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By the term “Syria War”, historians mean the battle fought between the Allied Powers of Turkey, Great Britain, Russia and Austria in 1839-40 on the Middle-Eastern territories of modern Lebanon. In fact, Syria War broke out as a rigorous protest against the ruthless expansionist policies of the Egyptian Pasha, Mehmet Ali. In this War, Syria received considerable supports from other European countries like Spain and France.
Syria War was actually the culmination of a long struggle for power between the Ottoman Empire and the willful, antagonistic Egyptian Pasha, reaching a crisis point when there were threats to disrupt the overall stability of Levant and the Near East.
With the initiation of the Syria War, an attacking Turkish armed force suffered severe destruction and defeat in the hands of the powerful general of Egyptian Pasha, Ibrahim Pasha, on the warfront of Nezib. This was followed by the naval interferences on the restless Syrian mainland, by Admiral Sir Robert Stopford on 1840, June. Under his commandment, a small team of British Mediterranean fleet was sent to the Syrian coastal regions under the leadership of Commodore Charles Napier, to offer substantial support to the national army.
With the progress of Syria War, the British Mediterranean fleet gained supports from the Turkish and Austrian naval squadrons to proceed towards southern and western Acre and start firing on the war opponents. The firing came at a moment when the Egyptian army was not at all prepared to face the attack. In fact, they even did not get the smallest chance either to defend, escape or avoid this unexpected circumstance. They suffered severe setbacks in the attack, and forced to retreat from the Syrian mainland.
The speedy disintegration of the powers of the Egyptian Pasha, Mehmet Ali marked the termination of Syria War. The period of immense political chaos and bloodshed seemed to conclude, bestowing physical relief and mental peace upon the frustrated Syrians.
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