4th Century - 1918

4th century - A long period of religious strife begins. The quality of Christ is the most central question, where the Christians of Lebanon, the Maronites, profess that Jesus was both man and god.

637 - Arab conquest. Religious freedom is guaranteed by the new rulers who governed from Damascus.

1098 - The first Crusader kingdom is established. In the following two centuries, Lebanon is divided between two crusader kingdoms, the one of Tripoli, and the one of Jerusalem. This period gives strength to the Maronite Christians, who enter a union with the church of Rome.

1197 - A slow Muslim reconquest starts, directed by the Ayyubids of Egypt.

1289 - All of Lebanon is controlled by the Egyptian rulers, the Mamluks.

1516 - The Ottomans take control over Lebanon. Some autonomy is achieved for Lebanon, and the local dynasty (the Maans) rule Lebanon.

1697 - Shihabs takes over the local power of Lebanon.

1842 - Druze groups remove the Shihabs from power, but Lebanon remains part of the Ottoman empire.

1858 - A civil war erupts, and much bloodshed takes place.

1860 - Civil war ends, with the Druze in a dominant position. A Christian autonomic province is set up in the middle of Lebanon. Faced with the turbulent times, many Lebanese emigrate to the Americas.

1914 to 1918 - The First World War results in famine and hardship.