After its defeat in the First World War, the Ottoman Empire collapses and its territory is captured by European troops. However, almost immediately, a national liberation movement arose on its lands. During a bitter war with the European powers, the Turks win and liberate their country. In 1923, a peace was signed between the parties,
According to which the Entente countries recognize Turkey within its current borders. But literally 3 years ago, it should have been only a fifth of its current territories. Therefore, in this video we will understand: because of what the Ottoman Empire collapsed, how foreign powers were going to divide Turkey and how the Turks
Managed to defeat the Greek army during the Second Greco-Turkish War. In recent centuries, the Ottoman Empire has been in a long decline. In the 19th century, many peoples living on its possessions embraced the rise of nationalism. This leads to
The rejection of vast territories of the empire and, as a result, a crisis in its government. In 1907, the liberal-minded Young Turks overthrew the Sultan and established a constitution in the country. However, high-ranking military officers soon seize power in Turkey,
Who draw the Ottoman Empire into the First World War on the side of Germany. But this war turns into a catastrophe for the weakened country. Struggling to hold on to multiple fronts, the Ottoman army collapses. English and French ships are moored in the port of Constantinople. “Triumvirate Pasha”, as the military officials who
Concentrated all power in their hands were called, are fleeing the country. The resulting power vacuum is quickly taken over by local Anglophiles who make peace with the British, recognizing the Ottoman Empire as defeated in the Great War.
Under the terms of this peace, the Turkish army must lay down their arms and go home, and the fleet must be handed over to the British. Constantinople with its environs is transferred to international administration. Turkey essentially loses any independence. Foreign Allied troops begin to appear in all coastal cities
. The invaders dissolve the Ottoman parliament, and the formally ruling sultan is forced to submit to the British and form a puppet government around him. Greece wants to take advantage of the fall of the Ottoman Empire. Ever since the time when it was under Ottoman rule, the idea of reunification with
The Greeks who remained at the other end of the Aegean Sea was formed in the country. The Greek leadership wants to restore the country within the boundaries of the Byzantine Empire and the emergence of this opportunity forms the basis of the Second Greco-Turkish War.
In May, the Greek army occupies Smyrna with its environs, where more than half of the population is Greek. Soldiers of the Greek army entering the city are greeted as liberators. However, Italy claims this territory. Not getting what they want, the Italians riot in the city
. As a result, 71 Turks and several Greek soldiers die. The Turkish population begins to resent the actions of the allied forces. For the most part, they begin to leave for partisan resistance units. Expresses his support for the partisans and Mustafa Kemal Pasha, the former commander of the Ottoman troops. During the First
World War, soldiers under his leadership successfully defended themselves in the Suvla Bay during the Dardanelles operation. Actually there he received the rank of major general and the title of “pasha”. Mustafa Kemal begins to unite scattered partisan detachments and the remnants of regular troops.
Kemal Pasha leads the National Movement, whose goal is to preserve the sovereignty and integrity of the Ottoman Empire. The Kemalists settle down in Angora, modern Ankara. Meanwhile, the Greek army is rapidly developing its offensive and expanding its foothold in Asia Minor. In July, the Greeks occupy Adrianople and active hostilities
Slow down. The Greek army is suspending its advance inland, primarily because Greece does not have permission from the Entente to do so. The civil war, which is beginning to gain momentum, is in no way included in the sphere of interests of England.
The pro-British administration of the Sultan offers Mustafa Kemal to hold parliamentary elections and thereby reach a compromise. The election results come as a surprise to the Sultan and the British authorities. Most of the parliament is occupied by the Kemalists, who in January 1920
Adopt the “Declaration of Independence of Turkey”. The essence of this document is that the lands inhabited by the Turks are certainly the territories of the newly formed Turkey. The rest of the lands are supposed to hold a referendum. The Turkish question did not go at all as planned in London. Allied
Troops begin to occupy key buildings in Constantinople. The Sultan’s administration disperses the parliament, and the occupying troops begin to detain and exile Turkish nationalists who are objectionable to them to Malta. Mustafa Kemal, in response to the dissolution of parliament, convenes his own in Angora, represented by the
Turkish Grand National Assembly. Kemal Pasha announces the beginning of decisive action for the benefit of the Turkish national heritage. It was from this moment that two centers of power began to operate in Turkey – the Kemalist leadership and the puppet sultan’s administration. The Turkish War of Independence has begun.
