Turkish War of Independence

The Ottoman Empire had been shattered at the time as a result of its disastrous decision to fight alongside the Germans during World War I. With the exception of a limited Central Anatolian region, the defeated Ottoman government signed the Mondros agreement with the Allied forces, authorizing and guaranteeing its own existence despite ceding practically all of its possessions to Britain, Italy, France, Greece, and the new Armenia. 

Under the watchful eye of the feeble Ottomans, the Mondros Accord, which was designed to destroy the Ottoman state, was being executed inch by inch. The invasion of Izmir, also known as Smyrna by Greeks, as a result of the Greek army's brutal push into Anatolia, was the greatest humiliation to the Turks. 

Izmir was just the first step to an all out blow to the Ottoman Empire.

Mustafa Kemal Ataturk, who'd been known with in the public and military for being the military commander who led the Ottomans to victory at Gallipoli, was appointed to the position in Constantinople. He boarded a steamship from Constantinople and arrived in Samsun in May 1919. 

On May 22, Mustafa Kemal gave the Ottoman Sultan his first statement, emphasizing that Turkish people would not tolerate any form of foreign domination and yearned for national sovereignty, signaling the start of the national liberation movement for independence. 

Mustafa Kemal relocated his staff to Havza after understanding that Samsun, which was under British rule and encircled by Greek forces, would be no longer a safe place.

Mustafa Kemal's historic mission has finally come to fruition at Havza. He had sent handwritten letters to regional resistance movements throughout Anatolia, urging them to prepare massive protests against the occupation and to warn the population about the seriousness of the issue. 

Uprisings erupted across the country. On June 22, 1919, numerous important Ottoman military commanders and their men joined Mustafa Kemal and drafted the Declaration of Amasya, which included discussions about self determination based on provinces rather than race.

The Treaty of Sevres was not recognized by Mustafa Kemal and the Ankara administration. 

In Eastern Anatolia, a conflict had begun under the direction of Commander Kazm Karabekir, and this endeavor was completed with great success. As a result, on December 2nd, 1920, the Gumri Agreement was signed with Armenia. The Moscow Agreement, concluded with Russia on March 16, 1921, and the Kars Agreement, signed with Armenia, Azerbaijan, and Georgia on October 13, 1921, effectively settled the tensions on the eastern frontier. 

On the western line, Greek soldiers took the Izmir Eyalet on May 15, 1919, and began advancing through the Aegean region at breakneck pace. Though they were defeated during the First and Second Inonu conflicts in January to April of 1921. 

As the Greeks started losing many conflicts with the Turks, They took a huge hit in the Sakarya Pitch Battle in August to September of 1921. In addition, according to the Ankara Agreements in October 1921, which was made with France, French forces were withdrawn from Adana and its surroundings. 

Following that, the country's forces and resources were mobilized in preparation for a large-scale attack on the western front. With the Eastern front out of the picture, the Turks could use all their strength on the West, against the advancing Greeks army.

During the Grand Offensive and the Battle of the Commander-in-Chief, the Greek forces were crushed. On September 9th, 1922, Izmir was finally liberated. The challenge of constructing a new stable Republic has been accelerated by this decisive campaign. 

On October 11th, 1922, the Ankara Government and the Allied powers signed the Mudanya Armistice, and it was decided that a meeting would be called afterwards in Lausanne to settle the terms of the peace treaty. The Ottomans finally came to an end when the Allied powers extended an additional invitation to the Turkish government. 

On November 1st, 1922, the Ankara Government came to an agreement on the Caliphate. Both the Sultanate and Caliphate would be dissolved. At the same time, the last Ottoman Sultan, Mehmet VI, departed from Istanbul on November 17th, 1922. This key moment of History would break the heart of Islam at the time. People of Islam during the time relied on the Caliph and the Sultanate for Guidance. 

In the eyes of Mustafa Kemal, he had just solved one of the largest issues of Islam and paved the way for a Modern Middle east.