This text traces the social and political development of Syria and Lebanon from the disintegration of the Ottoman Empire to the present day. Written by a number of specialists and scholars, it offers a comparative study by means of concentration on major turning-points in the modern history of both countries. The book opens with the foundation of the first modern Arab goverment in 1919 and ends with an analysis of the Syrian-Lebanese co-operation treaty. Based on new research data and offering original approaches, the book should be a useful addition to literature on both Lebanon and Syria.