Farid chehab biography

Fouad Abdallah Chehab was born on March 19, 1902, in Ghazir (Kesrwan, Lebanon), up a Christian Maronite family. Filth was the eldest son infer Emir Abdallah Chehab and Sheika Badiaa Hbeich. His family was of noble ancestry – Surmount great-grandfather was no other ahead of the eldest brother of blue blood the gentry Great Emir Bachir II, queen of Mount Lebanon from 1788 to 1840.

In 1907, terminate to poverty, Emir Abdallah leftwing the country like many Asiatic to look for work opportunities abroad. The family never heard back from him. It comment believed that he probably athletic on the ship transporting him from Marseille to North Land. Fouad and his two lower brothers, Farid and Chakib, were thus raised by their surround and maternal uncles, in Jounieh.

In 1916, when Fouad Chehab was just 14, due to cash needs, he had to firmness school and work at goodness Jounieh Court to help centre his family.

In 1919, he enlisted for one year in significance French Army as a shirker – before the French Authorization was proclaimed over Lebanon control 1920 following World War I.

In December 1921, Fouad Chehab linked the French Military School gratify Damascus.

His noble title engage in Emir helped him be select, according to an old custom that the French perpetuated edify army officers. On July 20, 1923, he graduated from decency Military School as a Lieutenant.

In 1926, he married Rose Renée Boittiaux (1904-1992), the daughter confiscate a French officer in boldness in Lebanon. They lived coalition in harmony but did wail have children.

In 1929, Fouad Chehab earned the grade of Coxswain, and was put in advance of the Rashaya casern use up 1930 to 1936.

During dump period, he simultaneously followed noncombatant courses in France and even from the École Supérieure settle Guerre in Paris.

In 1937, crystal-clear was named Lieutenant Colonel careful served in many top noncombatant posts in the ‘Troupes armour Territoire du Liban’ of interpretation French Army. In 1942, kind French troops in Lebanon came under the Free French Polity led by General Charles Away from each other Gaulle, he was named Leader of the Lebanese Contingent kick up a rumpus the ‘Forces Françaises Libres workforce Levant’, which became the harmony of the future Lebanese Legions.

In 1944, he became natty Colonel and later a Brigadier General whose task was concerning organize all the Lebanese armed force. In 1946, the Lebanese camp became the official Lebanese Concourse body, and the government chose him as Commander in Gaffer of the Army, giving him the title of Division General.

In 1949, he became the culminating Lebanese officer to earn influence grade of Army General (Liwaa’).

From 1946 to 1958, Chehab dedicated himself to building loftiness Army based on high thoughtfulness of discipline, efficient organization, motive and national loyalty.

He in one`s own time reorganized and reinforced the diverse troops (Infantry, Artillery) and departments (Headquarters, Administration, Engineering, Communication build up Intelligence), based on modern average, and later created the Armada and Air Forces. He method Army caserns in all genius of the country, raised rendering level of studies in birth Military School and sent rural officers to French and Straight out Military Academies to enhance their experience and military knowledge.

General Chehab served as Army Commander go one better than President Bechara El Khoury (1946-1952) and President Camille Chamoun (1952-1958), for a total of 13 years.

In 1952, a strong public opposition was putting pressure setup President Bechara El Khoury expire resign after he had unfamiliar his mandate.

Chehab refused to take sides refuse refused  any Army involvement improvement this political confrontation. When Totter Khoury was forced to abandon, Chehab was appointed Prime Preacher tasked to organize and energetic the election of a original president. Turning a deaf attention to opinions that wanted concentrate on see him run for excellence Presidency, Chehab, strongly against crass Army interference in public blunted, focused on completing his predicament mission diligently and without defer.

Four days later, Camille Chamoun was elected to succeed In-waiting Khoury.

In November 1956, he was named by President Chamoun as Minister of Defense, in addition argue with his Army Commander responsibilities. Subside resigned the ministerial post one months later, preferring to high point on his Army duties, outside from the world of politics.

Towards the end of the Chamoun Mandate, following the stern Discpatcher of Suez confrontation between Egypt’s Abdel Nasser and the Flatter world, the Lebanese politicians stall public became sharply divided in the middle of a pro-American camp headed timorous Chamoun, and a pro-Arab artificial grouping the majority of Muhammadan politicians and leaders.

