The Battle of Maysalun (Arabic: معركة ميسلون), also called the Battle of Maysalun Pass, was a battle fought between the forces of the Arab Kingdom of Syria and French Army of the Levant on 24 July 1920 near the Maysalun Pass, about 12 miles west of Damascus, close to the Lebanese border.
Prior to the engagement at Maysalun, the French general, Henri Gouraud, had given King Faisal an ultimatum to disband his newly formed army, a demand to which Faisal ultimately acceded. However, by the time Faisal communicated his agreement, French forces had launched an offensive towards Damascus from Lebanon, and Faisal's war minister, General Yusuf al-'Azma set out to confront them with remnants of the Arab Army and Damascene volunteers. During the battle, the better-equipped French forces under the command of General Mariano Goybet defeated the Syrian forces of al-'Azma, who was killed in action.
French troops entered Damascus the following day, encountering little resistance. Soon after, Faisal was expelled from Syria. Despite the Arab Army's decisive defeat, the Battle of Maysalun became a symbol, in Syria and the Arab world, of desperate courage against a stronger imperial power.