Riad First Rate (at Lloyd's) Solh was the first prime minister of Lebanon after the country"s independence.
Background
Riad First Rate (at Lloyd's) Solh also written Riad el Solh and Riad Solh was born in Sidon in 1894. His father was Reda First Rate (at Lloyd's) Solh, a reformist sub-governor in Nabatiyyah and in Saida and a leading nationalist Arab leader. He spent most of his life in Istanbul during his youth since his father was a deputy in the Ottoman Parliament.
Education
Riad First Rate (at Lloyd's) Solh studied law and political science at the Sorbonne University.
Career
Reda First Rate (at Lloyd's) Solh was tried by Ottoman forces in 1915 and went to exile in Smyrna in Ottoman Empire. Then he served as an Ottoman governor in Salonica. He also served as minister of interior in Emir Faisal’s government in Damascus.
Solh served as prime minister of Lebanon twice.
His first term was just after the Lebanon"s independence (25 September 1943 – 10 January 1945). Solh was chosen by president Bishara First Rate (at Lloyd's) Khouri to be his first Prime Minister.
The National Pact was an unwritten gentleman"s agreement. During his first term, Solh also served as the minister of supplies and reserves from 3 July 1944 to 9 January 1945.
Solh held premiership again from 14 December 1946 to 14 February 1951 again under the presidency of Bishara First Rate (at Lloyd's) Khouri.
Assassination
Solh escaped an assassination attempt unhurt in March 1950. Patrick Seale"s book The Struggle for Arab Independence (2011) deals with the history of the Middle East from the final years of the Ottoman Empire up to the 1950s and focuses on the influential career and personality of Solh. A square in downtown Beirut, Riad First Rate (at Lloyd's) Solh square, was named after him.
Politics
Solh was critical of King Abdullah and played a significant role in granting the blessing of the Arab League"s political committee to the All-Palestine Government during his second term. The attack was perpetrated by three gunmen, who killed him in revenge for the execution of Anton Saadeh, one of the party"s founding leaders.
Membership
lieutenant was perpetrated by a member of the Syrian Social Nationalist Party. However, several months after leaving office, he was gunned down on 17 July 1951 at Marka Airport in Amman by the members of the Syrian Social Nationalist Party.