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UNCLASSIFIED WORLD WAR 1 - THE BATTLE OF GALLIPOLI: A MILESTONE FOR NEXT CENTURIES ISMS (INTERNATIONAL SOCIETY OF MILITARY SCIENCES) ANNUAL CONFERENCE ON MILITARY DEVELOPMENTS 2015 National University of Defense, Helsinki, Finland REPORT Prepared by Metin AKDENİZ İSTANBUL-2015 UNCLASSIFIED -1- UNCLASSIFIED CONTENTS Abstract.……………………………………………………………………………3 1. Introduction……………………………………………………………………..4 2. Redeployment of the Ottoman Army Prior to The Battle of Gallipoli………5 3. The Beginning of The Battle of Gallipoli………………………………………6 4. The Global Political Effects and Results of The Battle of Gallipoli…………….8 5. The Greatest Prize on the Political Stage of the Victory at Gallipoli: Mustafa Kemal ATATURK and Leadership Qualities…………......………………11 6. Sources………………………………………………………………..………………14 UNCLASSIFIED -2- UNCLASSIFIED THE BATTLE OF GALLIPOLI: A MILESTONE FOR NEXT CENTURIES Metin AKDENİZ * ABSTRACT In World War I; the Ottoman Empire had been allied with Central Powers which was led by Germany. Hence Allied Powers, mainly England and France, thought that it was the high time to pass the Turkish straits (Çanakkale-Dardanelles and Bosporus) in order to give a hand to Russia by defeating the Ottomans, which was named as a “sick man”. They prepared a comprehensive campaign plan, as did the Ottomans for defensive. According to the allied plan, Allied Powers, the Royal Navy with substantial support from the French and minor contributions from Russia and Australia, would force through the Çanakkale Strait (Dardanelles) with a state of art naval power and occupy İstanbul, the capital. Maritime operations were launched in November, 1914. Right after the last devastating and destructive naval attacks and bombardments which happened on March 18, 1915, maritime operations were unsuccessful and a clear defeat. The Ottoman minelayer Nusret played a key role at the naval defensive operations of Ottomans by laying a line of mines in Erenköy Bay, just inside the entrance to the straits. Allied Powers figured out that a land operations had to be launched against Ottoman troops in Gallipoli peninsula. With the hope of removing despondency of failure they experienced in the sea, Allied Powers had set out the assault on Gallipoli Peninsula. In accordance with the treaty signed on August 1914, German generals and staff officers also served as advisers and military commanders for the Ottoman army along with Turkish generals and officers. Land Warfare had been tremendously bloody for both sides. Allied Powers, English and French troops and colonial soldiers, having landed in Gallipoli peninsula on April 25, 1915 could not make any progress. At a critical stage of war, an Ottoman Officer, Mustafa Kemal’s influence on his troops by saying “I am ordering you to die, not to fight” affected the destiny of the war. Under his command and control the defensive had been very vigorous and successful. As a military leader he set up example of being on the spot, taking initiative and convincing his soldiers of the victory. As a result, Allied Powers could not finish up the landing and suffered a lot against the defensive. They retreated totally on January 9, 1916 with no gain. D. Lloyd George, Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, said later about Mustafa Kemal Atatürk: “We meet a genius very rarely in centuries. “It is so unlucky that, in this century, a great genius belongs to the Turkish Nation. The centuries rarely produce a genius. Look at this bad luck of ours, that great genius of our era was granted to the Turkish nation.” * Instructor at Turkish War Colleges UNCLASSIFIED -3- UNCLASSIFIED There have been vital lessons to be taken for the future of wars and humanitarian point of view. Both sides had suffered heavy losses during the warfare. This battle, which occurred in a narrow land, is one of the bloodiest battles of history. This war influenced both Turkish and world history from political, economic and educational aspects, as well as social and psychological dimensions while the new adventures had been approaching. Having been assigned from Sofia to the Çanakkale Front voluntarily, he, the founder and the First President of the modern Turkish Republic, then an Ottoman Officer, played a key role during the campaign as mentioned