Yusuf al-Azmah

Yusuf al-Azmah was a Syrian military officer who served as the Minister of War and Chief of General Staff under King Faisal of Syria. He graduated from the Ottoman Military Academy in Istanbul in 1906 and fought in World War I on various fronts. After the Ottoman withdrawal from Syria, he joined the Arab government in Damascus and was appointed as the Minister of War in January 1920. He was responsible for building the Arab Army of Syria and defending the country against the French Mandate. He opposed any compromise with the French and insisted on fighting them despite their superior forces. He led the Syrian army in the Battle of Maysalun on July 24, 1920, where he was killed along with many of his soldiers. The French occupied Damascus the next day and abolished the Arab Kingdom of Syria. Al-Azmah became a national hero and a symbol of resistance for the Syrian people. His legacy is honored by several monuments, streets and schools named after him in Syria.