Damascus Protocol

Lore & Background

The Damascus Protocol was presented to Faisal bin Hussein on 23 May 1915 during his second visit to Damascus, while on a mission to consult Turkish officials in Constantinople. The secret societies al-Fatat and al-'Ahd declared they would support Faisal's father Hussein bin Ali's revolt against the Ottoman Empire if the demands in the protocol were submitted to the British. The text was first translated into English by George Antonius in 1938, based on a copy given to him by Faisal.

Reader's Guide

The Damascus Protocol is significant as it crystallized the territorial and political aspirations of Arab nationalists during World War I. Its demands—for British recognition of an independent Arab state stretching from the 37th parallel north to the Indian Ocean, and from Persia to the Mediterranean—formed the basis of the Arab side of the Hussein–McMahon Correspondence. The protocol's frontiers later became a point of contention in post-war negotiations, as British commitments to other parties (such as the Sykes-Picot Agreement) conflicted with the boundaries defined in the document. Its legacy lies in its role as a foundational text for Arab nationalist claims to self-determination in the Levant and Arabian Peninsula.

Did You Know?

• The protocol was given to Faisal bin Hussein on 23 May 1915 during his second visit to Damascus.
• The secret societies al-Fatat and al-'Ahd declared they would support Hussein bin Ali's revolt if the demands were submitted to the British.
• The text was first translated into English by George Antonius in 1938.
• The protocol defined the northern boundary as the line Mersin-Adana to parallel 37N and then along Birejek-Urfa-Mardin-Midiat-Jazirat (Ibn 'Umar)-Amadia to the Persian frontier.