The Protagonists of WWI & The Asia Minor Campaign

The Protagonists of WWI &
The Asia Minor Campaign
by Konstantinos Chatzikyriakos

After the defeat of Germany, Austria and Turkey in WWI the Ottoman Empire started to decline resulting to a new settlement of the pro-WWI regional borders of the Euro-Asian & Africa Continents. The Entente Alliance Powers (the winners of WWI) launched a rigorous restructure plan of the new status-quo, mostly based on historical and ethnical balances. That is to say, after the surrender of Turkey to the Allies in 1918 there were internal political troubles in Turkey while the Allies were squabbling among themselves over the division of the decaying Ottoman Empire, still nominally ruled by the Sultan. The Middle Eastern lands were eventually allocated to Britain and France under League of Nations mandates. As for the Turkish heartland on Asia Minor (Anatolia), France, Italy and Greece all nursed claims - and in pursuit of these - Italy made a military incursion in the Adalia (Antalya) area [29 April 1919]. Then, with support from Britain and France, Greek peacekeeper troops were sent to the broader area of Smyrna (Izmir) where there was a considerable Hellenic population and a huge Christian community, the rights of which were seriously under threat by the corrupt regime, as well as to ensure Italian gains remained limited. All of these landings, were unanimously recognized and ratified by the Treaty of Sevres [in Aug 1920], thus giving Greece the control of most of eastern Thrace and the broader area of Smyrna and for its Allies the international control of the Straits Zone and Constantinople (Istanbul).

However, as early as May 1919 nationalist moves to resist this partitioning were begun (Turkish war of Independence) under the leadership of Mustapha Kemal (Young Turks movement). He soon had a considerable following and was proclaimed head of a provisional government in April 1920. The Allied response was to occupy Constantinople and to urge the Greeks to begin an advance inland from Smyrna which they did in June 1920 (=The beginning of Asia Minor Campaign). Adrianople and most of the Eastern Thrace were also overrun and in Anatolia there were inconclusive battles near Eski-Sehir (the first and second battles of the lnonu) and at Afion Kara-Hissar in early 1921. In July a Greek victory at Afion Kara-Hissar allowed the Greek forces to make a general advance toward Ankara but the Kemalic forces won a bitter battle in the bend of the Sagarios (Sakaria) River and the Greeks retired to their July positions. By this time the Turks were receiving some Soviet help (The Char regime had already been abolished by the Bolshevik revolutionists) while diplomatic efforts had persuaded the Italians to leave the Adalia area and the French were ready to move out of southwest Turkey. Kemal's popularity was unquestioned and the Greek forces were exhausted. A Turkish offensive in August 1922 quickly took Afion Kara-Hissar area and in a lightning advance the Greeks were routed out of Smyrna which has been totally burned and destroyed by the revengeful spirit of the Kemalic Troops. In October 1922, the Allies allowed Turkey to reoccupy the Straits area and Eastern Thrace, where these gains as well as the Turkish Independence were confirmed by the Treaty of Lausanne [July 1923].

No:	Flag:	Country:	Personalities / Leaders Photo Libraries
1.		Kingdom of Greece, Greece
2.		Ottoman Empire, Turkey
3.		France
4.		British Empire, Great Britain
5.		Kingdom of Italy
6.		United States of America
7.		Kingdom of Bulgaria
8.		Germany
9.		Austria-Hungarian Empire, Austria First Republic
10.		Imperial Russia, Soviet Union