The Syrian civil war
A protest movement becomes a war that displaces half a country.
- When
- —
- Duration
- 14 years
- Era
- Contemporary, Holocene
Repression of protests in 2011 escalates into a multi-sided civil war drawing in Russia, Iran, Turkey, the United States and jihadist groups. Chemical weapons are used against civilians. Over half a million die and around 13 million are displaced — the largest refugee movement since 1945 — reshaping European politics and fuelling a continent-wide backlash. The Assad government fell in December 2024.