above. On a memorial in Canberra, the capital of Australia, the inscription, written by Atatürk, pays tribute to the Anzacs and reflects his understanding about the war in an humanitarian point of view: "Those heroes that shed their blood and lost their lives... you are now lying in the soil of a friendly country. Therefore rest in peace. There is no difference between the Johnnies and the Mehmets to us where they lie side by side here in this country of ours... You the mothers who sent their sons from far away countries wipe away your tears. Your sons are now lying in our bosom and are in peace. After having lost their lives on this land they have become our sons as well." Although, on one hand the fights between two sides were very fierce, sometimes unbelievable, on the other hand the relations between the two side’s soldiers were humanistic. Whatever soldiers managed there were the basics for the future legal arrangements on war. Against all odds, they never forgot that they were fighting as human beings, not the enemies. Besides, this war, in a way, shaped the future alliances and wars. It particularly paved the way for Russia’s future. It has been giving inspirations to the strategists as to naval and land war strategies and tactics. In this study, it was mentioned basically how the warfare was fought laying stress on the other face of the war, what were the strategies and tactics behind and what consequences appeared and which lessons were learnt after the war. 1. Introduction: The struggle for control of Gallipoli (Çanakkale) and Istanbul’s Bosporus has an important place in history. Having command over these two areas means dominance of Russian waters and economy, along with control of the trade and troop movements of nations with coastlines on the Black and Aegean sea, as well as in the area’s private shipping industry. Dominance over the Straits is a controlling factor in the indirect influencing of the trading activities of the nations in the area. The Straits, which are both a waterway between the Mediterranean and the Black Sea, as well as between Europe and Asia, are of strategic importance. These strategic sea routes have had an important position in the customary implementation of policies related to Germany’s “Eastern Policy”, Russia’s longstanding ambitions, and Britain’s interests in providing a safe passage to India in the last quarter of the 19th Century. It can therefore be seen that Europe’s struggle to come to the UNCLASSIFIED -4- UNCLASSIFIED fore in the Straits, or rather gain influence, was a weakening of the Ottoman State that continued to the end of the 18th Century. Hence, the 1798 Ottoman-Russian, 1799 OttomanBritish, 1841 London, 1856 Paris and 1878 Berlin treaties and protocols of the legal situation of the Straits had a leading role in the matter in hand. 2. Redeployment of The Ottoman Army Prior to the Battle of Gallipoli: The Strait of Gallipoli is one of the world’s most important waterways as it is the only route to the Sea of Marmara, Istanbul Bosporus and the Black Sea, as well as providing control of sea trade with Sivastopol, Odessa and Istanbul via the Tuna, Dinyeper and Don rivers.1 For the Allies, controlling the Strait could possibly trigger a change in the course of the World War I for the stalemate on the Western Front, while sidelining the Ottoman Empire in the east and obtaining Russian support. The most significant obstacle to this outcome was passage through Gallipoli Strait. In 1807, despite the fortifications in the Gallipoli Strait, the British managed to pass through this narrow passage and reach Istanbul, while on their return, despite encountering more formidable resistance, they were able to enter the Agean Sea without casualties. However, over time, especially due to emerging developments in light of the artillery fire in Moltke in 1836, it was said that no fleet under the sun would dare to enter the Gallipoli Strait, due to the ease of which artillery pieces could be positioned to defend it.2 Undoubtedly, the British were aware of this concern. However, during the Balkan Wars, the Balkan States had adventitiously and rapidly defeated the Ottoman Army, leading the British to perceive the Ottomans as being a “dead man” lying on the slab, rather than just a “sick man”. They therefore assumed that the Ottoman army would be completely unable to resist them. The British therefore began their campaign on the 3rd November, 1914, without ground support, which ended with the defeat of their sea operations on the 18th March, completely removing the advantage of a surprise attack and gifting the Ottoman Army time to prepare and regroup. The battles that took place on this extremely narrow piece of land represent some of the bloodiest scenes of the First World War. 1 Jonathan Schroden, A Strait Comparison: Lessons Learned from the 1915 Dardanelles Campaign in the Context of a Strait of Hormuz Closure Event, Center for Naval Analyses, 7. 