European commission investigates the 1860 Mount Lebanon and Damascus massacres

Background. The commission was formed following the 1860 civil conflict in Mount Lebanon and Damascus, which involved massacres of Maronites and Druze. European powers intervened diplomatically after the violence, pressuring the Ottoman government to negotiate a new administrative structure for the province. This intervention led to the creation of the autonomous Mount Lebanon Mutasarrifate under European diplomatic pressure.

Mandate. The commission's primary objective was to investigate the causes of the 1860 events and recommend a new administrative and judicial system for Lebanon. This system was intended to prevent the recurrence of sectarian violence. The resulting administrative framework, known as the Règlement Organique, separated Mount Lebanon from Syria and placed it under a Christian governor appointed by the Ottoman Sultan with European approval.

Composition. The international commission included representatives from France, Britain, Austria, Prussia, Russia, and the Ottoman Empire. These powers formalized their involvement in a convention on 5 September 1860, following an earlier agreement to dispatch European soldiers to reestablish order. The commission's work resulted in the Protocol of 1861, which defined the legal existence of the Mutasarrifate.