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Separate from the conflict itself, the war has produced one of the largest refugee movements in human history. Some five million Syrians have fled the fighting, looking for new opportunity wher- ever they can, many relocating to next-door Lebanon or Turkey, whereas others have fled as far away as the European Union (EU). Many more Syrians have expressed the desire to leave, and only a fraction of the refugees have returned to their homes. The stress of the refugees on both poor and wealthy nations has resulted in major changes—political and economic—and altered modern thinking about the duty owed to a people who are at risk of death and persecution. Syria’s conflict has its roots in a 2011 social movement that has become known as the Arab Spring. The Arab Spring took root throughout many Middle Eastern nations and, in some cases, produced long-lasting change, including complete overthrows of corrupt governments. Much of the world sympathized with the hopes of the protestors, as the (mostly young) population voiced their objections to corruption and tyranny. However, in Syria, the protestors of the Arab Spring calling for democracy, freedoms, and jobs were met first with repression and then with armed soldiers. Assad’s refusal to give up his dictatorial power and his inability to view the protests as anything but a threat to his authority resulted in widespread persecution of the Syrian people. A protest movement born from the dissatisfaction of the pop- ulation quickly erupted into a civil war when it became obvi- ous that military force was the only avenue to removing Assad from power and creating true change in Syria. This civil war did not feature two unified sides, however, but rather a patch- work of shifting alliances and political viewpoints. The lack of unity among the Syrian rebels has been a pivotal reason why Assad remains in power to this day, despite the military support offered to rebel groups by international powers like the United States, the United Kingdom, and France. These nations have not committed combat forces, however, meaning that they have only limited ability to stop the progress of Assad’s military. Nations that have been unwilling to commit their military to the fighting have applied economic sanctions; there are so many sanctions levied by the international community against Syria that it is virtually

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