2 Robert Rhodes James, Gelibolu Harekâtı, trans. Haluk V. Saltıkgil (Ankara: Belge Yayınları, 1965), 4. UNCLASSIFIED -5- UNCLASSIFIED The European states considered the Ottoman Empire as exhausted as a fighting force following its defeat in the 1912-1913 Balkan Wars. European observers were reporting to their headquarters that their deployment systems were insufficient, there was a lack of a strategy and they had been unsuccessful in battles since the start of the war. 3 However, when observing these forces that had been deployed on the battlefield, the majority of these observers has overlooked the fact that the Ottoman soldiers were good individual fighters. Contrary to the hypotheses of many historians on the topic, the Ottoman troops that fought at Gallipoli were comprised of divisions that were graced with the best and most educated leaders. The Allies believed that that would be facing an uneducated and disorderly rabble of troops, representing all that could be gathered at the last minute by the Ottomans who had lost the Balkan War. 4 However, the Gallipoli front had been fortified since 1880, and during the Balkan Wars those fortifications had been strengthened. More importantly, mobilization, organization and deployment within the army, as well as educational reform, were beginning to yield positive results. In 1919, a report was published by the Dardanelle Commission, which had been established following World War I within the British Parliament. The report concluded that Turkish soldiers were not good fighters due to their heavy defeat at the hands of the British in the Balkan War. The Allies who came to Gallipoli had this assumption dispelled. At the end of the war, the potential, capability and resolution of the Turkish Army was shown to be much greater than what had been supposed. The factor that had either escaped the British or had not been properly considered was the reforms that had taken place in the Ottoman Army. These measures had, in fact, begun before the Balkan Wars, but had not been able to be completed. As a result of rebellions in Yemen and some European provinces, extremely valuable commanders and troops had been assigned as peacekeepers in those districts. This meant that both reforms not been completed, and insufficient preparations for war created a further weak point. After the war, these procedures were vigorously recommenced, and some fundamental changes were made. 3. The Beginning of the Battle of Gallipoli: As well known, there was an increasing arms race between states at the end of the 19th Century, virtually foreshadowing the outbreak of a great war at the start of the 20th Century. 3 . Erickson, E. J. (2001). Strength against Weakness: Ottoman Military Effectiveness at Gallipoli, 1915. The Journal of Military History, 65(4), s.984. doi:10.2307/2677626 4 . A.g.e, s. 982. UNCLASSIFIED -6- UNCLASSIFIED The Ottoman Empire, with sources that extended over a wide geographical area, was one of the states that hungered for imperialist gains. On the 2nd August, 1914, after forming a secret alliance with Germany, Ottoman general command rapidly mobilized their troops and drew up plans for a military build-up; providing the pressure on the Black Sea that fulfilled the conditions to force them into war. The British Ministry of War began offensive fire against the outer defenses in the Dardenelles at the start of November 1914 in order to eliminate the Ottoman Empire from the war; these attacks were re-commenced on the 19th, 25th and 26th of February 1915, as well as between 1-17 March 1915. On the 4th March, the commander of the Allied fleet, Admiral Carden, sent a telegram to Churchill telling him that they would be passing through