The party espoused Ba'athism , which is an ideology mixing Arab nationalist , pan-Arab , Arab socialist , and anti-imperialist interests. Ba'athism calls for the unification of the Arab world into a single state and quickly established branches in other Arab countries, although it would only hold power in Syria and Iraq.
Since their ascent to power in , neo-Ba'athist officers proceeded by stamping out the traditional civilian elites to construct a military dictatorship operating in totalitarian [ a ] lines; wherein all state agencies, party organisations, public institutions, civil entities, media and health infrastructure are tightly dominated by the military establishment and the Mukhabarat intelligence services.
The leftist faction of the Syrian Baath advanced a strictly socialist economic programme, pursued closer alliance with the Syrian communists , " progressive " Arab states and the Soviet Bloc and prioritised the spread of socialist revolution in the neighbouring " reactionary " Arab states over pan-Arab unity.
The official ideology preached by the Syrian Ba'ath is known as neo-Ba'athism , a school of Ba'athist thought that denounces Aflaq and Bitar and eulogizes Alawite philosopher Arsuzi as the leading theoretician.
In another coup in , officially dubbed the " Corrective Movement ", Hafez al-Assad would overthrow the Jadid faction and tone down the revolutionary measures. The new regime emphasized building socialism in Syria first and was open to alliances with the neighbouring countries.
