SYRIA IN 1963-1971: THE EVOLUTION OF IDEOLOGY AND FOREIGN POLICY IN SOVIET HISTORIOGRAPHY

Abstract

. The article presents the views of Soviet historians on the evolution of Syrian ideology and politics in 1963–1970. In this work, the author aims to identify approaches commonly used in the Soviet historiography for assessing the ideological and foreign policies of the Arab Socialist Ba'ath Party. Three key stages are distinguished over the course of change in the Syrian ideological and foreign policy: the Revolution of 8March 1963, the Movement of 23 February 1966 and Asad's Correctional Movement in 1970. The historiographical works on these events are divided into three periods: 1963–1980, 1980–1984 and the period of Perestroyka. In the works published before 1980, the process of Syria’s ideological and foreign political evolution was considered to be a progressive change from one stage to another. However, works published in 1980–1984 period scrutinized the specifics of each stage, and the works of the Perestroyka period showed marked differences between the periods of Syrian development. The author concludes that the achievements of Soviet historiography should be taken into ac-count in new historical and political science studies. Stereotypes regarding the assessment of the Syrian events by Soviet historiography should be revised.