The recent capture of Damascus by rebels, led by radical Islamists, signals the downfall of President Bashar al-Assad and the end of more than five decades of political repression in Syria. Following an offensive, the rebels declared the liberation of the capital, while reflecting on decades of tyranny under the Assad family, initiated by Hafez al-Assad in 1970. The article examines the rise and fall of the Assad regime, including the initial promise of reforms by Bashar al-Assad and the brutal crackdown during the 2011 revolution.