Azmah, Youssef al-  (1884-1920), Syrian officer. Born in Damascus, graduated from the military college of Istanbul in 1908, Turkey and joined the Turkish army during World War I. He became minister of defense during the short-lived Syrian independence under King Faisal I in 1918. In July 1920, he led the poorly equipped Syrian army to face the invading French troops at Maisaloon near Damascus, he was killed in the battle that followed, and the French army entered Damascus starting 26 years of mandate over Syria.