the strait and reaching Istanbul within a few hours. On the 18th March 1915, the Allies powerful armada was shipped into the strait. Thanks to a reconnaissance flight of just two planes against the advanced technology and guns of the Allied fleet, the Turkish guns were on target and the mines laid by Nusret sunk the Allies largest ships, as “Gallipolli could not be passed”. A memorandum submitted by Lloyd George to the British Council of War three months before the expedition to Gallipoli, stated that “…insufficient attention to planning and preparation will lead to overall disaster for the campaign”. On the 18th March, heavy defeat of the sea campaign proved Lloyd George to be correct. When the attempt to reach Gallipoli by sea failed, the Allied forces then embarked on a amphibious operation to the Gallipoli Peninsula. The battles, which began at the crack of dawn on the 25th April 1915, lasted for eight and half months. These Allied attacks, which continued to the middle of August, were only halted by the famous resistance of the ‘Mehmetçikler’ (Affectionate name for the Turkish Private – similar to ‘Tommies’). The 25th April 1915 landing operation began with a surprise attack in Seddülbahir, Kumkale, Arıburnu and Kabatepe, followed by intense fighting. The Turks heroically defended this front line on the first day, and suffered many casualties, but prevented the Allies from reaching their goal. Lieutenant Colonel Mustafa Kemal, Commander of the 19th Division, who was scrupulously watching developments of the landing operation on the 25th April, 1915, used his great experience to retain the Gallipoli Peninsula, which was also being approached by the Anzacs, by deploying the 57th Infantry Division and a Mountain Battery to Kocaçimentepe and Conkbayırı. With the rousing orders Mustafa Kemal gave in Conkbayırı, “I’m not ordering you to fight, I’m ordering you to die. In the time that it takes us to die, other forces and commanders can come and take our place!” he emboldened the ‘Mehmetçik’ to halt the enemy. UNCLASSIFIED -7- UNCLASSIFIED In the four months between the commencement of land battles on the 25th April, 1915 and August 1915, forces lead by the British Allied Commander, General Hamilton, which were joined by French forces, were not able to reach their target. As a result of the battles over Seddülbahir in the southern sector, an advance of only seven kilometers had been achieved, and the first goal, Alçı Hill, hadn’t been taken. In the central sector, the Anzac corps were losing the will to fight as the day wore on in Arıburnu. In this sector, Lieutenant Colonel Mustafa Kemal, Commander of the 19th Division, changed the course of the battle with his timely and appropriate direction. The Anzac Corps were unable to overcome the defense of Conkbayırı and achieve their goal. Over the past six months, the British Allied Commander, General Hamilton, had suffered casualties of over 100,000. The three most important features of these First World War battles were as follows: Firstly, it was trench warfare. Secondly, the trenches were very close to each other. Thirdly, battle casualties were extremely high. In conclusion, the Battle of Gallipoli began with sea battles between the 19th February and the 18th March 1915. As access to the strait could not be gained, on the 25th April the Allied states launched another attempt to pass through the Strait to reach the Gallipoli Peninsula. When this attempt also failed, defeat was accepted and the peninsula was evacuated on the 9th January 1916. 4. The Global Political Effects and Results of the Battle of Gallipoli In war, suggested Napoleon, morale is superior to physical strength. His quote “War is more a matter of psychology than strategy. A righteous war is already half won.” rings true. 5 In light of new documents that have been obtained, the Gallipoli front was not a typical front of The First World War, and the battles that took place there were not mere fighting, we know now that they changed the course of history. The findings of new research conducted in the field are being added to what is already known. This information is not just concerning itself with history, it is also throwing a light on work done in relation to military knowhow. This valuable knowledge sheds light on life at the Battle of Gallipoli, and at