Background and causes of the Syrian civil war (original) (raw)

This article discusses the background and reasons that contributed to the outbreak of the Syrian civil war. Protests in Syria began in March 2011 during the 2010–11 Middle East and North Africa protests (later referred to as the Arab Spring) but have been characterized by a multi-sided civil war. Another unique aspect of the Syrian war is that many countries have intervened and invested heavily in the warring parties within the country, and these countries have even intervened directly to help them.