Military strategy of the National Sttrugle

Mehmet ÇANLI. Military Strategy of The National Sttrugle, Ph. D. Dissertation, Ankara, 2018. After fighting four years on many fronts during The World War I, Ottoman Empire had lost most of its lands. When it became clear that no longer it would be able to go on to figh, it withdrew from the war and signed The Mondros Armistice on 30 October 1918. But after the Armistice, The Entente States began to occupy the remaining lands of Ottoman Empire. Because of this occupation, some initiatives had been taken by different circles to save the state. These initiatives had been organised by Mustafa Kemal Pasha and a group around him, between 19 May-11 September 1919. This organization, made Murat-Uzunyayla-Erzurum Plateau, which were three strategic areas of Anatolia and the area between the mountains running parallel to Mediterranean Sea and Black Sea, a safe zone and started to organise the war with the resources of this region. When Istanbul was occupied on 16 March 1920, by removing the occupying powers outside of the safe zone, full sovereignty was achieved. TBMM had been opened in Ankara, which was a strategic place in this safe zone and the management of the war gathered in a single center. After that, in accordance with the inner line position of the country, the forces had been started to be implemented to existing threats one by one. The strategic offensive was started first in the East, against Armenians. Secondly, the French on the southern front, had been neutralized. A three-step strategy had been applied in Western Front. By making strategic defense in the depths of the country, the Greek army had been removed from its mainland and supply bases first. After weakened in this way, Greek army had been defeated at the Battle of Sakarya and the strategic equilibrium was achieved. At this stage, by bringing some troops from the other fronts, strategic offensive phase had been started and the Greek army was removed from the country. With the idle forces, the enforcement concept applied against the Allied Forces in İstanbul and the straits and they were forced to peace. Key Words Front, Ankara, Operations, National Struggle, Mondros Armistice, Mustafa Kemal Pasha, War, Strategy, Turkish Great National Assambly.