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This volume is essential reading for anyone seeking to understand the tragic trajectory of Syria’s Uprising. Hinnesbusch and Imady have brought together a fascinating collection of chapters that explore the early years of the revolt against President Bashar al-Assad and why it transformed from largely peaceful demonstrations into a brutal, protracted civil war. As well as looking at why Assad proved more vulnerable than many expected and why people rose up against him, the editors seek to explain why the uprising ultimately failed to bring about democratic transition...some of the gems of this collection are those chapters focussing on under-explored dimensions of the crisis...for those seeking to understand how Syria reached its current, sad state, this volume would be an excellent place to start.Chris Phillips, Queen Mary, University of London, UKThe popular tendency to attribute the Syrian uprising’s tragic evolution to some combination of sectarianism, external interference, or authoritarian path dependency often obscures the multilayered dynamics that shaped the conflict’s first years. From the vantage point of today, it is often easy to forget how the uprising emerged and spread, what actors were involved and why, and how Syrians navigated various sides of the ambiguously emerging political and sectarian divides. This volume is an excellent and timely reminder of the political diversity and the landscape of possibilities that existed in Syria and how different actors, ideas, and strategies shaped the early stages of the uprising. Far from suggesting a linear story, these contributions remind us of the intersecting elements that have driven the Syrian tragedy and is thus essential reading for anyone interested in the causes of the conflict and its various trajectories. Samer Abboud, Arcadia University, USAIt is the first multi-disciplinary academic study to examine the internal dynamics of how the Syrian conflict evolved in the early years (2011-13), before foreign actors such as ISIS, Iran and Russia intervened and changed its course irrevocably. With media coverage these days focusing so much on these more recent developments, this volume promises to be an important corrective to remind us how it all began.Diana Darke, The Times Literary Supplement, July 13, 2018. In mationen zum Autor Raymond Hinnebusch is Professor of International Relations and Middle East Politics at the University of St Andrews and founder and director of the Centre for Syrian Studies. He is the author of numerous articles and books on Syria. Omar Imady is Director for Outreach and Information Dissemination, Centre for Syrian Studies, University of St. Andrews. His professional experience combines practical fieldwork as a UN Officer in Syria and as an Academic Dean and he is the author of several UN reports, historical works, and analytic studies on Syria and the Middle East. Klappentext This book presents a snapshot of how the Syrian uprising developed in roughly the first two to three years (2011-2013) and addresses key questions regarding the domestic origins of the uprising and its early trajectory. Zusammenfassung This book presents a snapshot of how the Syrian uprising developed in roughly the first two to three years (2011-2013) and addresses key questions regarding the domestic origins of the uprising and its early trajectory. Inhaltsverzeichnis 1. Introduction: Origins of the Syrian Uprising – from structure to agency, Raymond Hinnebusch and Omar Imady 2. The tragedy of Ba’thist state-building, Adham Saouli 3. The power of 'Sultanism': Why Syria’s non-violent protests did not lead to a democratic transition, Søren Schmidt 4. The dynamics of power in Syria: Generalized corruption and sectarianism, Stéphane Valter 5. The Uprising and the economic interests of the Syrian Military-Mercantile Complex, Salam Said
