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The Influence of French Mandate on Contemporary

Lebanon

A Research Paper
Submitted to the Faculty of Letters and Human Sciences in Partial
Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Assignment in Contemporary
Issues in Cultural Heritage

Beirut
Academic Year 2021-2022
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Introduction

“Following World War Two European power in the Middle East crumbled and a number of

post-colonial states emerged. These states often justified their existence in terms of ideologies

that were tied to specific post-colonial, political identities” (Helfont, 2015, para.5). Almost

every country, particularly Arab countries, was under the powers of another dominant and

prevalent country. Mostly these presiding countries were Western ones. This occupancy is

referred to as colonialism. In the early 1920s and after World War I Lebanon was controlled

by the France Forces and it became a part of the French colonial empire which lasted for about

20 years (till 1943) followed by the independence of the country “Lebanon”. However, even

after Lebanon has gained its independence it is still considered postcolonial for the impacts

and influences France had on the culture and citizens, having them noting these effects or not.

Our main focus in this article revolves around the impacts the French mandate had on

Lebanon after the colonization period or what is known as the postcolonial period. Taha

(2020) stated that this action created a prosperous environment in Beirut, as France provided

its own political aid, culture, language, and literature. The purpose of this paper is to tackle the

aftermath of the French mandate on Lebanon under the shadow of Nadia’s Tueni poems.

Discussion and analysis:

- Lebanon’s postcolonial literature and politics:

“It was during the French Mandate that many of Lebanon’s defining political characteristics

were formed” (Ritli, 2011, para.3). France had a great impact in forming the contemporary

politics in Lebanon. “Political affairs, such as World War I and its aftermath, indubitably
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shaped Beirut’s modernist and postcolonial scenes as well as influenced Western views, which

could have perhaps promoted inaccurate Arab representations, and thus created prejudice

toward Arab writers” (Taha, 2020, p.58). Taha (2020) stated that this interrelation among

legislative issues and Arabic innovation is a basic point of convergence, eminently in light of

the fact that Arabic pioneers utilize verse and writing to react to public issues and express their

opinions. In this manner, it tends to be gathered that a lot of Arabic innovation's writing is

politically instigated. This assures that notable figures, in particular writers, used to employ

their thoughts and reactions regarding politics or whatever aspect it is, through writing. So, we

can refer back to writers of that period to critically and accurately discuss the status of

Lebanon during that time.

“The system of law and justice is mostly modeled on French concepts” (Zeidan, 2018, para.2).

Lebanon’s politics were greatly influenced by that of France even after independence, the

reason behind that is that Lebanon’s political system was made or modified by the French

colonizers which is still till the time. “Of all the Middle Eastern nationalisms, Lebanese

nationalism is often considered the most straightforward in relation to its connection to the

colonial period” (Ritli, 2011, para.8).

- Lebanese culture after the French mandate:

Lebanese culture was affected greatly by the French one. “[A Frenchman can easily live in

Beirut without feeling displaced,] said Mr. Gougeon, who moved to the Lebanese capital from

Paris in 1999” (Cheshes, 2013, para.3). This manifests the great rapprochement between the

two cultures, to an extent that one can move to either country having no strange perceiving,

instead of feeling he’s still in his own country. One of the most Lebanese cities that reveals the
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influence of France is the capital Beirut. Beirut, till our time, conveys French landmarks.

Naanai (n.d.) stated that

The first thing you will notice when you visit Beirut (or Lebanon in general) is the

connection to French culture. The Grand Theater in Beirut is said to have been

modeled after The Palais Garnier. In Lebanon, there are also several French bakeries,

Petit Bateau children’s clothing boutiques, and supermarkets. Many of these businesses

are owned by Lebanese citizens, not French individuals. The mixture of Arab and

French culture is prevalent in Lebanon, and it does not look like it is going to slow

down anytime soon.

Many have talked about these relatively closed cultures. “Driving down the Avenue de Paris,

along the Corniche, the palm-tree-lined esplanade that hugs the city’s Mediterranean coast, I

gazed up at a defunct lighthouse, striped like a barber pole, that was built by the French in the

1920s” (Cheshes, 2013, para. 10).

- Postcolonial Lebanon in Nadia Tueni’s poems:

Nadia Tueni is a Lebanese poet, born in 1935, which came from a Lebanese and French

background; “her father was a diplomat and distinguished writer in his own right and her

mother was from French Algerian stock” (Nadia Tueni Poems, n.d.). “Considering this and

given Tuéni's place of birth (Beirut) and the language she writes in (French), it's clear there is

a postcolonial matter at play here” (Taha, 2020, p. 62). This makes it clear to realize to what

extent was Tueni influenced by the French civilization, her poetic language was French, her

mother was of French origins. But despite this all, Tueni made sure to reflect her Arabic

background through her works. “Tueni was influenced by French surrealist works and by
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poets such as Rimbaud and Lautreamont but her own work was firmly grounded in her Arabic

heritage” (Nadia Tueni Poems, n.d.). According to Taha (2020), Tueni within her first poem

titled “My Country”, revealed her conception of Lebanon through the usage of specific similes

and metaphors:

My country’s a memory

of men hard as hunger,

and of wars more ancient

than the waters of the Jordan. (Lines 6-9).

Tahan (2020) also mentioned that the area, Lebanon, appears to apply a significant effect on

Tuéni, as indicated by the opinions she passes on in her sonnets. This is particularly eminent

because these sonnets were composed during a problematic period for Lebanese occupants:

The Lebanese Civil War (1975-1990).

In addition to that, in her poem “Women of my Country” she addresses the Lebanese women

referring to them as strong people who have a significant role in Lebanese society:

You reassure mountains,

make men believe they are men

convince ashes of their own fertility

and tell the land that it will never pass away. (Lines 7-10).
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Conclusion:

Though Lebanon has gained its independence in 1943 and the French mandate has ended in

1945, it is still influenced by the French civilization in many aspects; cultural, political,

educational, and social. This immense influence is obviously manifested in our country

through landmarks, habits, or even literary works. It is worth mentioning that in spite of this

massive impact, Lebanese people still sanctify their Arabic nationality and prior it above all.
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References:

https://www.nytimes.com/2013/09/01/travel/call-it-beyrouth-beirut-with-a-french-accent.html
https://facnh.com/the-world-of-french-lebanon/
https://stars.library.ucf.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1769&context=etd2020
https://www.britannica.com/place/Lebanon/Economy

https://www.fpri.org/article/2015/10/post-colonial-states-and-the-struggle-for-identity-in-the-
middle-east-since-world-war-two/ 

https://www.e-ir.info/2011/07/05/colonialism-lebanon-and-the-middle-east/  

https://mypoeticside.com/poets/nadia-tueni-poems