Lebanon witnessed thousands of deaths from widespread famine and plagues. (Great Famine of Mount Lebanon) 1916 Turkish authorities publicly executed 21 Syrians and Lebanese in Damascus and Beirut, respectively, for alleged anti-Turkish activities.[1] 1918 British general Edmund Allenby and Faysal I, son of Sharif Hussein of Mecca, moved into Palestine with British and Arab forces, thus opening the way for the occupation of Lebanon.