After the explosion in the Lebanese capital Beirut on Tuesday, 4th ofAugust, more than 150 people died and more than 5000 persons were injured, France's president Macron visited the country as the first. He promised financial support. But not without conditions. Macron would be committed to help the people in Lebanon, it would be an historical responsibility. Therefore he dictates what he demands from the Lebanese government: There has tobe a general political change. Further the corruption has to be fought by the government. An energy reform has to be enforced as well as the lack of transparency in the banking system has to be fought. France always stood side by side with Lebanon, he announced.
This behaviour of Macron is no accident. France maintains economic relationships with Lebanon for quite a long time and by „side by side“ probably the long history of colonialism of France in Lebanon is meant, that shall be outlined in this article:
In the 16th century there was a economic rise in Lebanon and its neighbouring countries that also European countries, especially England and France were interested in. France supported therefore the Christian-Catholic population, the Maronites, that are until nowadays ab big religious community in Lebanon. To gain more influence England and France schemed what led to conflicts between the different confessions.
Again and again there were military conflicts between the Druze (Muslims), that were supported by the Ottomans, and the Maronites. In 1860 there was a civil-war between the Maronites and the Druze, which was against feudalism. Many Maronites were peasants and normally the Druze were landlords. In this war thousands of Maronites were murdered until France took part and enforced a Christian autonomous territory.
But the European forces should keep power on Lebanese territory even after the ending of the war. So e.g. Beirut has until today a big impact of French culture. While Lebanon was under Ottoman and German occupation during the 1st World War, France was given the League of Nations mandate for Syria and Lebanon and determined in this time the current territory and a new constitution. Among others Charles de Gaulle educated Lebanese officers to support France in the 2nd world war. Those units fought e.g. in Lybia against German and Italian soldiers.
Already in the end of 1941 France announced the independency of the Lebanon, two years later there were first elections and the Lebanese government dissolved the French mandate by its own. Anyhow the last French troops were pulled out in 1946. As a part of the UNIFIL-Mandate (United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon) French Blue helmets were stationed again by side of other UN-countries in Lebanon to firstly monitor the pull of Israeli troops, but further to allegedly guarantee security of a sovereign Lebanese government.
What was made more hidden in earlier times, Macron is now doing openly. In front of protesting people he stands in front of the cameras and promised financial support. But just if the Lebanese government follows his rules. Macron tries,just like a colonial master, to dictate a sovereign government what it has to do. His attempt to strengthen the influence of French imperialism is so open that it cannot be denied. Also even though Macron always emphasizes in his beautiful speeches that he would do it for the Lebanese people these are just empty words and he is dreaming to gain power in Western Asia as once again.