The first problem for Kemal is the lack of ammunition, weapons and money – all this was confiscated by the Entente troops. To solve this problem, Kemal sends a letter to the leader of the Bolsheviks, Vladimir Lenin, in which he proposes to “
Fight the imperialists together,” and also discusses the need to liberate the Turkish people from the invaders. The Soviet government decides to support the Turkish Republic, since it will be beneficial for it to acquire an ally in this region. By joint actions, the communists
Will be able to establish Soviet power in the impenetrable regions of the Caucasus, and Turkey will be able to fend off foreign interference. The Bolsheviks begin to send aid to Turkey. The European powers force the Sultan to sign the Treaty of Sevres. Several European regions are ceded to Greece. The Sultan’s administration recognizes
Armenia and Kurdistan as “free and independent states”, while vast Turkish territories are occupied by the allies for an indefinite period. The Ottoman Empire is deprived of its Arab possessions, as well as the strategically important Black Sea straits. This treaty provokes a sharp reaction from Turkish patriots. Mustafa Kemal
Perceives it as “another manifestation of the Sultan’s inability to protect national interests.” The Kemalists refuse to accept the terms of the Treaty of Sevres. The Turkish army is advancing to the east, its first goal is the defeat of the Armenian state. At this time,
The first aid from the communists arrives in time. Half a ton of gold, 3,000 rifles, the same number of bayonets, as well as 3,500 boxes of ammunition are brought to Turkey . After a series of new border clashes, Armenia declares war on Turkey. The Turkish army, having a significant superiority of its forces,
Goes on the offensive along the entire front. For several days, the Turks break the defenses of the Armenian soldiers, exhausted by incessant wars. However, after a few days, the Turkish invasion is suspended and the next month the war is of a positional nature.
According to the data that Andrew Andersen and Georg Egge give in their article (who, by the way, for some reason hides his Georgian origin and if you dig deep, it becomes known that his real name is George Partskkhaladze, which
Causes a vote of no confidence in some) ; in their article they claim that most of the Turkish troops during their offensive devastated the areas they occupied, and also destroyed the Armenian population, which for one reason or another did not want or did not have time to evacuate. However,
The Armenian side was also guilty. Already in their other work, Andersen and Partskhaladze argue that some Armenian regiments also launched ethnic cleansing in the vicinity of Kars and Erivan. Meanwhile, the Turkish army resumes its offensive. The Turkish army captures Kars, and later Alexandropol. At this time, units of the Russian Red Army enter
Erivan. After that, in Moscow between Turkey and Bolshevik Russia, an agreement “On Friendship and Brotherhood” is signed, which actually divides the Caucasus between the parties. The eastern outskirts of Turkey are now safe. The Greeks still have the military advantage, and Kemal Pasha continues
To build up his forces. The Greek delegation in London asks for permission to continue the offensive, since the inaction of the Greek army strengthens the enemy every day. But London is silent and does not give a clear answer. Greek commander-in-chief Anastasios Papoulas
Decides to resume the onslaught of his army, which is sinking its wedges deeper and deeper into the mainland. From March 23 to March 31, the battle of Inönü takes place between the parties. The troops of Mustafa Ismet Pasha manage to inflict the first defeat on the Greeks since the start of the war.
However, in the battle of Dumlu-Bunar, the Greeks take revenge, which allows the summer of 1920 to go on a large-scale offensive along the Afyonkarahisar-Kutahya-Eskesehir line. However, with the occupation of these cities, Greece finds itself in a political impasse. On the one hand, the Greek army successfully occupies vast Turkish territories and still has
A colossal advantage, but on the other hand, it is no longer able to close gaps on such a wide front, and even in the event of a successful offensive, it will not be able to control lands with a population hostile to it. This makes military intervention in Turkey pointless,
Which, moreover, begins to demand more and more resources from the country. But what hits the Greek leadership very hard is the rupture of allied relations with the Entente. Having secured their interests, France and Italy withdraw from the war. The Entente countries cease their support for Greece,
And its attempts to conclude peace with the Turks on favorable terms will not be successful. Greece actually remains face to face with the Turkish army … But despite the difficulties that have arisen, the Greek government finds a way out. It convinces
Papoulas to continue the offensive. But the leadership sets its goal not to conquer further territories, but to defeat the Turkish army. This operation is called “Raid on Ankara”. During this raid, the Greek army must force the Kemalists to make peace by capturing their capital or
Defeating their army, destroying supply bases and infrastructure, thereby securing their future borders. Anastasios Papoulas was skeptical about this daring adventure, but he is still forced to obey. The Greek army begins preparations for its decisive battle… Meanwhile, Kemal Pasha is concentrating his troops around Ankara. After the completion of the battle
Of Afyonkarahisar-Eskesehir, the Turkish troops managed to get out of the encirclement and cross the Sakarya River. Mustafa Fevzi Pasha, the future first and only marshal in the history of modern Turkey, is responsible for organizing the defense here.
