High Commissioner of the Levant

The high commissioner of France in the Levant (French: haut-commissaire de France au Levant; Arabic: المندوب السامي الفرنسي على سورية ولبنان, romanized: almandub alsaami alfaransiu ealaa suriat walubnan), named after 1941 the general delegate of Free France in the Levant^[1] (French: délégué général de la France libre au Levant^[2]), was the highest ranking authority representing France (and Free France during World War II) in the French-mandated countries of Syria and Lebanon. Its office was based in the Pine Residence in Beirut, Lebanon (present-day official residence of the French ambassador in Lebanon).

High Commissioner of the Levant
Haut-commissaire de France au Levant (French) المندوب السامي الفرنسي على سورية ولبنان (Arabic)
Longest serving Henri Ponsot August 1926 – 13 July 1933
Seat	Pine Residence, Horsh district, Beirut
Formation	9 October 1919
First holder	Henri Gouraud
Final holder	Paul Beynet [fr]
Abolished	1 September 1946

List of officeholders

High commissioners of France in the Levant

Portrait	Name	Term of office			Notes
		Took office	Left office	Time in office
	Henri Gouraud	9 October 1919	23 November 1922	3 years, 45 days
	Robert de Caix [fr]	23 November 1922	19 April 1923	147 days	Acting
	Maxime Weygand	19 April 1923	29 November 1924	1 year, 224 days
	Maurice Sarrail	29 November 1924	23 December 1925	1 year, 24 days
	Henry de Jouvenel	23 December 1925	23 June 1926	182 days
	Henri Ponsot	August 1926	13 July 1933	6 years, 11 months
	Damien de Martel	16 July 1933	January 1939	5 years, 5 months
	Gabriel Puaux	January 1939	November 1940	1 year, 10 months
	Jean Chiappe	24 November 1940	27 November 1940	3 days	Died on flight to take office.
	Henri Dentz	6 December 1940	14 July 1941	220 days	Dentz was repatriated to Metropolitan France following the Armistice of Saint Jean d'Acre.

General delegates of Free France in the Levant

Portrait	Name	Term of office			Notes
		Took office	Left office	Time in office
	Georges Catroux	24 June 1941	7 June 1943	1 year, 348 days	Catroux was also Chief of Free French Forces in Levant states.
	Jean Helleu [fr]	7 June 1943	23 November 1943	169 days
	Yves Chataigneau	23 November 1943	23 January 1944	61 days
	Paul Beynet [fr]	23 January 1944	1 September 1946	2 years, 221 days

See also

• Mandate for Syria and the Lebanon