The Arab Ba'ath Movement (Arab: حركة البعث العربي, Latin Arabic text: Harakat al-Ba'th al-Arabi), also literally translated as Arab Resurrection Movement or Arab Renaissance Movement, was the Ba'athist

Ba'athism

Ba'athism is an Arab nationalist ideology that promotes the development and creation of an Arab nation through the leadership of a vanguard party over a progressive revolutionary state. The ideology is officially based on the theories of Zaki al-Arsuzi , Michel Aflaq and Salah al-Din al-Bitar...

 political movement and predacessor of the Arab Socialist Ba'ath Party. The party was first named Arab Ihya Movement (Harakat al-Ihya al-'Arabi) literally translated as Arab Revitalization Movement, until 1943 when it adopted the name "Ba'ath". It was founded in 1940 by Michel Aflaq

Michel Aflaq

Michel Aflaq was a Syrian philosopher, who is credited with being the ideological founder of ba'athism, a hybrid of Arab nationalism and Arab socialism.-Early life:...

. Its founders, Aflaq and Bitar were both associated with left-wing politics

Left-wing politics

In politics, Left, left-wing and leftist generally refer to support for social change to create a more egalitarian society...

.

History

The Movement was formed in 1940 as the Arab Ihya Movement by Syrian expatriate Michel Aflaq.

Shortly after being founded, the Movement became involved in anti-colonial Arab nationalist militant activities, including Aflaq founding the Syrian Committee to Help Iraq

Syrian Committee to Help Iraq

The Syrian Committee to Help Iraq was a political movement created in 1941 to support Iraq against the British during the Anglo-Iraqi War of 1941. It sent weapons and volunteers to fight alongside Iraqi forces against the British. It was organized and led by Arab Ihya Movement leader Michel Aflaq....

 that was created in 1941 to support the anti-British and pro-Axis

Axis Powers

The Axis powers , also known as the Axis alliance, Axis nations, Axis countries, or just the Axis, was an alignment of great powers during the mid-20th century that fought World War II against the Allies. It began in 1936 with treaties of friendship between Germany and Italy and between Germany and...

 government of Iraq

Kingdom of Iraq

The Kingdom of Iraq was the sovereign state of Iraq during and after the British Mandate of Mesopotamia. The League of Nations mandate started in 1920. The kingdom began in August 1921 with the coronation of Faisal bin al-Hussein bin Ali al-Hashemi as King Faisal I...

 against the British during the Anglo-Iraqi War

Anglo-Iraqi War

The Anglo-Iraqi War was the name of the British campaign against the rebel government of Rashid Ali in the Kingdom of Iraq during the Second World War. The war lasted from 2 May to 31 May 1941. The campaign resulted in the re-occupation of Iraq by British armed forces and the return to power of the...

 of 1941. The Syrian Committee sent weapons and volunteers to fight alongside Iraqi forces against the British.

Aflaq unsuccessfully ran as a candidate for the Syrian parliament in 1943. After the Syrian election defeat, the Movement sought cooperation with other parties in elections in Syria, including the Arab Socialist Movement

Arab Socialist Movement

The Arab Socialist Movement is a political party in Syria.It is an Arab socialist party, with roots in the peasant movement. It traces its roots back to the 1930s radical anti-feudal group led by Akram al-Hawrani, which merged with the Ba'th Party in 1953, only to withdraw again in 1963. It is...

  of Akram al-Hawrani

Akram al-Hawrani

Akram al-Hawrani |transcribe]]d Hourani or Hurani) , was a Syrian politician who played a prominent role in the formation of a widespread populist, nationalist movement in Syria and in the rise of the Ba'th Party...

.

The Party became the Arab Socialist Ba'ath Party (ASBP) in 1946, and al-Hawrani's Arab Socialist Movement later merged into the ASBP in 1953.