Hafez al-Assad

Profession: General and President of Syria

Nationality:

Biography: Hafiz al-Assad was born in Syria into an Alawite family. He attended military training schools and rose up the ranks of the Syrian Air Force, eventually becoming Air Force Commander. Assad also became an active member of Syria's Ba'ath Party, an Arab nationalist political party.

He helped plan the 1963 military coup that brought the Ba'athists to power in Syria. When further internal coups occurred in 1966, Assad was appointed Defense Minister. In 1970, Assad initiated another coup, sidelining the Ba'athist leaders and installing himself as Prime Minister and head of the party. Shortly after in 1971, he was elected President.

As President of Syria, Assad implemented authoritarian rule, heavily favoring loyal Alawite elites in the security forces and military leadership. In 1973, Assad played a key strategic role in launching attacks against Israel during the October Arab-Israeli War. Though initially successful, Syria ultimately lost territory. Assad shifted foreign policy towards alignment with the Soviet bloc.

In 1976, with PLO guerrillas exerting growing influence in Lebanon's civil war, Assad ordered Syrian troops to intervene. Syria gradually strengthened its military occupation and political control over Lebanon throughout the 1980s.

At home, Assad contended with an Islamist political uprising led by the Muslim Brotherhood. This culminated in Assad ordering a huge military assault on the city of Hama in 1982 to crush the dissent, killing thousands. This cemented his authoritarian grip in Syria.

In his later years as president, Assad attempted to transition power to his son Bassel. Bassel died, however, in a 1994 car accident. Subsequently Assad engineered the fast ascent of his younger son Bashar al-Assad within the political ranks with the goal of succeeding him as President. Assad ruled Syria until his death in 2000, when Bashar took power.

Born: October 6, 1930
Birthplace: Qardaha, Alawite State, Syria

Generation: Silent Generation
Chinese Zodiac: Horse
Star Sign: Libra

Died: June 10, 2000 (aged 69)
Cause of Death: Heart attack