Atatürk, a person englightened earlier than the society

October 18th 1918 indicates the end of World War I for the Ottoman Empire, whichalso marks the opening date of a new front with the Mondros Armistice. While this frontbecame the battlefield for the National Independence War, it also gave rise to the birth of aleader, Mustafa Kemal. His leadership career actually started on May 16th 1919 when he setout for Samsun to initiate the National Independence War. Being enlightened earlier than thesociety he was born into, he chose to be the transforming leader for his nation and his ownfollowers voluntarily. He preferred to be the change agent for the mentality and the culture ofthe traditional lethargic society that resisted reforms and innovations in accordance with therules of modernism. Hence, he realised his reforms, each one being a radical socialengineering endoavour. For him, individual independence was vital for the freedom ofconscience that provides and ensures the freedom of thought. In his opinion, the mind shouldbe nourished by different sources of information, which was sustainable only with the help ofa secular contemproray education system. The proverb ?The end justifies the means? perfectlydescribes the greatness of his achievements rather than the methods he implemented to reachhis target.Key words: Society, ?a person enlightened earlier than the society?, modernism, mentality,freedom of thought, charismatic leader, transforming leader, the national secret, dictatorship,democracy, National Assembly, reforms, the Mondros Armistice, Sultan Vahideddin, risky,secular education, life style.