Map of Syria's ethnic and sectarian distribution
Introduction -The regional and international dimensions of Syria's revolution - An unpredictable uprising? -Syria's complex terrain
Ch. one: the decay of the Syrian state
Bashar al-Assad's consolidation of power - The challenge of reform and the flawed modernisation of the economy - The decay of the state - The nature of the regime - The centrality of the security forces
Ch. two: the uprising and the regime - The political geography of the Syrian uprising - The regime's response and resilience - Ch. three: The rise of the opposition - The emergence of many oppositions - The militarisation of the uprising - Revolution and Islamism
Ch. four: the regional struggle over Syria - Syria in the regional landscape - Regional competition: between Turkey, Iran and the Gulf - Iraq: the spectre of sectarian war reappears - Vulnerable states: Lebanon and Jordan - Israel: the end of a predictable relationship
Ch. five: Syria in the international context - Western confusion and ambivalence - An incremental response - International diplomacy - Making sense of Western hesitancy - Russia takes a stand - Military constraints to intervention - The Western debate over assisting the rebellion
Conclusion - Societal fragmentation - Who holds power? - The opposition's challenges - The regime's survival strategy - The diplomatic solution: delusion or only game in town?-The troubled regional picture.
