1
Layla Aboudan
261119482
Poli 340
Unravelling the Factors Behind the Syrian Civil War: A Comprehensive Analysis
, 2
Introduction
The Arab Spring came as a major shock to Arab autocratic regimes. After shaking up the
dictatorial power centers in Tunisia and Libya, it touched down in Syria in March 2011
(Nuruzzaman, 2021). The Syrian Civil War, now in its 11th year, has been one of the deadliest
conflicts of the 21st century. It all started as a pro-democracy uprising against the authoritarian
rule of President Bashar al-Assad, who has been in power since 2000; however, it quickly
escalated into a full-scale armed conflict and the emergence of armed opposition groups. Syrians
were divided into two groups, the anti-government versus the government. Each Syrian had to
take a side. Making the wrong choice exposes them to the threat of retribution against
themselves, friends, and family and, for people displaced abroad, places them in jeopardy with
their host societies and limits their chances of returning home (Corstange, 2022). Since its
outbreak, thousands of Syrians have been killed, and millions have been displaced from their
homes. The war has attracted a great deal of international attention and intervention, as regional
and global powers have either intervened militarily or provided arms and other forms of support
to the warring parties. Syria’s turmoil has troubling, long-term implications not only for that
country but for the Middle East as a whole, and even for the international system (Carpenter,
2013). The central question that has been posed is what factors have driven this deadly war that
reached beyond the Syrian borders? Understanding the factors behind the Syrian civil war is
crucial for developing effective policies to end it and prevent similar conflicts in the future. It is
also important to understand why the Syrian experience was different from the other countries
that experience mass demonstrations following the Tunisian Arab Spring ( Sorenson, 2016). A
combination of political, economic, and social factors has driven the Syrian civil war. The
Layla Aboudan
261119482
Poli 340
Unravelling the Factors Behind the Syrian Civil War: A Comprehensive Analysis
, 2
Introduction
The Arab Spring came as a major shock to Arab autocratic regimes. After shaking up the
dictatorial power centers in Tunisia and Libya, it touched down in Syria in March 2011
(Nuruzzaman, 2021). The Syrian Civil War, now in its 11th year, has been one of the deadliest
conflicts of the 21st century. It all started as a pro-democracy uprising against the authoritarian
rule of President Bashar al-Assad, who has been in power since 2000; however, it quickly
escalated into a full-scale armed conflict and the emergence of armed opposition groups. Syrians
were divided into two groups, the anti-government versus the government. Each Syrian had to
take a side. Making the wrong choice exposes them to the threat of retribution against
themselves, friends, and family and, for people displaced abroad, places them in jeopardy with
their host societies and limits their chances of returning home (Corstange, 2022). Since its
outbreak, thousands of Syrians have been killed, and millions have been displaced from their
homes. The war has attracted a great deal of international attention and intervention, as regional
and global powers have either intervened militarily or provided arms and other forms of support
to the warring parties. Syria’s turmoil has troubling, long-term implications not only for that
country but for the Middle East as a whole, and even for the international system (Carpenter,
2013). The central question that has been posed is what factors have driven this deadly war that
reached beyond the Syrian borders? Understanding the factors behind the Syrian civil war is
crucial for developing effective policies to end it and prevent similar conflicts in the future. It is
also important to understand why the Syrian experience was different from the other countries
that experience mass demonstrations following the Tunisian Arab Spring ( Sorenson, 2016). A
combination of political, economic, and social factors has driven the Syrian civil war. The