the same time, modern battle concepts. For example, the Battle of Gallipoli included the highest incidence to date of land-based artillery hitting floating targets. In addition, the amphibious landing employed by 5 M. Zekeriya, “Çanakkale Savaşı’nın Psikolojisi”, Yeni Mecmua Çanakkale Özel Sayısı, ed. Ersan Güngör, haz. Muzaffer Albayrak-Ayhan Özyurt, Yeditepe Yayınları, İstanbul, 2006, s. 291; Talat Özdoğan, “Çanakkale’de Türk Kahramanlığı”, Çanakkale Muharebeleri 75. Yıl Armağanı, Ankara, 1990, s. 166; Orhan Karaveli, Çanakkale Olmasaydı O Olmasaydı, Doğan Kitap, İstanbul, 2014, s. 128. UNCLASSIFIED -8- UNCLASSIFIED the Allied Nations during the Battle of Gallipoli was the first time that such craft have been used in the history of modern warfare. It’s known that the lessons learnt were especially employed in Sicily, Normandy and Okinawa during the Second World War. Furthermore, the Battle of Gallipoli is the first successful example of the modern defense of a shore. A little known factor is that anti-personnel snipers to target high-ranking enemy commanders were first used as a tactic by the Turks at the Battle of Gallipoli. It can therefore be seen that the Battle of Gallipoli contains a great deal of data to illuminate modern military knowhow. The Battle of Gallipoli contained peculiarities that made it an extraordinary conflict. For one thing, never before in history had such extensive sea and landing units been deployed that comprised of such a range of soldiers fighting on the same front, but being from different nations. From the start, this was a pitched battle, involving land, sea, air units, the latter of which were used very effectively, as were submarines. There were also underground units tunneling under enemy trenches to create mine warfare by planting explosive charges that would blow trenches into the air. In terms of trench warfare, never before had opposing trenches been so close together: at times just 8-10 meters apart. Gallipoli showed that nations who had founded a global colonial empire, which had the latest weapon technology and a massive fleet, could be defeated. This lit a torch of independence for nations that for many years had been living in captivity. The event changed the course of World War One, as well as bringing Mustafa Kemal, leader of The War of Independence, savior of Istanbul from occupation and hero of Anafartalar, to the attention of the Turkish nation and the world. The battle was also one of the reasons that extended the war for another two years, caused the collapse of the Czarist regime in Russia and the rise of the Bolsheviks, and was one of the causes of opening the path to social-economic collapse for both victorious and defeated nations and the following great upset that created Fascism in Italy and Nazism in Germany. As the Turks had earned victory at Gallipoli, the Straits could not be opened, the alliance between Russia and the Allies could not provide the supply of military hardware that was required by Czarist Russia, and the commercial fleet that was carrying cereals required for Europe was stuck in the Black Sea and were not able to get through to sell their cargo. These developments lead to a social-economic disaster that strangled Czarist Russia economically, militarily and politically. With defeat by Japan in 1905, Russia was completely reformed6 by accession of the Bolsheviks. 7 The Bolsheviks first act was to withdraw from the war, dismiss all treaties publically signed by the Czarists and expose all secret treaties. 6 A. Mete Tunçoku, Buzdağı’nın Altı, TBMM. Yayınları No 107, TBMM Basımevi, Ankara, 2005, s. 10-21; Erdoğan Aydın, a.g.e., s. 159. UNCLASSIFIED -9- UNCLASSIFIED Britain, who had lost her past mastery of the seas, had to concede power to the USA, which was developing over this period. At the end of the war, the USA undertook her new role of sole world super power. 