Turkish War of Independence, 1919-1923

The Turkish War of Independence of 1919-1923 furnished the ultimate solution to the Eastern Question which for two centuries had absorbed the interests of not only the major European powers, but that of Russia as well. Final plans for the dismemberment of the Ottoman Empire were made during and immediately following World War I. Any plans for the final disposition of the "Sick Man of Europe" were disrupted however, with the Turkish military victory over the Greek Army in 1922 and the political victory over the big powers at Lausanne in 1923. As a result of these victories, the Turkish Republic was able to emerge from the remnants of the once great Ottoman Empire a smaller, but more effective member within the international community of nation states. Because a preponderance of military and political factors were against the creation of a free and independent Turkey, the Turkish War of Independence offers a revealing insight into the dynamics of Turkish affairs during this short span of Middle East history. Although considerable material has been published concerning the political aspects of this war, there has been a paucity of military writing on this subject. It is the opinion of this author that a valid analysis of this subject can be drawn only after conducting a research of this war within the general framework of its political-military ramifications. The purpose of this study, therefore, is to analyze the pertinent political and military factors as they affected the final outcome of this war, and to determine why Turkey was able to achieve her liberation and how she was successful in forging a new nation from the ruins of the Ottoman Empire.