Short answers, pulled from the story.
The Syria-Lebanon campaign began on the 8th of June 1941 and ended with a ceasefire at one minute past midnight on the 12th of July 1941. Hostilities commenced on the 8th of June 1941 and the final battle for Beirut occurred on the 12th of July.
General Sir Henry Maitland Wilson devised the invasion strategy for Operation Exporter while General Archibald Percival Wavell served as Commander-in-Chief of Middle East Command until his relief on the 22nd of June. Major-General William Bill Slim led the 10th Indian Infantry Division advancing from Iraq and Major-General Arthur Tubby Allen succeeded Major-General John Lavarack to command the Australian 7th Division.
The primary objective was to prevent Vichy French airfields in Syria from being used by German aircraft to attack British forces in Iraq. The campaign also aimed to secure Syrian railways and oilfields against Axis use and to install a pro-British government following the overthrow of Rashid Ali al-Gaylani's regime.
Vichy forces lost 179 aircraft out of about 289 committed to the Levant during the campaign. Most destroyed aircraft were lost on the ground due to flat terrain and absence of modern anti-aircraft artillery, with remaining aircraft of sufficient range evacuating to Rhodes.
Lebanon became an independent state on the 22nd of November 1943 following elections held on the 8th of November 1943. It declared war on Germany and Empire of Japan on the 27th of February 1945.