8 Relations between the Turkish and the Australian and New Zealand soldiers was cordial, warm and even one of close friendship. In the history of the World War, it is known as the “Gentlemen’s Battle”. After living through so many days full of so much violence, blood and agony, the hatred and animosity between two sides is replaced with positive impressions of admiration and respect. In the case of The Battle of Gallipoli, these feelings has given rise to a friendly atmosphere giving the Gallipoli Peninsula a special meaning that goes beyond just being a 100 year old battlefield.9 The greatest gift of the spirit of 1915 Gallipoli was the hero of Anafartalar, Mustafa Kemal, described by Churchill, the father of the idea for the Gallipoli campaign, as “a man of destiny”, by the official British author of the history of the war, Aspinall Oglander, as “an extraordinary military genius” and by the official Australian author of the history of the war, C.E.W. Bean, as “the greatest leader on the eastern front”. The British Prime Minister, Lloyd George admitted, upon his forced resignation, “Centuries rarely produce a genius. What bad luck of ours that the great genius of our era was granted to the Turkish nation! What could we do against Mustafa Kemal?" In the following years, Mustafa Kemal liberated the occupied Turkish Nation along with Anatolia, thus founding the Republic of Turkey. Following the struggle for liberation, he was unanimously appointed as a leader and was considered the most respected statesman of the 20th century. 7 Fahir Armaoğlu, “Çanakkale Muharebelerinin Rusya Üzerindeki Etkileri”, Çanakkale Savaşları Sebep ve Sonuçları Uluslar arası Sempozyumu, 14-17 Mart 1990, Türk Tarih Kurumu Basımevi, Ankara, 1993, s. 6-29. 8 Ergun Aybars, “Çanakkale Savaşı’nın Siyasi Sonuçları”, Çanakkale Araştırmaları Türk Yıllığı, sayı 3, Çanakkale Onsekiz Mart Üniversitesi Atatürk ve Çanakkale Savaşlarını Araştırma Merkezi, Mart 2003, s. 72. 9 A. Mete Tunçoku, “Çanakkale Savaşlarının Stratejik Sonuçları”, Atatürk Araştırma Merkezi Dergisi, sayı 4, 1998, s. 563, 564. UNCLASSIFIED -10- UNCLASSIFIED 5. The Greatest Prize on the Political Stage of the Victory at Gallipoli: Mustafa Kemal ATATURK and Leadership Qualities He was born in 1881, in Selanik, a province of the Ottoman Empire, and graduated from a Military School in 1902, and a Military College in 1905.10 In 1905, he was assigned to the 5th Army in Damascus, and in 1907 to the 3rd Army in Macedonia. While serving in Manastır and Selanik in 1909, he was assigned to a counter insurgent unit in Istanbul. 11 In 1911, he was sent to Tobruk as part of Italy’s land troops moving to Trablusgarp; and he successfully commanded the Turkish Forces in Tobruk and Derne. In the Balkan War, as appointed operations commander of corps in Bolayır, he served in Gallipoli and later with corps based in locations from Bulgaria to Edirne. Immediately prior to the Battle of Gallipoli, he served in the attaché’s office in Sofia. At the start of World War One, Mustafa Kemal was carrying out his duties at the attaché’s office in Sofia. With the intention to play an active role in the defense of his nation, Mustafa Kemal demonstrated his self-sacrifice and love of his country by insisting that he be assigned to Gallipoli. If it is examined, Mustafa Kemal’s personal and leadership qualities are evident. He was self-confident, proud, responsible, brave and forwards thinking. These qualities would have a profound effect on the Battle of Gallipoli. At the Battle of Gallipoli, Mustafa Kemal made important decisions when required, and by using his initiative greatly influenced the outcome of the battle. These important decisions made at the Battle of Gallipoli, also won him the Turkish Nation. As commander of the 5th Army, and then the 19th Division, Mustafa Kemal, on the 25th April, the day the battle was heating-up, attempted to telephone Army and Corps headquarters. However, when he was unable to do so, he used his own initiative to order a section of his division to attack the enemy at Conkbayırı. As a result of this order, Conkbayırı was saved just as it was about to fall to the enemy.12 Had Mustafa Kemal waited for the order to attack, Conkbayırı would have been lost. Allowing Conkbayırı to fall would have meant that the enemy was in reaching distance of the Strait’s fortifications and the Battle of Gallipoli would have been lost. Due to Mustafa Kemal’s use of his initiative, leading him to take this calculated risk, the enemy was ejected without it taking Conkbayırı. 10 Gnkur.Bşk.lığı, Türk İstiklâl Harbine Katılan Tümen ve Daha Üst Kademlerdeki Komutanların Biyografileri, (Ankara: Gnkur.Bşk.lığı, Basımevi, 1972),1. 11 A.g.e., 2. 