Il tramonto delle aspirazioni unioniste dei Ba?th iracheno e siriano

This contribution aims to analyze the unionist efforts between Syria and Iraq carried out by the Baʿth in the name of Pan-Arabism. Although motivated by solid historical and cultural reasons, such ambitious projects proved to be weak and inconsistent, contributing to the eventual failure of the imagined Pan-Arab state. After discussing the crucial role of proto-nationalist movements in the region of Dayr el-Zor and the ideological debate, the essay will investigate the emergence of the Pan-Arab movement in Iraq during the interwar period, as well as the rise of the Baʿth both in Syria and in Iraq. In particular, the analysis will delve into the party’s position on the main unionist projects emerged between the 1940s and the 1950s: the Fertile Crescent and the short-lived United Arab Republic. In conclusion, this essay will examine the last Baʿthist attempt to unify the Arab world, specifically the 1963 Tripartite Agreements between Iraq, Syria and Egypt, and the 1978 Charter of Joint National Action between Baghdad and Damascus.