The 1975 Civil War: Lebanon's Spark

In Episode 267, we trace the immediate causes of Lebanon’s devastating fifteen-year civil war that began in April 1975. While earlier episodes covered the 1958 crisis and the Ottoman-era dynamics of Fakhr al-Din II, this episode focuses on the fragile social contract that unraveled in the mid-1970s. We explore how the demographic shifts following the influx of Palestinian refugees from the 1948 and 1967 wars altered the delicate Maronite-Druze-Muslim balance established under the National Pact. Lucas and Luna discuss the role of key political figures like Kamal Jumblatt and the Christian Phalangist militia, as well as the specific incident at the Tell el-Zaatar refugee camp that ignited the conflict. This conversation examines the intersection of Cold War proxy politics, local sectarian tensions, and the collapse of state authority in Beirut, offering a clear, human-centered look at one of the Middle East’s most complex modern conflicts.

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