The Second Khalid al-Azm government was the thirty-eighth government in the history of modern Syria and the twenty-third administration of the First Syrian Republic. Formed on 12 December 1948, it was the ninth government to serve under President Shukri al-Quwatli and the second cabinet headed by Khalid al-Azm. The government emerged following a twelve-day political crisis triggered by the aftermath of the 1948 Arab–Israeli War and the widespread protests that followed Syria's military defeat.
The cabinet secured the confidence of the Chamber of Deputies by a vote of 73 in favour and 35 against, with several deputies abstaining. In its ministerial statement, the government pledged to work toward the liberation of Palestine and the revival of Syria's struggling economy, which had been severely affected by the political and military crises of the preceding year. Nevertheless, contemporary observers and sections of the press regarded the program as disappointing and insufficient to address the country's mounting challenges. The government also became embroiled in controversy over the proposed Trans-Arabian Pipeline (Tapline) agreement, which generated significant political debate.
The administration's tenure coincided with the growing political influence of the Syrian military, particularly that of Army Commander Husni al-Za'im. On 30 March 1949, al-Za'im carried out Syria's first military coup d'état, arresting President al-Quwatli, Prime Minister al-Azm, and members of the cabinet, who were detained at the Mezze Military Hospital. Their resignations were subsequently published on 6 April 1949. Syria remained without a government until 17 April 1949, when Husni al-Za'im formed a new cabinet under his own leadership, bringing the era of the First Syrian Republic to an abrupt end.
Composition
See also Council of Ministers (Syria) List of Syrian governments Government ministries of Syria List of prime ministers of Syria
References