[1] After the end of World War I and the defeat of the Ottoman Empire, Atfeh joined the newly created Syrian Army under King Faisal I.

Following the defeat at Maysalun and the French occupation of Syria in 1920, the Syrian Army was dissolved and Atfeh fled to Jordan to avoid arrest.

[1] Atfeh joined the Army of the Levant, which was created by France, and received advanced military training at the École Supérieure de Guerre in 1938.

Atfeh, along with Minister of Defense Ahmad al-Sharabati, were considered the principal parties responsible for the poor preparation and management of the war.

[2] Al-Za'im's rule lasted around five months, and in August 1949 Atfeh switched his allegiances again and supported the politicians that replaced him.