Beirut 1941: The Australian Invasion That Freed Lebanon

In June 1941, as World War II raged across Europe and North Africa, a largely forgotten campaign unfolded on Lebanon's shores. Australian and Free French forces stormed the beaches of the Litani River, facing fierce resistance from Vichy French troops loyal to the collaborationist regime. This is the story of Operation Exporter — the daring push from Palestine into Syria and Lebanon that broke Vichy control, liberated Damascus and Beirut, and set the stage for Lebanon's independence. We follow the 21st Australian Brigade's bloody fight at the Litani, the pivotal Battle of Damour, and the complex politics that followed: how Charles de Gaulle's Free French tried to reimpose colonial rule, and how Lebanese nationalists — including Bishara al-Khuri and Riad al-Sulh — seized the moment to demand real sovereignty. We also uncover the role of the Druze leader Sultan al-Atrash, the fighting at Mezzeh, and the controversial armistice that left a bitter legacy. A crucial pivot point in Lebanon's path from mandate to independence, told through the soldiers and statesmen who lived it.

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