Atlas of Battles

battle, major, interwar and Second World War

Battle of Maysalun

Battle of Maysalun was a battle fought on 24 July 1920 at Maysalun, in what is now Syria. It was part of the Franco-Syrian War. The recorded result: French victory. Recorded strength: 12,000 troops; (backed by tanks and aircraft) against 1,400–4,000 regulars; Bedouin cavalrymen; civilian volunteers.

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Syrian soldiers at the battle of Maysalun
Syrian soldiers at the battle of Maysalun. unknown army photopgrapher, Syria, died over 70 years ago, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons.
Fought24 July 1920
WhereMaysalun, Syria33.596N, 36.065E
OutcomeFrench victory
BelligerentsFrance; Greater LebanonagainstSyria
Part ofFranco-Syrian War1920

Where it sits in the Franco-Syrian War

Battle of Tel Hai, 1920Battle of Maysalun, 1920Capture of Damascus, 192019201920Battle of Maysalun, 1920
3 placed engagements of the Franco-Syrian War in time order; taller ticks are more widely documented. Each tick is a link.

Record

Date24 July 1920
PlaceMaysalun, Syria
33.596N, 36.065E
KindBattle, interwar and Second World War
Strength12,000 troops; (backed by tanks and aircraft)1,400–4,000 regulars; Bedouin cavalrymen; civilian volunteers
Casualties and losses42 killed; 152 wounded; 14 missing; (French claim)~150 killed; ~1,500 wounded; (French claim)
Commanders
  • Faisal I
  • Yusuf al-Azma
  • Muhammad al-Ashmar
Battle of MaysalunBattle of MaysalunBattle of AnjarBattle of Sultan YacoubSiege of DamascusSiege of DamascusSiege of DamascusBattle of AnjarBattle of Sultan YacoubSiege of DamascusHomsṬarābulusHaifaNazarethAs SuwaydaAd NabkAl QunaytirahIrbid100 km33.596N, 36.065E
The recorded site, with the nearest other engagements in the atlas. Present-day coastlines, rivers and borders; towns from Natural Earth.

The ground today

Relief of the ground around the site of Battle of Maysalun
Relief within about 10.0 km of the site, contours every 50 m. Copernicus DEM GLO-30, ESA.
Satellite view of the site of Battle of Maysalun today
The same ground from Sentinel-2 on 2024-06-18. Contains modified Copernicus Sentinel data 2024.

The recorded site stands at about 1,148 m; within 10.0 km the ground runs from 916 to 1,632 m, 716 m of relief, steep country and today it is 68% grassland, 15% tree cover, 8% shrubland.

grassland: 68%tree cover: 15%shrubland: 8%cropland: 4%built-up: 3%bare ground: 2%grassland 68%tree cover 15%shrubland 8%cropland 4%built-up 3%
west to east, 10.0 km1,068 to 1,300 mnorth to south, 10.0 km1,097 to 1,443 m
Elevation from the Copernicus DEM GLO-30 (ESA, Airbus); land cover from ESA WorldCover 2021 (CC BY 4.0), within about 5 km of the recorded site. Computed, not recorded.

Nearest engagements

In the same war

Elsewhere in 1920

Battle of Maysalun is one of 2,997 engagements of the 20th century in the atlas and one of 133 in present-day Syria.

Sources

Identity, coordinates, dates and the war from Wikidata Q994316, released under CC0. Result, belligerents, commanders, strength and casualties from the infobox of the English Wikipedia article Battle of Maysalun, revision 1370449372, read 2026-11-14, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0; the article's text is not reproduced here. Present-day country and state from Natural Earth. Dates before 1582 follow the Julian calendar as recorded.