From Coexistence to Conflict in 19th Century Mount Lebanon

From Coexistence to Conflict in 19th Century Mount Lebanon Mount Lebanon has been a troubled region throughout much of Lebanese history. Through most of the 19th century, the Maronite and Druze inhabitants of the Mount Lebanon region had successfully coexisted in an intricate inter-sectarian system. True to the words of Leila Fawaz, "Lebanon was at peace, as it had been for most of its history." Excessive foreign intervention, however, caused the status in Mount Lebanon …

…re slaughtered mercilessly. The civil war of 1860 came as a result of foreign intervention in the region. Had the European powers not tried to take advantage of the situation in the Mount Lebanon region for their personal gain, it is highly likely the Druze and Maronite communities could have continued to coexist peacefully with one another. Although foreign intervention can sometimes produce positive results, history has proven that in Lebanon, that is not the case.