In 1920, Lebanon was put under a French mandate along with Syria by the Allies. This ensured that the governmental structure and the constitution both replicated the French system. However, after the first and only complete census that was held in 1932 (as of 1987), provided the basis on decisions regarding dividing power amongst the different sects of the population (Collelo 1987, 18).
With the fall of the Vichy government in France, Lebanese national leaders brokered official independence in 1941, with de facto French authority still prevalent (Collelo 1987, 19). In 1943, after the general elections, the new Lebanese Chamber of Deputies “amended the Constitution, abolishing the articles that referred to the Mandate and modi[fied] those that specified the powers of the high commissioner, thus unilaterally ending the Mandate” (Collelo 1987, 20).
The French responded by arresting and exiling the prominent Lebanese politicians including the president, the prime minister, and other cabinet ministers. Due to internal and international opprobrium from Britain, the U.S. and Arab nations, they released them marking November 22, 1943 as Independence Day.
Citations
Collelo, Thomas, “Lebanon: a country study”, Federal Research Division Library of Congress: 1989