Founded 1940 (1940) Succeeded by Arab Ba'ath Party | Dissolved 1947 (1947) Newspaper Al-Tali'a | |
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Leader Michel Aflaq and Salah al-Din al-Bitar Preceded by Party of National Brotherhood | ||
The Arab Ba'ath Movement (Arabic: حركة البعث العربي Harakat Al-Ba'ath Al-Arabi), also literally translated as Arab Resurrection Movement or Arab Renaissance Movement, was the Ba'athist political movement and predecessor of the Arab Socialist Ba'ath Party. The party was first named Arab Ihya Movement (Harakat al-Ihya al-'Arabi) literally translated as Arab Revitalization Movement, until 1943 when it adopted the name "Ba'ath". It was founded in 1940 by Michel Aflaq. Its founders, Aflaq and Bitar were both associated with nationalism and socialism.
History
The Movement was formed in 1940 as the Arab Ihya Movement by Syrian expatriate Michel Aflaq.
Shortly after being founded, the Movement became involved in anti-colonial Arab nationalist militant activities, including Aflaq founding the Syrian Committee to Help Iraq that was created in 1941 to support the anti-British and pro-Axis government of Iraq against the British during the Anglo-Iraqi War of 1941. The Syrian Committee sent weapons and volunteers to fight alongside Iraqi forces against the British.
Aflaq unsuccessfully ran as a candidate for the Syrian parliament in 1943. After the Syrian election defeat, the Movement sought cooperation with other parties in elections in Syria, including the Arab Socialist Movement of Akram El-Hourani.
The Party became the Arab Ba'ath Party in 1947, and al-Hawrani's Arab Socialist Movement later merged into the party in the 1950s to establish the Arab Socialist Ba'ath Party.