Suleiman Frangieh

Suleiman Frangieh was elected President of Lebanon on August 17, 1970, by a single-vote majority in Parliament, defeating Elias Sarkis. His presidency marked a shift away from Chehabist policies toward a more traditional, pro-Western and Maronite-dominated approach, which exacerbated sectarian tensions.

The Lebanese Civil War began in April 1975 during Frangieh's presidency, triggered by clashes between Phalangist militias and Palestinian factions. Frangieh's weak and sectarian-leaning government failed to contain the violence, and the conflict rapidly escalated into a multi-sided civil war involving Christian, Muslim, Druze, and Palestinian forces, lasting until 1990.

In January 1976, under Frangieh's presidency, Lebanese Christian militias (with alleged support from the president's son, Tony Frangieh) attacked the Karantina district in Beirut, a slum inhabited by Palestinian refugees and Lebanese Muslims. The massacre killed an estimated 1,000-1,500 civilians, leading to retaliatory massacres by Palestinian forces at Damour and deepening the cycle of violence.

Suleiman Frangieh's presidential term ended in September 1976, but due to the civil war, he was unable to hand over power peacefully. He left Lebanon for exile in France, where he remained until his death in 1992. His presidency is widely regarded as a failure that contributed to the destruction of the Lebanese state.