On August 10, the Greek army in its mass begins to advance. The plan of the Greek command turns out to be rather doubtful, Papoulas advances his army through the impenetrable desert, hoping thereby to bypass the left flank of the Turks. The passage of the “Salty Desert”
Becomes an ordeal for the Greek soldiers. The occasionally encountered wells on their way are not suitable for drinking, since the Turks poisoned them all before leaving. Some Greek units plunder Turkish villages during the transition. At this
Time, Kemal Pasha guesses the plan of the Greeks and orders to strengthen the left flank of the defense. Coming out of the desert, the Greeks approach the well-fortified mountains, occupied by the Turkish
Troops who have arrived in time. The plan to suddenly bypass the Turkish positions failed. However, the morale of the Greek soldiers is incredibly high, because it is in their interest to defeat the Turkish army and return home. On August 26, the Greeks begin to attack the entire front line. Having crossed the river,
The Greek infantry begins to rise to the height occupied by the Turkish forces. Offering fierce resistance, the Turkish soldiers still surrender the height. In the meantime, the peak of Chal also fell, the situation became critical for the Turkish army.
Kemal Pasha, who did not expect such pressure, gives the order to shoot every officer who decides to retreat without an order. The battle develops into a simple clash of two armies head-on. Over the next 10 days of mutual meat grinder, the Greeks manage to push through the second line of defense. Some Greek
Units manage to break through and find themselves 50 kilometers from Ankara. However, Turkish cavalrymen are actively operating in the rear of the Greek army. Just at this time, they occupy the main roads, thereby cutting off the supply of the Greek troops. This causes shell
Starvation among the Greek units. The number of artillery volleys fired falls day by day, until the Greek command announces that there will be no more ammunition … The onslaught of the Greek army is weakening until it stops altogether. At this time,
Fresh forces arrived at the front in the person of mobilized Turkish soldiers. Fevzi Pasha begins to launch counterattacks on the Greek positions, but the Greeks manage to hold the front. But soon for the Greek command, it becomes clear that with the onset of winter, it will not be possible to hold the defense.
Anastasios Papoulas is forced to give the order to start the retreat. The Greek soldiers leave positions occupied by a lot of bloodshed. Greek troops cross Sakarya and soon return to their places of deployment. The victory in the battle of Sakarya remains with Turkey. Upon the return of
Mustafa Kemal back to Ankara, the National Assembly awards him the title of “gazi” (that is, “invincible”). And Greek commander-in-chief Anastasios Papoulas is resigning. The areas of Afyonkarahisar were well fortified with lines of barbed wire, numerous machine-gun emplacements and artillery positions in front of them.
At this time, the army of Mustafa Fevzi begins preparations for the offensive. A new wave of mobilization was completed, the shortfall of Turkish formations was replenished, largely due to Soviet assistance. Preparations for the impending offensive were carried out in the strictest
Confidence. In order to misinform the enemy, at the end of July , a football tournament was held among the army units , which allowed the Turkish officers to meet and discuss a plan for further action. By the end of August, the Turkish army was ready to attack.
Under the cover of darkness, the cavalry corps advances into the Greek rear. In the morning fog begins , which is why the planned offensive has to be postponed for an hour. At 5:30 local time, shelling begins. Advanced Greek artillery positions and machine-gun emplacements are put out of action.
