Christians and Druzes clash in Damascus
- When
- 1860–1861
- Where
- Damascus; French expeditionary corps presence in Syria, landing at Beirut
- Episodes
- 2
Intercommunal violence between Christians and Druzes in Damascus in 1860 resulted from the spillover of conflict in Mount Lebanon. Thousands of Christian residents were killed by Druze fighters and local Muslim groups. The massacre prompted international intervention, including the arrival of French troops, which remained in Syria until 1861.
Episodes
- Massacre in Damascus
Thousands of Christian residents were killed by Druze fighters and local Muslim groups in Damascus in June 1860.
- French Expeditionary Corps in Syria
A French expeditionary corps landed in Beirut in August 1860 and remained in Syria until June 1861, longer than the initially agreed six months.
Background and detail
Background. The 1860 civil conflict in Mount Lebanon and Damascus was fought mainly between local Druze and Christians during Ottoman rule. Following decisive Druze victories and massacres in Mount Lebanon, the violence spilled over into Damascus. This event was part of a broader process forming new sectarian, social, and geographic boundaries in the region.
Outbreak. In June 1860, several thousand Christians were killed in Damascus. The violence was attributed to Druze fighters and local Muslim groups. The massacre was one of the most notorious incidents of the period when fighting between Druze and Maronites in Mount Lebanon spilled over into the city.
International Intervention. The fighting precipitated a French-led international military intervention. Following the massacres, the Ottoman Empire agreed to dispatch up to 12,000 European soldiers to reestablish order. A French expeditionary corps landed in Beirut in August 1860 and remained in Syria until June 1861.
People involved
- Abd al-Qadir · Algerian exile who intervened to save Christians
- Ahmed Pasha · Ottoman military commander executed for complicity
Sources
- 1860 civil conflict in Mount Lebanon and Damascus Wikipedia, revision of 2026-10-05
- Damascus Wikipedia, revision of 2026-09-08
Machine-drafted from the cited Wikipedia passages and checked by a reviewing model, not by a human editor. Every passage cites the revision it was written from; dates and places follow those passages.