12 İsmet Görgülü, Çanakkale İlk Günde Biterdi, 12. UNCLASSIFIED -11- UNCLASSIFIED On the 25th April, 1915, while on the way to direct operations at Conkbayırı, Mustafa Kemal encountered some Turkish soldiers retreating from the region of Balıkçı Damları. The soldiers were fleeing as they had run out of ammunition, but Mustafa Kemal ordered them to fix bayonets and lie on the ground. As the troops were now on the ground, as were the enemy troops, the immediate danger was avoided. Mustafa Kemal gave this historic order: “I’m not ordering you to fight, I’m ordering you to die. In the time that it takes us to die, other forces and commanders can come and take our place!” 13 With this order he turned his soldiers into a fighting force that were able to eject the Anzac troops they encountered. He had therefore prevented a chaotic situation in the nick of time. Mustafa Kemal’s leadership persuaded others to willingly follow his orders. In order for an officer to dispatch and direct his subordinates, he must win their hearts and trust. Sanders, instead of persuasion, tried to us his legal authority to command his subordinates. On the other hand, Mustafa Kemal was a leader who could win his solders’ hearts and trust using his leadership qualities. He soldiers would follow his orders, even if it meant their death. Leaders listen to the views of others, and should have the modesty to accept those views when they are correct. Sanders would not stoop to consider the opinions of commanders inferior to himself. It was for that reason that the Battle of Gallipoli, which could have been finished in the first day, dragged on for months. Had Mustafa Kemal not used his initiative to stop the advance of the Anzacs, the Ottomans could have lost the battle. Right from the start, Mustafa Kemal, and the other Turkish commanders, used their incomparable command and leadership skills to throw the Allied forces out of Gallipoli. Due to the superior leadership ability exhibited at Gallipoli, ”Colonel Mustafa Kemal, the Hero of Anafartalar”, as he was known all over the Ottoman nation, did his duty, without interruption, from the seven months and fifteen days between the 2nd February 1915 and the 10th December 1915. During this period, the young officer, just 34 years old, successfully directed the 19th Division, forces at Arıburnu, command of the 15th and 16th Corps and Anafartalar Group command. The greatest gift of the victory that was won on the world political stage at Gallipoli was the man who was chosen the most respected man of the 20th Century, the hero of Anafartalar: Mustafa Kemal. Before his successful entering of the top-tier of world history, Ataturk was first successful in the military. Amongst these successes, his most well known victory is at 13 Şevket Süreyya Aydemir, Tek Adam, 221-222. UNCLASSIFIED -12- UNCLASSIFIED Gallipoli. At the Battle of Gallipoli (1915-1916) he demonstrated superior qualities of leadership, along with clear strategies that altered the fate of first the front, and then the battle. After being crowned with victory at the front, Mustafa Kemal even honored the enemy with praise; he was a man who would turn heads. For example, Winston Churchill called him “A man of destiny”. Following his victory, Mustafa Kemal envisioned himself as military leader in War of Independence. Mustafa Kemal’s successes were reflected during the period in the national press and the press played a role in his portrait becoming established as that of a national hero. Following his death, the portrait did not change; and whether it was national, or international, the Victory at Gallipoli gained premium importance. The British press in particular published news about Mustafa Kemal, and in his biographies showed his successes as beginning at Gallipoli. Mustafa Kemal Atatürk was both a soldier, and a leader who left his mark on world history as a political figure. Hero of Anafartalar, leader of The War of Independence, founder of The Republic of Turkey, who had a personality that could be effective whether he was acting as the first President or the architect of the Turkish State. The qualities of Mustafa Kemal could well have been refined at the Ottoman Military College (Mekteb-i Harbiye), which was founded by Sultan Mahmud II (1785-1839), and remains to this day as one of the pre-eminent institutions. Mustafa Kemal, who at Gallipoli had his first and complete chance to utilize the skills that had learnt at Harbiye, had suddenly created a model commander for the world to aspire to. By deciding on tactics and strategies by following the progress of the battle, Mustafa Kemal was able to change the destiny of the front and write in the pages of history, and thus began to be known as The Man of Destiny. Whether it was national or international, the starting point of his successes was given as The Battle of Gallipoli. 