the Allies, the only name that the soldiers sung of was Mustafa Kemel’s. His heroic displays and leadership at Gallipoli won the trust of many junior officers. Many even called him “Istanbul’s Savior”.
Shortly after Gallipoli, he rose quickly through the various ranks in the military – first a colonel and later a general (i.e. Pasha).
Did you know: Mustafa Kemal was the only Turkish general to secure any meaningful battle win against the Russians?
Leader of the Turkish National Movement
After the defeat of the Ottomans, along with the Central Powers, Sultan Mehmed VI went on to become the puppet of the Allies. The Sultan received enormous criticism, with many claiming that he had sold the empire to the Allies. Mehmed VI’s inability to resist the Allies or even force a peace treaty proved very damaging to his reputation across the Empire.
To add insult to injury, Mustafa Kemal and his unit in the armies were disbanded in November 1919. He could no longer bear the continued occupation by the Allies (i.e. Britain, France, Italy and Greece).
Kemal, along with the likes of Ali Fuat and Rauf Orbay, set out to wrestle his nation out of the invaders’ hands. They picked Ankara as their base. From there, the group linked up with several army officers in various parts of Anatolia. Unaware of the group’s intention, the Sultan appointed Mustafa Kemal to the position of inspector general for the Anatolia region. He was tasked to bring order to Anatolia. However, Kemal immediately sided with the resistance. He received the support of many military generals, including General Kazim Karabekir who had close to 20,000 men under his command.
Shortly after, a congress was set up at Erzurum in July 1919. Kemal was made the president of the congress. Ignoring the orders of the Sultan in Istanbul, he proceeded to lead the newly established provisional government in Anatolia. Upon the ratification of a pact, the Sivas Congress was born. It was full of patriotic nationalists.
President of the Grand National Assembly (GNA) in Ankara
Mustafa and a number of Anatolian nationalists responded to European Forces’ intention to partition the Ottoman Empire by establishing the Grand National Assembly and army in present-day Ankara. After local elections, the first meeting was held on April 23, 1920 with Mustafa Kemal as the body’s speaker.
After the Sultan signed the Treaty of Sevres in August 1920, a treaty which proceeded to split up the Turkish land, Kemal led the GNA to safeguard the interest of Turks against the occupying forces.
Fought bravely during the Turkish War of Independence
To the east, the GNA engaged in a fierce battle against the Armenians. With support from the Bolsheviks in Russia, Kemal’s nationalists were able to drive out the Armenians from the eastern provinces*.
Shortly after, the Treaty of Alexandropol was signed between the Armenians and the Turks on December 3, 1920. Kemal then turned his attention to the western part of the country, where he faced off the Greeks, who were closing in on Ankara.
After assuming the powers of the Grand National Assembly, Kemal was able to defeat the Greeks at the Battle of Sakarya in September 1921. His gallant efforts during the battle earned him the rank of marshal of the army (Maresal). The following September saw the GNA secure vital win at the Battle of Dumlupinar, forcing the Greeks out of Izmir.
Founded the Republic of Turkey
The win over the Greeks was followed by the abolishing of the Sultanate on November 1, 1922. Sultan Mehmed VI then committed himself to exile on November 17. Realizing that the Sultan had fled, the Allies and the GNA signed the Treaty of Lausanne on July 24, 1923.
After majority of the Allies and their forces were completely driven out of Turkey, the Republic of Turkey was proclaimed on October 29. Kemal went on to serve as the country’s first president from 1923 up until his death in 1938.
A remnant of the vanquished Ottoman Empire, Turkey carved a new path for itself and its people. At the heart of the country’s journey was none other than Mustafa Kemal.
Introduced a 