This chapter sets the historical context for the book. It sketches out the international relations of the Middle East on the eve of the Syrian civil war, considering how the perception of US hegemony impacted the Middle East and how that began to change after the 2003 Iraq war. On the eve of civil war, Syria and the Middle East appeared deceptively stable. Regionally, Barack Obama's proposed engagement with former enemies Iran, Russia, and Syria suggested a less militaristic approach to the region than that of his predecessor. However, the Bush administration's policies, particularly the 2003 Iraq war and its aftermath, had already set about transforming the regional order. Against this backdrop in Syria, President Bashar al Assad had come through an uneasy first decade in power.