Fawzi Selu

Fawzi Selu فوزي السلو


President of Syria (military Rule)
In office December 3, 1951 – July 11, 1953
Preceded by	Hashim al-Atassi
Succeeded by	Adib Shishakli (Military Rule)
Prime Minister of Syria
In office December 3, 1951 – July 19, 1953
Preceded by	Maaruf al-Dawalibi
Succeeded by	Adib Shishakli
Personal details
Born	1905
Died	1972 (aged 67)
Religion	Sunni Islam

Fawzi Selu (1905–1972) (Arabic: فوزي السلو‎) was a Syrian military leader, politician and head of state (December 3, 1951–July 11, 1953).

Career

He studied at the Homs Military Academy and joined the French-sponsored Troupe Speciales that was created when France imposed its League of Nations mandate on Syria in July 1920. He had a successful military career, and when Syria became fully independent in 1946, he became the director of the academy. He was given a command in the 1948 Arab-Israeli War where he became close to chief of staff Husni al-Za'im. When Za'im came to power in a coup in March 1949, he appointed Selu military attaché to the Syrian-Israeli armistice talks, and he became the principal architect of the cease-fire that was signed in July of that year. Selu, supported by Za'im, demonstrated a willingness to pursue a comprehensive peace settlement with Israel, including a final border agreement, Palestinian refugees, and the establishment of a Syrian embassy in Tel Aviv. However Za'im was overthrown and killed, and civilian rule was restored with the administration of the nationalist Hashim al-Atassi. Atassi upheld the armistice agreement, but refused to consider peace with Israel. Selu then allied himself with military strongman general Adib al-Shishakli, who contrived to have Selu appointed minister of defense in three cabinets under president Atassi. Shishakli finally launched a coup in November 1951, but could not persuade the popular Atassi to stay on as president, who resigned in protest. As a result, Shishakli appointed Selu as president, prime minister and chief of staff, while retaining real power for himself with the less public role of deputy chief of staff. The two men ran a police state and suppressed virtually all opposition. Under the direction of Shishakli, Selu improved relations with Jordan, opening the first Syrian embassy in Amman and befriending King Talal. He also sought better relations with Lebanon, Egypt and Saudi Arabia.

On July 11, 1953 Shishakli finally dispensed with Selu and appointed himself as president. Selu fled to Saudi Arabi and became an advisor to King Saud and then his brother King Faisal. When Shishakli was overthrown in February 1954, a military court in Damascus charged Selu with corruption, misuse of office, and unlawful amendment of the constitution. He was sentenced to death in absentia.

References

Sami Moubayed "Steel & Silk: Men and Women Who Shaped Syria 1900-2000" (Cune Press, Seattle, 2005).

Preceded by Hashim al-Atassi	President of Syria 1951–1953 (military rule)	Succeeded by Adib al-Shishakli (military rule)

Presidents of Syria

French Mandate	Subhi Barakat François Pierre-Alype^AP Ahmad Nami Taj al-Din al-Hasani^AP Léon Solomiac^AP Muhammad Ali al-Abid Hashim al-Atassi Bahij al-Khatib Khalid al-Azm^AP Taj al-Din al-Hasani Jamil al-Ulshi^AP Ata al-Ayyubi Shukri al-Quwatli

Syrian Republic	Shukri al-Quwatli Husni al-Za'im^† Sami al-Hinnawi^AP^† Hashim al-Atassi Adib Shishakli^AP^† Fawzi Selu^† Adib Shishakli Maamun al-Kuzbari^AP^† Hashim al-Atassi Shukri al-Quwatli

United Arab Republic	Gamal Abdel Nasser

Syrian Arab Republic	Maamun al-Kuzbari^AP Izzat al-Nuss^AP^† Nazim al-Kudsi Lu'ay al-Atassi^† Amin al-Hafiz^† Nureddin al-Atassi^† Ahmad al-Khatib^AP Hafez al-Assad Abdul Halim Khaddam^AP Bashar al-Assad

^AP: Acting president; ^†: Military

Prime Ministers of Syria since 1920

Kingdom of Syria (1920)	al-Rikabi H. al-Atassi* al-Durubi al-Ulshi

French Mandate of Syria (1920–1946) post established 1932	H. al-Azm al-Hasani A. al-Ayyubi Mardam Bey al-Haffar al-Bukhari post vacant, 1939–41 K. al-Azm al-Hakim H. al-Barazi al-Ulshi al-Jabiri al-Khoury al-Jabiri

Syrian Republic (1946–1958)	al-Jabiri K. al-Azm* Mardam Bey K. al-Azm al-Za'im M. al-Barazi H. al-Atassi al-Kudsi K. al-Azm al-Kudsi K. al-Azm al-Hakim al-Khatib al-Dawalibi Selu Shishakli al-Asali al-Ghazzi al-Khoury al-Asali al-Ghazzi al-Asali

United Arab Republic (1958–1961)	Kahala Sarraj

Syrian Arab Republic (1961–present)	al-Kuzbari al-Nuss al-Dawalibi al-Azma K. al-Azm al-Bitar al-Hafiz al-Bitar al-Hafiz Zuaiyin al-Bitar Zuaiyin N. al-Atassi al-Assad Khleifawi M. al-Ayyubi Khleifawi al-Halabi al-Kasm Zuabi Mero al-Otari Safar Hijab Ghalawanji* al-Halqi

* acting

Chiefs of General Staff of the Army and the Armed Forces of Syria

Abdullah Atfeh Husni al-Za'im Sami al-Hinnawi Anwar Bannud Fawzi Selu Shawkat Shuqayr Tawfiq Nizam al-Din Afif al-Bizri Jamal al-Faisal Abd al-Karim Zahr al-Din Ziad al-Hariri Salah Jadid Ahmad Suwaydani Mustafa Tlass Yusuf Shakkur Hikmat al-Shihabi Ali Aslan Hasan Turkmani Ali Habib Mahmud Dawoud Rajiha Fahd Jassem al-Freij Ali Abdullah Ayyoub

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