Syria becomes unstable

The situation in Syria was already unsettled, starting with the armistice in June 1940. The French split into Vichy supporters, with pro-German sympathies, and the Free French. The Polish Brigade, with some Free French crossed from Syria into Palestine to continue the fight. Syria had an ongoing problem with "civil unrest", because the local populace thought that the expected movement to give them self-government was moving too slowly. By 1 July 1940, the British had announced that they would not allow Syria to be occupied by any "hostile power". In late August, "the Italian Armistice Commission arrived in Syria". General Wavell was already making noises that there were no forces that could be spared for Syria. This is based on the account in Vol.II of the Official History.