The Nureddin al-Atassi was the seventy-fifth government since the establishment of the modern Syrian state in 1918 and the tenth government formed following the Ba'athist coup in March 1963 in 1961. Established on 29 October 1968 by Decree No. 2434, issued on 28 October 1968, the government was headed by Nureddin al-Atassi, who also served as President of Syria. It remained in office until the 1970 Syrian coup d'etat of November 1970, led by Hafez al-Assad.
The government was formed in the aftermath of the Fourth Regional Congress of the Arab Socialist Ba'ath Party in September 1968, during a period of increasing tension between the party's civilian leadership and the military establishment. The congress, followed by the Tenth National Congress of the Ba'ath Party, adopted resolutions aimed at reshaping the balance of power within the ruling elite. While Prime Minister Yusuf Zuayyin accepted the decisions and resigned, Minister of Defence Hafez al-Assad refused to implement measures that would have diminished the influence of the armed forces, marking the first major confrontation between the military leadership and the party's political leadership.
To contain the dispute, members of the Ba'ath Party's National Command intervened to postpone implementation of the congress's decisions. Nevertheless, Zuayyin insisted on resigning, prompting President Nur al-Din al-Atassi to assume the premiership and form a new government. In an effort to preserve unity within the regime, Hafez al-Assad remained Minister of Defence, ensuring the continued influence of the military in government. The tensions that emerged during the formation of the cabinet ultimately culminated in the 1970 coup d'etat of November 1970, which brought al-Assad to power and ended al-Atassi's government.
Composition
See also Council of Ministers (Syria) List of Syrian governments Government ministries of Syria List of prime ministers of Syria
References