A series of popular uprisings against authoritarian regimes in North Africa and the Middle East. Each uprising took inspiration from its predecessors as details spread via social media, and they shared some common characteristics: in each case initial popular protests were met with attempts at repression, which only increased the protests. Thereafter the fate of each uprising varied. The first, in Tunisia at the end of 2010, quickly led to the flight of President Ben Ali and democratic elections in late 2011. Protests followed in Egypt, but here the rapid deposition of President Mubarak still left the army unchallenged as the power behind the state. In Libya the struggle was more protracted, with tribal tensions defining the pro- and anti-government forces. Foreign military aid to the rebels was crucial to the eventual overthrow of President Gaddafi. Protests in Yemen initiated political manoeuvres that eventually led to the replacement of President Saleh by his vice president and a promise of political reform. In Syria mass protests against President Bashar al-Assad developed into a civil war that is still (2014) unresolved. In other states, such as Algeria, Jordan, Morocco, and Oman, protests led to some reforms but no change of regime; and in Bahrain the protests were violently crushed.