French-British agreement named Sykes-Picot, the nation was divided. On September 1, 1920, Bekaa Valley, Beirut, Tripoli and Sidon were added to Mount Lebanon. And the Lebanese Republic was born as a baby of the French mandate. Twenty-three years later, in 1943, the French left Lebanon, but not out of an independence fight, but because the British took over. Their ally, Bashar al-Khoury, was the first president. Less than ten years later, corruption and poverty helped white revolutionist Camille Chamon take over as president. His years are known for the wealthiest in Lebanese history. In the fifties, the Arab oil was starting to cash in and Lebanon had banks. Then the Soviet Union versus United States competition for influence put the sectarian country on the route for a civil war that broke first in the year 1958. War, crises, deaths, to the arrival of the sixth fleet of the U.S. Marines to Beirut. It ended in Egyptian pan-Arabist leader Nasser's agreement with Eisenhower on a new president for Lebanon, Fuad Shahab. This one was known for the era of building the administration and also for political oppression. His leadership would end ten years later by burying all his archives and saying, Lebanon is an unfixable country. Now it was a turn for a second, more destructive civil war. 1969, Cairo agreement decided that the PLO is legit to have military presence in southern Lebanon after the Israeli occupation through Palestinians outside their country. Palestinians in Lebanon versus Maronite elite are to start the longest, ugliest civil war, year 1975, and that continued for 15 years. In 1982, the Israelis occupied Lebanon. The Lebanese resisted them, forcing them to leave Beirut. Year 1990, the United States blessed a Syrian-Saudi agreement in a Ta'if city in the kingdom of Saudi Arabia, upon which the civil war ended. The Syrians were granted power and army presence in Lebanon, and the Saudis were granted the prime minister. The man that changed the shape of Lebanon forever, Rafiq Hariri, and Lebanon doomed to be governed by a sectarian deal between warlords. For the next 15 years, till the day he was assassinated, PM Rafiq Hariri resembled the Syrian-Saudi governance of Lebanon. He is known to have rebuilt Beirut downtown city and buying all the owners out, which changed the shape of the capital and also demographics of all Lebanon. Year 2005, after Hariri's death, the Syrian-Saudi agreement died, and the Sunni-Shia war in the region started to rise, which resulted in a volatile situation of political and social unrest, during which Lebanon was attacked by Israel in a 33-day war, in which Hezbollah defeated the Israeli troops and maintained the borders. The growth of Hezbollah power and rivalry with American-backed PM resulted in a mini-civil war in 2008. Then again, the Lebanese politicians gathered in another country, this time Qatar. The Doha agreement was born. They agreed to disagree while all partnering in the governance of Lebanon, and thus, corruption prevailed. Each sect and group aimed to appoint those who vowed following them, and not those who were worthy. The whole concept of administration was flawed and remains till today. Lebanon is marking its centennial now, with a collapsed economy, a demolished capital, and the same sectarian political groups awaiting the foreign agreement or mandate, threatening to start a civil war at any minute between any random street where two sects live. The American King Crane Report was the first opinion poll done in the region about a hundred years ago. It concluded that the division will only cause continuous wars, poverty, and immigration. This did happen, and is attributed to the three holy curses, oil, religion, and strategic location. These, which should have served as a boon for Lebanon, have been a bane, at least for now. From Lebanon, Ghadi Frances for WEON, World is One.