Kamal Jumblatt
A fiery Druze chieftain who became the defiant conscience of Lebanon, steering its leftist forces through civil war with intellectual force and political cunning.
1917–1977 (age 60)·Lebanese politician and author; founder of the Progressive Socialist Party·Birthday: December 6·The Greatest Generation
Biography
Kamal Jumblatt was born into the feudal Druze aristocracy of the Chouf mountains, a lineage that destined him for leadership but could not contain his voracious intellect. He devoured philosophy, socialism, and Eastern mysticism, forging a unique political vision that was both deeply local and radically international. In 1949, he founded the Progressive Socialist Party, a vehicle for his secular, reformist agenda that challenged Lebanon's sectarian foundations. For decades, he was the magnetic and often unpredictable center of opposition, a parliamentarian who quoted Marx and Gandhi. The Lebanese Civil War saw him lead the National Movement, a fractious coalition of leftist and Palestinian groups, against the entrenched conservative order. His 1977 assassination, widely blamed on Syrian intelligence, removed a towering figure whose absence left a void of secular leadership the country has never filled.
The Greatest Generation
1901–1927
Grew up during the Depression, fought World War II, and built the postwar economic boom. Defined by shared sacrifice, institutional trust, and a belief that hard work and loyalty would be rewarded.
Kamal was born in 1917, placing them squarely in The Greatest Generation. The events that shaped this generation — world wars, depression, and rapid industrialization — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Kamal Was Born
The biggest hits of 1917
#1 Movie
Cleopatra
Kamal's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1917Born
Russian Revolution overthrows the tsar; US enters WWI
President: Woodrow Wilson
1922Started school
King Tut's tomb discovered in Egypt
President: Warren G. Harding"April Showers" — Al Jolson
1930Became a teenager
Pluto discovered
Gas: $0.20/galHome: $3,510President: Herbert Hoover"Body and Soul" — Paul WhitemanBest Picture: All Quiet on the Western Front
1933Could drive
FDR's New Deal launches; Prohibition ends
Gas: $0.18/galPresident: Franklin D. Roosevelt"Stormy Weather" — Ethel WatersBest Picture: Cavalcade
1935Could vote
Social Security Act signed into law
Gas: $0.19/galHome: $3,450President: Franklin D. Roosevelt"Cheek to Cheek" — Fred AstaireBest Picture: Mutiny on the Bounty
1938Turned 21
Kristallnacht and the escalation toward WWII
Gas: $0.20/galHome: $2,850Min wage: $0.25/hrPresident: Franklin D. Roosevelt"Begin the Beguine" — Artie ShawBest Picture: You Can't Take It with You
1947Turned 30
India gains independence; the Dead Sea Scrolls found
Gas: $0.23/galHome: $6,600Min wage: $0.40/hrPresident: Harry S. Truman"Near You" — Francis CraigBest Picture: Gentleman's Agreement
1957Turned 40
Sputnik launches the Space Age
Gas: $0.31/galHome: $10,550Min wage: $1.00/hrPresident: Dwight D. Eisenhower"All Shook Up" — Elvis PresleyBest Picture: The Bridge on the River Kwai
1967Turned 50
Summer of Love in San Francisco; first Super Bowl
Gas: $0.33/galHome: $14,250Min wage: $1.40/hrPresident: Lyndon B. Johnson"To Sir, with Love" — LuluBest Picture: In the Heat of the Night
1977Turned 60
Star Wars premieres; Elvis dies
Gas: $0.62/galHome: $31,800Min wage: $2.30/hrPresident: Jimmy Carter"Tonight's the Night" — Rod StewartBest Picture: Annie Hall
Key Achievements
- Founded the Progressive Socialist Party in 1949, creating a major secular force in Lebanon's sectarian political landscape.
- Led the National Movement, a coalition of leftist and Palestinian factions, during the early years of the Lebanese Civil War.
- Authored over 40 books on topics ranging from politics and philosophy to medicine and economics.
- Awarded the International Lenin Peace Prize in 1972 for his anti-imperialist and progressive activism.
- Served multiple terms as a member of parliament and held several ministerial portfolios, including Interior and National Education.
Did You Know?
His birth name was Fouad Jumblatt; he adopted 'Kamal' in his youth as a tribute to a Turkish friend.
He was the son-in-law of Shakib Arslan, a prominent Arab nationalist writer and politician known as the 'Prince of Eloquence'.
Despite his socialist leanings, he remained the traditional feudal leader (za'im) of the Lebanese Druze community.
He was a trained lawyer, having studied at Saint Joseph University in Beirut and the Sorbonne in Paris.
His assassination in 1977 occurred when his car was ambushed by gunmen after he visited a fellow Druze leader in the Chouf mountains.
“I am not a man of war. I am a man of dialogue, but when dialogue becomes impossible, one must know how to defend one's rights.”
