"كتيّب سوريا (بما في ذلك فلسطين). لندن: إدارة استخبارات الأركان البحرية، يونيو ١٩١٩" [و‎‎٨‎٦] (٧٣٨/١٧٦)

MOHAMMED ‘ALI AND IBRAHIM PASHA 165
Both the conquest of Syria in 1831-2 and its loss in 1840
were facilitated by the attitude of the Syrian population. In
the former case they supported the Egyptians, in the latter
the Turks. This change of sympathy was due to the unwise
government of Mohammed ‘Ali. Erom 1833 to 1840 increased
taxation and a rigorous conscription were imposed and com
pletely alienated the inhabitants, especially in Lebanon. In
1840 the antipathy and hostility of the Syrians were a grave
weakness in the Egyptian military position. The hill peoples
of Lebanon gave most valuable help during the allied opera
tions in the neighbourhood of Beirut. They were armed by
the invaders, and not only hampered Ibrahim Pasha in his
measures of defence, by holding the hills against him, but also
decisively tinned the scale in favour of the invaders when they
finally drove off the Egyptian forces. The events of 1840
strikingly illustrate the importance of the sympathies of the
bill population in the case of an attack on the coast towns of
central Syria. The hostility of the Arab tribes to the east
of Jordan and in the south of Palestine greatly added to the
suffering of the Egyptian army during its final retreat.
The share of the allied fleet in the reconquest of Syria in
1840 was important. The camp at Juneh Bay, where the
inva din g force landed, was secured by its guns. The rapid
blows at widely separated points on the coast were made
possible by the transport and gunfire which it provided. The
cutting of Ibrahim’s communications by sea with Egypt was
a deadly blow when the Syrians turned against him. Of
course the easy triumphs of the allies over the coast towns
were much beyond what may normally be expected from
si mil ar operations. Only ‘Akka was strongly fortified. The
capture of Saida in a single day and the surrender of Akka
after three hours’ bombardment were obviously conditioned
by the cowardice and demoralization of the Egyptian garrisons.
Beirut was held for more than a month against a combined
attack by sea and land, and the principal achievement of the
fleet at this point was the landing of the allied forces. I he
garrison of Tripoli was withdrawn by Ibrahim Pasha, although