In the Name of a 'Revolution' (bi-ism al-thawra) Emotionality, Dysphoric Memories and Identity in the Syrian War

Have we won the revolution? Or have we failed miserably? Or has Assad and Iran won? Or shall we say that Assad survived but not won and Iran will eventually lose in Syria! I don't really have an answer or know what is next for Syria!…but the only thing I am certain of is that I am a revolutionary and will stay a revolutionary or be remembered as a martyr (Syrian Fighter)
Like an orphanete, this revolution is an orphan with nothing but its sons … we are its sons … we are the revolutionaries (Syrian Fighter)

In a rather secluded café in Kilis, a city in southern Turkey, heightened by the hot summer day and burning temperature, Syrian fighters navigated their emotions on why they are still fighting. With the Syrian war entering its 13th year and the almost certain clarity that international inaction persists and continues to prevail, these political uncertainties have created distinct ‘revolutionary' realities and subjectivities as an alternative. This research explores the motivations, identity formation, and mobilization strategies of Syrian fighters within major factions of the Syrian National Army (SNA). While conventional analyses of armed conflicts often emphasize sectarianism, economic drivers, and the role of external actors, this study introduces a multi-level analysis approach that integrates fighters' emotional, ideological, and socio-political motivations across macro, meso, and micro levels. Drawing on over 100 in-depth interviews, the research delves into individual fighters' lived experiences, including emotional hardships and evolving perceptions of loyalty, which reveal a complex interplay of material and non-material factors sustaining combat engagement.
The study challenges essentialist and reductionist views by presenting alternative paths of micro-mobilization—emotional, territorial, ideological, materialistic, and solidaristic—that drive fighters' choices. This multi-faceted approach unpacks the unique internal structures, governance strategies, and recruitment practices of factions like Sham Front and Sultan Murad, examining how these dynamics respond to external influences, notably Turkey's strategic role. The paper thus contributes a nuanced understanding of revolutionary subjectivity in the Syrian context, illustrating how fighters navigate political disillusionment, collective memory, and psychological kinship in an ongoing, adaptive process of identity reconstruction.