14 Over 500,000 people had been lost from both sides at The Battle of Gallipoli. No such event had ever been seen anywhere in the world. The world’s most powerful army, using the best technology available, was going against stubbornness, resolve, determination, will and intelligence in a conflict to the death; a situation that would impress anybody. However, there was an even greater truth, 19 years after that war, Ataturk would be speaking these words at foreign graves: 14 Mustafa Kemal’in Gelibolu Muharebeleri’ndeki başarılarıyla ilgili bkz.: Michael Hickey, Gallipoli, John Murray Yayınevi, Londra, 1995; Edward J. Erickson, Gelibolu Osmanlı Harekâtı, Çev: Orhan Düz, Türkiye İş Bankası Kültür Yayınları, İstanbul, 2012; Edward J. Erickson, Size Ölmeyi Emrediyorum! Birinci Dünya Savaşı’nda Osmanlı Ordusu, Çev: Tanju Akad, Kitap Yayınevi, İstanbul, 2003; Alan Moorehead, Gelibolu, Çev: Ali Cevat Akkoyunlu, Doğan Kitapçılık, İstanbul, 2004; Victor Rudenno, Gelibolu Denizden Saldırı, Çev: Dilek Cenkçiler, ODTÜ Yayıncılık, Ankara, 2009. UNCLASSIFIED -13- UNCLASSIFIED “Those heroes that shed their blood and lost their lives ... You are now lying in the soil of a friendly country. Therefore rest in peace. There is no difference between the Johnnies and the Mehmets to us where they lie side by side here in this country of ours ... You, the mothers who sent their sons from faraway countries, wipe away your tears; your sons are now lying in our bosom and are in peace. After having lost their lives on this land they have become our sons as well.” It must not be forgotten that these words are poles apart from the Fascist and Nazi speeches of a Europe that was being oppressed at that time. 6. Sources: ARMAOĞLU, Fahir, Siyasi Tarih 1789-1960, Sevinç Matbaası, Ankara, 1973. AYDEMIR, Şevket Süreyya, Tek Adam, 1’inci Cilt, (İstanbul: Remzi Kitabevi, 2007) Çanakkale Araştırmaları Türk Yıllığı sayı 3, Ankara, Mart 2005. ÇETİNER, Selahattin, Çanakkale Savaşları Üzerine Bir İnceleme, Cem Offset, Ankara, 1999. ERICKSON, Edward J., Defeat in Detail: The Ottoman Army in the Balkans, 1912–1913, (Praeger, 2003) ERİCKSON, E. J. (2001). Strength against Weakness: Ottoman Military Effectiveness at Gallipoli, 1915. The Journal of Military History, 65(4), s.984. doi:10.2307/2677626 ERİCKSON, Edward J., Gelibolu Osmanlı Harekâtı, Çev: Orhan Düz, Türkiye İş Bankası Kültür Yayınları, İstanbul, 2012. ERİCKSON, Edward J., Size Ölmeyi Emrediyorum! Birinci Dünya Savaşı’nda Osmanlı Ordusu, Çev: Tanju Akad, Kitap Yayınevi, İstanbul, 2003. The Final Report of the Dardanelles Commission (1919), Her Majesty’s Stationery Office, Londra,s. 21. http://www.nla.gov.au/apps/cdview/?pi=nla.aus-vn2035864-s23-v adresinden elde edildi. Gnkur.Bşk.lığı, Türk İstiklâl Harbine Katılan Tümen ve Daha Üst Kademlerdeki Komutanların Biyografileri, (Ankara: Gnkur.Bşk.lığı, Basımevi, 1972) GÖRGÜLÜ, İsmet, Çanakkale İlk Günde Biterdi, (Ankara: Bilgi Yayınevi, 1998) HİCKEY, Michael, Gallipoli, John MurrayYayınevi, Londra, 1995. JAMES Robert Rhodes, Gelibolu Harekâtı, trans. Haluk V. Saltıkgil (Ankara: Belge Yayınları, 1965) MOOREHEAD, Alan, Gelibolu, Çev: Ali Cevat Akkoyunlu, Doğan Kitapçılık, İstanbul, 2004. RUDENNO, Victor, Gelibolu Denizden Saldırı, Çev: Dilek Cenkçiler, ODTÜ Yayıncılık, Ankara, 2009. SCHRODEN Jonathan, A Strait Comparison: Lessons Learned from the 1915 Dardanelles Campaign in the Context of a Strait of Hormuz Closure Event, Center for Naval Analyses TUNÇOKU, A.Mete, Çanakkale 1915 Buzdağı’nın Altı, TBMM Basımevi, Ankara, 2005. UNCLASSIFIED -14- UNCLASSIFIED TUNÇOKU, A.Mete-TAŞKIRAN Cemalettin, Çanakkale, Churchill ve Anzaklar, Genkur. Basımevi, Ankara, 2000 ZEKERİYA, M., “Çanakkale Savaşı’nın Psikolojisi”,Yeni Mecmua Çanakkale Özel Sayısı, ed. Ersan Güngör, haz. Muzaffer Albayrak-Ayhan Özyurt, Yeditepe Yayınları, İstanbul, 2006. UNCLASSIFIED -15-