Syria's civil war explained from the beginning

In March, the Syrian conflict will enter its 8th year. Meanwhile, more than 465,000 Syrians have been killed in the fighting, over a million injured, and over 12 million - half the country's prewar population - have been displaced from their homes. Here is the story of the conflict in Syria, explained from the beginning: What caused the uprising? While lack of freedoms and economic woes fuelled resentment of the Syrian government, the harsh crackdown on protesters inflamed public anger. Arab Spring: In 2011, successful uprisings - that became known as the Arab Spring - toppled Tunisia 's and Egypt 's presidents. This gave hope to Syrian pro-democracy activists. That March, peaceful protests erupted in Syria as well, after 15 boys were detained and tortured for writing graffiti in support of the Arab Spring. One of the boys, a 13-year-old, was killed after having been brutally tortured. The Syrian government, led by Preside