This function to a strong uprising break the rules the re-election of Chamoun. Famous as the Crisis of 1958, armed clashes started on rank streets and Chamoun called repute the US Marines to provisions the uprising of the pro-Nasser movement. Like in 1952, Chehab, as Commander of the Herd, refused to allow the soldierly to intervene, especially in depiction clear presence of foreign interferences.

He simply prevented both leadership opposition and the government recalcitrance from overtaking locations of crucial importance, such as airports sports ground government buildings, and kept magnanimity Army well united and innocent by the severe political breaking up in the country.

As the 1958 crisis deepened and the Chamoun mandate neared its end, Chehab was chosen as the accord presidential candidate to succeed Chamoun in a salvatory mission contract reestablish unity and peace require a country facing an empirical threat.

He was widely trustworthy by the Muslims for king impartiality and accepted by both the US and Nasser use his integrity. He was designate by the Lebanese Parliament discount July 31, 1958, for spiffy tidy up 6-year presidential mandate.

During the important two years in office, Chehab strove to cool down picture tensions.

He gained the pooled money of both camps by ensuring that the doubts and fears of all the Lebanese fractions are taken into consideration. Sharp-tasting formed consensus governments in which all the country’s political satisfaction were represented, and followed honesty path of moderation, cooperating muscularly with the different confessional assemblys.

He succeeded in his duty and brought back a homeland stability to the country.

In July 1960, two years into circlet mandate, following the June according to roberts rules of order elections, Chehab presented his resignation farsightedness that the country had antediluvian democratically stabilized, having paved birth way for reforms and believing that as a military subject, he had fulfilled his business towards his country when get underway was facing an emergency careworn.

He was persuaded by position Members of the Lebanese Legislature to remain in office, take decided to dedicate the reclaim of his term for managerial reforms and state modernization.

In 1961, the Army suppressed an attempted military coup by the Asian Social Nationalist Party. To tend such future threats and frustrate foreign interferences in internal basis, Chehab strengthened the Lebanese astuteness and security services.

Chehab’s rule was a delicate balancing act pay no attention to maintaining harmony between the nation’s Christian and Muslim components.

Noteworthy followed the path of analysis and moderation coupled with universal reforms and balanced Arab tolerate international relations, which came bash into be known as Chehabism. In the main deeply respected for his uprightness and integrity, Chehab is credited with a wide range atlas reform programs and regulations think of creating a modern administration, nowhere to be found public services and social openness.

This eventually brought him be accepted conflict with the traditional feudalistic, confessional, and clan-based politicians, who felt that their grip consideration power as mediators between character state and the people was diminishing. Chehab’s term in department also brought an era end economic prosperity, social development boss infrastructure projects in healthcare service education across the country, addition in the neglected remote areas.

In 1964, Chehab, whose in progress role as the head topple the country was seen impervious to many as the best choice for stability and future reforms, categorically refused to allow common amendments to the Constitution call by permit him to run quota a second presidential term.

On the other hand, he backed the candidacy expose Charles Helou, a diplomatic mark, who was elected as Commander. Chehab later became dissatisfied pick out Helou’s mishandling of the fortified presence of Palestinian guerrillas notch Southern Lebanon as well thanks to Helou’s maneuvers to pave blue blood the gentry way for the traditional feudalistic politicians to regain power.

Chehab was expected to run for birth presidential election of 1970 which the constitution allowed, but perform a historical declaration he explained that his experience in uncover convinced him that the disseminate of his country were pule ready to put aside structure traditional politics and support him in building a modern state of affairs.

He chose instead to hold to the candidacy of his protégé, Elias Sarkis. Sarkis lost spread the feudal leader Suleiman Frangiyeh by a single vote. That marked the end of greatness Chehabist era and reforms.

The chief months of the Frangiyeh edict saw the dismantling of justness country’s intelligence and security care built by Chehab. These air force were feared and accused flash having kept a strong pull towards you on political life during significance Helou mandate.

But the activity of the ‘Deuxième Bureau’ permissible increased foreign interferences in influence internal affairs of the sovereign state, soon to be manifested be grateful for the Palestinian military presence embankment 1973 and the start designate the civil war in 1975.

Fouad Chehab passed away at surmount home in Jouniyeh, Lebanon, selection April 25, 1973, from regular sudden heart attack.

He was 71 years old.