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[Trojita]

Bashar al-Assad was born in Damascus on 11 September 1965, the second oldest son of Aniseh and Hafez al-Assad. His last name in Arabic means "the lion"; Assad's peasant paternal grandfather had changed the family name from Wahsh (meaning "Savage") when acquiring minor noble status in 1927.

His father, born to an impoverished rural family of Alawite background, rose through the Ba'ath Party ranks to take control of the Syrian branch of the Party in the 1970 Corrective Revolution, culminating in his rise to the Syrian presidency. Hafez al-Assad promoted his supporters within the Ba'ath Party, many of whom were also of Alawite background. After the coup, Alawite strongmen were installed and Sunni, Druze and Ismaili individuals were systematically arrested and purged from the army and Ba'ath party.

Assad has five siblings, three of whom are deceased. A sister named Bushra died in infancy. Assad's youngest brother, Majd al-Assad, was not a public figure and virtually nothing is known about him other than he was mentally or emotionally disabled, and according to SANA he died in 2009 after a "long illness".

Unlike his brothers Bassel and Maher, and second sister, also named Bushra, Bashar was quiet and reserved and says that he lacked interest in politics or the military, and the Assad regime's personality cult focused on Bassel prior to his death.

Bashar was said to have been bullied by his older brother Bassel. The Assad children reportedly rarely saw their father, and Bashar later stated that he only entered his father's office once while he was in power and he never spoke about politics with him. Psychologists have noted that Assad grew up in an unhealthy environment, and his predisposition for violence stems from his early childhood development and family.

He received his primary and secondary education in the Arab-French al-Hurriya School in Damascus. In 1982, he graduated from high school and went on to study medicine at Damascus University.

So his father was from a poor family and rose up to be President of Syria. Bashar was not into politics or the military and was the quiet one. He grew up in the shadow of his older brother, who was considered by the country to be "The Golden Boy", and was bullied by his brother.

Bashar took an interest in medicine and decided to....

In 1988, Assad graduated from medical school and began working as an army doctor in the biggest military hospital, "Tishrin", on the outskirts of Damascus.

become an army doctor

Now this is the thing that gets me the most

Four years later, he went to the United Kingdom to begin postgraduate training in ophthalmology at the Western Eye Hospital, part of the St Mary's group of teaching hospitals in London. Bashar at the time had few political aspirations. His father had been grooming Bashar's older brother Bassel as the future president. Bashar, however, was recalled in 1994 to the Syrian Army, after Bassel's death in a car accident.

Soon after the death of Bassel, Hafez Assad made the decision to make Bashar the new heir-apparent. Over the next six and half years, until his death in 2000, Hafez went about systematically preparing Bashar for taking over power. Preparations for a smooth transition were made on three levels. First, support was built up for Bashar in the military and security apparatus. Second, Bashar's image was established with the public. And lastly, Bashar was familiarized with the mechanisms of running the country.

The guy was in London studying to be an eye doctor! Then his older brother dies and his father appoints him as the new heir (Syria is basically a monarchy from this point forward)

To establish his credentials in the military, Bashar entered in 1994 the military academy at Homs, north of Damascus, and was propelled through the ranks to become a colonel in January 1999. To establish a power base for Bashar in the military, old divisional commanders were pushed into retirement, and new, young, Alawite officers with loyalties to him took their place.

Parallel to his military career, Bashar was engaged in public affairs. He was granted wide powers and became a political adviser to President Hafez al-Assad, head of the bureau to receive complaints and appeals of citizens, and led a campaign against corruption. As a result of his campaign against corruption, Bashar was able to remove his potential rivals for president.

A little more on his older brother Bassel

In 1988, regarding his relations with his father Bassel told Patrick Seale "we saw father at home but he was so busy that three days could go by without us exchanging a word with him. We never had breakfast or dinner together, and I don't remember ever having lunch together as a family, or maybe we only did once or twice when state affairs were involved. As a family, we used to spend a day or two in Lattakia in the summer, but then too he used to work in the office and we didn't get to see much of him."

He first emerged on the national scene in 1987, when he won several equestrian medals at a regional tournament. The Baath Party press in Syria long ago eulogised Bassel Assad as "the golden knight" due to his prowess in horsemanship. Bassel also had a reputation for his interest in fast cars. It was said by officials in Damascus that he was uncorrupted and honest. His friends and teachers describe him as charismatic and commanding. He was appointed head of presidential security. In addition, he launched the Syrian Computer Society in 1989, which was later headed by his brother Bashar.

Originally President Hafez Assad's younger brother Rifaat al-Assad was his chosen successor, but he unsuccessfully attempted to replace him when Hafez was in a coma in 1984. Following this incident, Bassel Assad was groomed to succeed his father.

This is starting to sound like Game of Thrones

However, elder Assad's efforts intensified to make him to be the next president of Syria in the early 1990s.[3] Since his last election victory in 1991, President Hafez Assad was publicly referred to as "Abu Basil" (Father of Bassel). He was being introduced to European and Arab leaders at that period, and he was a close friend of the children of King Hussein of Jordan. He had been also introduced to King Fahd and then Lebanese leaders of all sects. Assad had a significant role in Lebanese affairs. Assad organized a highly publicized anti-corruption campaign within the regime, and frequently appeared in full military uniform at official receptions, signaling the regime's commitment to the armed forces.

Bassel's death

On 21 January 1994, driving his Maserati at high speed through fog to Damascus International Airport for a flight to Germany in the early hours of the morning, Bassel is said to have collided with a motorway roundabout without wearing a seatbelt, and he died instantly. It was reported that his cousin, Hafez Makhlouf, was with him and hospitalized with injuries after the accident. A chauffeur in the back seat was unhurt. Bassel Assad's body was taken to Al Assad University Hospital. Then his body was buried in Qardaha in northern Syria where his father's body was also later buried.

After his death, shops, schools and public offices in Syria closed for three days, and luxury hotels suspended the sale of alcohol in respect. Bassel Assad was elevated by the state into "the martyr of the country, the martyr of the nation and the symbol for its youth." Numerous squares and streets were named after him. The new international swimming complex, various hospitals, sporting clubs, a military academy, and an airport were also named after him. His statue is found in several Syrian cities, and even after his death he is often pictured on billboards with his father and brother.

The guy had such a cult of personality by this point that his father, the King President, was known has Bassel's father.

Bassel Assad's death led to his lesser-known brother Bashar al-Assad, then undertaking postgraduate training in ophthalmology in London, assuming the mantle of President-in-waiting. Bashar Assad became President following the death of Hafez Assad on 10 June 2000. Bassel Assad's posters and his name were also used to secure a smooth transition after Hafez Assad through the slogan "Basil, the Example: Bashar, the Future."

In order to make the public accept Bashar they had to promote Bashar as Bassel's brother.

 

[Valhelm]

Isn't this basically common knowledge?

The FX series Tyrant is loosely based on Bashar's life.

 

[Trojita]

Isn't this basically common knowledge?

The FX series Tyrant is loosely based on Bashar's life.

Oh. I wasn't aware ;_;

 

[Frustrated_me]

Al Jazeera has a fantastic documentry on the Assad family and how they came to power if you're interested. I'm on mobile so I can't get link ATM.

Interesting stuff, thanks for posting. Assad's are known to be resilient.