ABSTRACT
The Arab defeat at the hands of Israel in the June War prompted a period of soul-searching throughout the Arab world and led, in the cases of Syria and Iraq, to the overthrow of the existing regimes. In Hafiz al-Asad and Saddam Husayn, both states had rulers whose persons and regimes represented the rise of new elite of rural origins at the expense of the established urban politicians and merchants. Both regimes were authoritarian, basing their power on the military and the Ba'th Party. The social reforms undertaken by the new Ba'th regime continued the political and economic campaign against the urban notables. Syria's economic prosperity was tied to the Middle Eastern political situation, and when al-Asad's foreign policies alienated the oil-rich states, the country's economy plummeted and the government introduced urgent austerity measures. Al-Asad's regional policy was popular within Syria and helped to solidify his domestic position during the early years of his rule.