At 6:00 the infantry goes on the attack. By evening, the cavalry cut the Greek lines of communication, which greatly complicates communication with the command. At this time, the Turkish army continues the onslaught, the main blow is delivered on the southern extremities. A dangerous threat of encirclement is created for the Greek garrison
. Greek forces to the north advance to their aid. At this time, the Greek headquarters for a short time gets in touch. Being in complete ignorance of the current situation, he gives the order to launch a counterattack on the right flank
Of the Turks. The northern units are forced to return back and begin preparations for a counterattack. Among the Greek units, confusion begins, which soon makes it clear that it will not be possible to hold the defense. From August 27 to 28, the Greek soldiers
Begin to retreat to Dumlupinar. The Greek units that retreated to the west, who did not have time to properly consolidate, almost immediately take a new blow, which soon forces them to retreat. The backbone of the Greek army is completely destroyed, and its front collapses almost immediately. The Turkish army
Liberates Eskisehir, Manisa, Aydin, Balikesir. Greek troops are ordered to evacuate home immediately. During their withdrawal, the Greeks massively burn villages and cities, and also kill the local population. The Turkish army manages to liberate almost all of its territory in a couple of weeks, which went down in history as the “Great Offensive”.
On the morning of September 9, the Turkish army led by Kemal Pasha enters Smyrna. Despite Mustafa Kemal’s statement that every Turkish soldier who harms the civilian population will be shot (according to this book by Mussky), most of the Turkish army unfolds a terrible massacre in the city, which will culminate in its burning.
However, Turkish historians say otherwise, that the retreating Greeks set fire to the city. And the American diplomat George Horton (who is often accused of being pro-Greek) says that at first order was maintained in the city, which, however, collapsed in the evening and led to robberies and murders.
In general, there are a lot of conflicting opinions on this subject, but what is known for sure is that a mass flight of the Christian population begins from Smyrna. Largely thanks to the efforts of Asa Jennings, an employee of the YMCA volunteer organization,
A hastily assembled Greek flotilla arrives in the city under the protection of American ships, which begins to take on board absolutely all Christians. Japanese ships unexpectedly join the evacuation , throwing out all their cargo in order to take in as many
Survivors as possible. Over 400,000 people leave the city in a few days. In general, the topic of massacres is incredibly extensive and each side committed countless of them . Here is only a small documented part of them. As a result of these
Ethnic cleansings, over 264,000 Greeks and 15,000 Turks died. Over 30,000 buildings were burned down of these, about 250 villages burned down completely. But what are the final results of the Second Greco-Turkish War.
Soon after the capture of Izmir, a truce is signed between Greece and the Entente on the one hand and Turkey on the other . And after 7 months, during the Lausanne Conference between the countries, a draft peace treaty was developed, which was signed on July 24, 1923.
The Treaty of Lausanne formalizes the abolition of the Ottoman Empire and the proclamation of the Turkish Republic within its present-day borders. Also canceled are those agreements signed by the Sultan’s administration, which established European control over the Turkish financial system.
However, Türkiye also made a number of concessions. For example, it refuses to claim its former Arab possessions, which are known to be rich in oil. Turkey cannot keep its army in the Bosphorus and Dardanelles and is obliged to let all ships through. Turkey’s partial dependence
On foreign capital remains. Also between Greece and Turkey begins the exchange of population. Turkey is undergoing massive transformation. The Ottoman Sultanate and Caliphate are abolished. Sharia law is being replaced by civil and criminal codes; feudalism is abolished,
And land is distributed in equal shares among the population. The first guarantees of private property are being accepted , and domestic factories and plants are already being built all over the country . And the influence of foreign capital begins to gradually weaken …
It is also worth mentioning the name under which Kemal Pasha went down in history – Ataturk (or “Father of the Turks”). The fact is that then in the Ottoman Empire there were no such surnames, everyone was limited only to names and titles. In 1934, surnames were introduced in Turkey. Kemal Pasha
Receives the surname Atatürk, his closest associate Marshal Mustafa Fevzi – Chakmak, and so on. Thanks to the reforms carried out, Turkey breaks out into the top 3 in terms of industrial development in the world. Despite his rapidly deteriorating health, Atatürk continued
To perform his duties until November 10, 1938, he died of cirrhosis of the liver. In today’s Turkey, he is revered as a great military leader, a hero who gave the country independence and as a reformer who was able to carry out reforms of grand scale. However, his role in history
Is full of conflicting opinions, therefore, everyone chooses for himself how he relates to all this …
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