Fouad Chehab

This article needs additional citations for verification. Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. Find sources: "Fouad Chehab" – news · newspapers · books · scholar · JSTOR (November 2020) (Learn how and when to remove this message)

Fouad Chehab
فؤاد شهاب
Chehab in 1961
3rd President of Lebanon
In office 23 September 1958 – 22 September 1964
Prime Minister	Khalil al-Hibri Rashid Karami Ahmad Daouk Saeb Salam Hussein Al Oweini
Preceded by	Camille Chamoun
Succeeded by	Charles Helou
In office 18 September 1952 – 22 September 1952 Acting
Prime Minister	Himself (Acting)
Preceded by	Bechara El Khoury
Succeeded by	Camille Chamoun
9th Prime Minister of Lebanon
In office 18 September 1952 – 1 October 1952
President	Bechara El Khoury Himself (Acting) Camille Chamoun
Preceded by	Saeb Salam
Succeeded by	Khaled Chehab
Personal details
Born	(1902-03-19)19 March 1902 Ghazir, Keserwan District, Ottoman Empire
Died	25 April 1973(1973-04-25) (aged 71) Jounieh, Lebanon
Political party	Independent
Spouse	Rose René Poitieux ​ (m. 1926)​
Profession	Military officer, politician
Awards	OM, ONC
Religion	Maronite Christianity
Military service
Allegiance	Lebanon
Branch/service	French Army Free French Forces in the Levant Lebanese Army
Years of service	1923–1946 (France) 1946–1958 (Lebanon)
Rank	Brigadier General (France) Major General (Lebanon)
Battles/wars	1948 Arab–Israeli War Malkia battle 1958 Lebanon crisis

Fouad Abdallah Chehab (Arabic: فُؤاد عبد الله شِهاب / ALA-LC: Fuʼād ʻAbd Allāh Shihāb; 19 March 1902 – 25 April 1973) was a Lebanese general and statesman who served as President of Lebanon from 1958 to 1964. He is considered to be the founder of the Lebanese Army after Lebanon gained independence from France, and became its first commander in 1946.^[1]

Born in Ghazir to a family that traced its origins to nobility, Chehab joined the French Army in 1919. He was appointed Prime Minister of Lebanon by the outgoing president Bechara El Khoury, who resigned due to widespread demonstrations against his administration, and tasked Chehab with the role of organizing the next presidential election, in which Camille Chamoun was elected.

During the 1958 Lebanon crisis between Chamoun and Muslim leaders, he prevented the army from siding with the government or the opposition, and refused any request to do so. This decision helped keep the army unified and limited losses. He was elected President of Lebanon in the 1958 election, being considered a "consensus option" both internationally and locally, and succeeded Chamoun.

As President, Chehab is credited for introducing reforms and social development projects and building modern state institutions.^[2] However, his rule was described as autocratic, and saw an increase in the role of military and intelligence in politics. His political approaches, known as "Chehabism" influenced later presidents Charles Helou and Élias Serkis. He died in 1973, two years before the civil war.