The Arab empire was allied to Germany and Italy during the first world war. On defeat, the league of Nations annexed near and middle eastern countries and a league of Nations mandate took over the administration of Syria. There was also a mandate concerning what was then Palestine which amounted to plans for the partition and segregation of three distinct cultural groups.
The mandate involving Syria, and Greater Lebanon which later, in 1926, became the Republic of Lebanon, also involved partition and segregation. There was a plan for a new Druze state. The Druze historically lived in the Golan Heights. Also the formation of a new Alawite state. Bashar al Assad is reported to be Alawi. Alawite philosophy is thought to be a liberal version of Shiite Islam. Syria is in conflict with western allies at the present time and since 2011.
Before the civil war Syrian oil sales for 2010 were estimated at over 3 billion US dollars. The Syrian Petroleum Company was a state-owned company established in 1974. It now forms a part of the General Petroleum Corporation (Mobile/Esso). Al-Furat was said to be the other major oil company and reported to be 50% owned by the Syrian State and 50% owned by Anglo-dutch Shell (Royal Dutch Shell).
Bashar al Assad has been the President of Syria since 2000. He is commander in chief of the Syrian armed forces and regional secretary of the socialist party. Assad has denied the many accusations of human rights abuses by various un groups, but he admits to a chemical weapon attack on Sunni Salafist jihadists in 2014.
Syria is in crisis. Many Syrians have left for western destinations, many are dead and there are reports of much of the remaining population being on the verge of starvation. Meanwhile thousands of acres of wheat and barley have been destroyed by fires. Isis has been blamed. Saudi Arabia are now allied to the west. According to reports Syria has been bombarded by a US led coalition and left in a state of humanitarian disaster.