v
Born 1st of March 1904 in a village called
"Al-Shouwayr", "El-Metn" province in
Mount Lebanon.
v
Finished primary school in his hometown, had some
further studies at "The Brother School" in Cairo-Egypt
and then back in
Lebanon at "Broumana High School", Broumana, Mount
Lebanon.
v
Left Lebanon end of 1919 to the
USA and in February 1921
moved to Brazil where he joined his father Dr. Khalil
Saadeh to edit "Al-Jaridah - The Newspaper" and "Al-Majallah
- The Magazine" a newspaper and a magazine which were
published in Arabic there.
v
In 1924 he established a secret association for the
purpose of liberating and unifying the whole natural
Syria but resolved
it in 1925. He studied German and Russian languages
while in Brazil.
v
Returned to
Lebanon on July 1930. Moved to Damascus in 1931 to edit
"Al-Ayam - The Days" newspaper, then went back to Beirut
where he taught the German language course at the
American university of
Beirut.
v
He republished "Al-Majallah" in
Beirut which was to cease
publication after four issues only.
v
On 16
November 1932
he secretly established the Syrian Social Nationalist
Party (SSNP). Its existence and activities unfolded in
1935. This lead to the arrest of Saadeh with some of his
top aids. He spent six months in prison where he wrote
"The Genealogy of Nations".
v
Arrested again end of June 1936 until early November the
same year where he wrote "Explanation of the
Principles", only to return to prison early March 1937.
There he wrote "The Genealogy of the Syrian Nation"
whose manifest was confiscated by the French mandate
authorities who refused to give it back to Saadeh at his
release and later it was lost completely.
v
Got out of Prison end of May 1937 and established "Al-Nahda
- The Renissance" newspaper in November 1937 and led the
SSNP until he left the country in 1938 to organise the
SNSP's branches overseas.
v
In the same year (1938) he established "Souria Al-Jadidah
- The New Syria" newspaper in
Brazil. He was arrested
as a result of Syrians who were British agents turning
him into the Brazilian authorities but proved innocent
and released after two months.
v
Moved to Argentina
where he was caught unable to travel further, because
the French consulate there confiscated his passport, as
he was convicted to 20 years in prison and 20 years in
exile by French authorities back at home. World War II
erupted during this time, and he had to stay there until
1947!
v
While in Argentina
he established "Al-Zawbaa - The Cyclone" and wrote "The
Intellectual Struggle in the Syrian Literature", which
was published in Buenos Aires.
v
Married to Juliet Al-Meer in 1943 and had three
daughters, Elissar, Saphya and Raghida.
v
Returned to Beirut
2nd of March 1947, here he delivered a very
strong worded speech to the mass of people who welcomed
him at the airport, thus scaring the Lebanese
authorities who issued unsiccessful warrant for his
arrest, but withdrew it after seven months.
v
Established "Al-Jeal Al-Jadid - The New Generation"
newspaper in Beirut, where its printing offices were lit
with fire by some members of the Lebanese Phalange Party
who were protected and guided by the Lebanese
authorities who in turn retaliated against the SSNP
which was the victim which also led Saadeh to declare
the 1st Revolution against the Lebanese government on
July 4, 1949.
v
While Saadeh was busy planning and leading the
revolution from
Damascus, he was unaware that Mr. Husni Al-Zaeem, the
head of the Syrian military government who had just
assured him full support, had changed his mind. Under
pressure from some Arab and foreign regimes, he decided
to give Saadeh up to the Lebanese authorities who
received Saadeh at the Lebanese-Syrian boarder. They
court martialled and sentenced him to death in less than
24 hours and executed the death penalty in front of a
firing squad at a deserted beach at the outskirts of
Beirut at 3:20 am, dawn of
July 8, 1949.