Turkish Historical Society and activities (1931-1960)

In order to provide the newly established Republic of Turkey with a solid and successful structure in economic, political, and cultural fields and to ensure the continuity of this structure, many steps were taken under the leadership and directives of the people who founded the state. With these steps, studies have been carried out to determine the language, history, and archeology of the Turks, and the fact that Turks have existed in Anatolia since long ago has been tried to be revealed with evidence. In addition to these studies, action was taken to have a center where real information about the glorious Turkish history could be accessed. Foremost among these is the Turkish Historical Society, which was established under the leadership of Mustafa Kemal Atatürk. This institution aimed to make the right decisions for the future of the country by making inferences from the mistakes made in the past, to eliminate the misconceptions about the history of the Turkish nation, and continued its work by Mustafa Kemal Atatürk's will until 1938, when Atatürk passed away. After 1938, it continued its activities under the leadership of İsmet İnönü. This study examines the administrative structure and activities of the Turkish Historical Society between 1931 and 1960, the principles of which were determined in 1930, organized in 1931 under the name of the Turkish Historical Research Society, and established by Atatürk to announce the history of Turks and their contributions to the history of humanity to the world. Keywords: Turkish Historical Society, Turkish History Thesis, Historiography, Turkish History, Nationalism, Nation Building