WW1 and WAR OF INDEPENDENCE

1914-1923
Between who?
 Central Powers: Germany, Austria-Hungary, Ottoman
Empire, Bulgaria
 Allied or Entente Powers: UK, France, Russia, Italy (first in
Central Powers), USA (later)
Fronts in the WW I
 The Western Front (West of Germany)
 The Eastern Front (East of Germany)
 Northern Italy
 Balkans
 Ottoman Empire
 Colonies
WW1 and Ottoman Empire

 Allied powers and the Ottomans

 Germans and Ottomans
Why did the OE want to ally with Central Powers?
Why did Germany want to ally with the OE?
Jihad

1914: Agreement of Alliance with Germany

1914: “Goeben and Breslau”
 Ottoman Fronts in WWI

 Gallipoli
 Dardanelles
 Caucasus
 Sarıkamış Defeat
 Armenian Question
 1917 Bolshevick Revolution
 Middle East
 Arab Revolt and Lawrence of Arabia
After WW1
 Moudros Armistice (30 Oct 1918) :
 Ottoman units in occupied areas would surrender
 Demobilization and disarmament of the army
 Control of all communications and strategic sites are transferred to
Entente powers
 Article 7: Entente powers are given the right to occupy territories in
case their security is threatened by an internal disorder
 Article 24: The Entente powers were given the right to intervene
militarily in Armenian provinces when law and order are under threat
After WW1
 Due to loss of theWar CUP members left the Ottoman
empire.
 Parliament is closed down and Damat Ferit Paşa was
appointed as the Grand Vizier.
 Issue of western mandate
 Defense of Rights Organizations (Mudafa-I Hukuk
Cemiyetleri)
 Greek occupation of Izmir
 Kuvay-i Milliye forces
Damat Ferit Paşa
 Mustafa Kemal
Kazım Karabekir
Struggle: September 1919-
December 1920

 Amasya Circular
 Erzurum Congress (23 July-7 August 1919)
 Representative Committee
 Sivas Congress (4-11 September)
 National Pact
 Formation of Anatolia and Rumelia Defence of Rights
Organization
Struggle: September 1919-
December 1920
 Vahdettin appointed Ali Rıza Paşa as grand vizier (hope to
open up a channel of dialogue with the resistance) – his
government decided to hold elections

 New Parliament (Last Ottoman Parliament) :

 Felah-ı Vatan group in the Parliament

 12 Jan 1920 – The parliament accepted Misak-ı Milli

(National Pact)
National Pact

 The scope of the territory claimed in the pact was defined as

areas inhabited by an Ottoman-Muslim majority

 It left the settlement of the status of Arab provinces to the

vote of their population. A plebiscite was suggested for Kars,
Ardahan and Batum, as well as Western Thrace.
Struggle: September 1919-
December 1920
 Formal occupation of Istanbul by allied forces (British)
 Formation of Grand National Assembly in Ankara (23 April
1920)
 Sevres Treaty (10 August 1920)

 An independent Armenia and an autonomous Kurdistan in the east

 Aegean islands and Eastern Thrace were given to Greece
 Izmir was put under Greek administration, its future to be decided
with a plebiscite within 5 years
 Italian and French zones were confirmed in accordance with wartime
agreements
 International control and demilitarization of the Straits
 Size of the Ottoman army limited and put under Allied control
 All financial matters of the Empire to be decided by an Allied
commission
 Capitulations to be reinstated
Ottoman delegation at Sevres: Rıza Tevfik, Damat Ferit Paşa, Hadi Paşa, Reşid Halis
Reaction to Sevres and the
Following Developments

 Ankara rejected Sevres

 Damat Ferit Paşa resigned
 Gumru Treaty with Armenia---Ankara’s first agreement
(December 1920)
 Moscow Treaty with Russians (March 1921)
 Ankara Treaty with France (October 1921)
Eastern Border
Further Legitimization of GNA

 Law on Fugitives (Independence Tribunals)

 The Law of Fundamantal Organization (Teskilat-I Esasiye

Kanunu), January 1921
War for Independence

 1&2 İnönü Battles

 Sakarya (August-September 1921)
 Dumlupınar-Büyük Taarruz
 Mudanya Armistice (October 1922)

 Domestic Power Struggles

 Defence of the Rights Group vs Second Group
 Lausanne Negotiations

 Peace Talks in Laussanne

 Calling of Istanbul government and GNA
 Abolition of the Ottoman Sultanate (1 November 1922)
 Second Group and its criticism in the parliament and new
elections
Vahidettin and Abdulmecid
The Turkish Delegation
Lausanne Treaty
 Turkey as a sovereign geo-political entity
 Twice the size of the territory envisaged in Sevres three
years earlier
 Mosul remained a contested region
 Capitulations were abolished
 Turkey assumed the bulk of the Ottoman debt to European
states
 Demilitarization of the Straits and Dardanelles and
International Commission
 Population exchange, islamization of Anatolia completed