As Turkey marks its Republic Day on October 29, it commemorates not just the establishment of a new nation but the resolve and resilience shown during the Turkish War of Independence. Sparked by the profound losses and occupation that followed World War I, the Turkish War of Independence (1919-1923) was a defining struggle. It transformed Anatolia’s fate and redefined Turkey's national identity, laying the foundations for a secular, sovereign republic.
In the aftermath of World War I, the Ottoman Empire was left weakened, having suffered significant territorial losses under the Armistice of Mudros. The Allies, primarily under the Sykes–Picot Agreement, sought to divide Ottoman lands, driven by their interests in the strategic and resource-rich territories. This partition, coupled with the Armenian Genocide prosecutions and heavy reparations, left the Ottoman Empire fragmented. To assert their claim, the Allied powers facilitated Greece’s military presence in Smyrna (present-day İzmir), leading to clashes that would fuel nationalist fervor across Anatolia.
The Ottoman government, viewed as compliant with Allied demands, failed to protect national sovereignty, leaving the populace in dismay. In response, Mustafa Kemal Pasha (Atatürk), dispatched to restore order, mobilized resistance instead. Recognizing the inefficacy of the Istanbul-based government, he and other nationalists convened in Ankara, forming the Grand National Assembly (GNA) and organizing an alternate power base. This assembly would soon be recognized as the legitimate government of Turkey.
As conflict escalated, nationalist forces fought on several fronts, most notably against the French in the south and the Greeks in the west. The First and Second Battles of İnönü solidified the nationalist military structure under İsmet Pasha’s leadership. After a Greek advance reached close to Ankara, Turkish forces staged a determined resistance at the Battle of Sakarya, marking a decisive turning point. The culmination came with the Great Offensive, which ultimately expelled Greek forces from western Anatolia.
The war's end was formalized through the Treaty of Lausanne (1923), a marked improvement over the Treaty of Sèvres, which had dictated severe conditions on the Turks. The Lausanne Treaty not only restored sovereignty to the new Turkish state but also included a population exchange that drastically reshaped demographics. This exchange reflected the broader nationalist desire for a homogeneous Turkish identity, and alongside the Armenian Genocide and Greek expulsions, drastically altered the region’s ethnic landscape.
With the republic declared on October 29, 1923, Mustafa Kemal Atatürk spearheaded ambitious reforms aimed at fostering a modern, secular Turkish nation-state, decisively breaking from the Ottoman imperial legacy.
