Fevzi Çakmak
Encyclopedia
Mustafa Fevzi Çakmak was a Turkish
soldier (Mareşal
), politician. Minister of War of the Ottoman Empire
, National Defence Minister, Prime minister of Ankara government, the second Chief of the General Staff of the Army of the Grand National Assembly
and the first Chief of the General Staff of the Republic of Turkey.
(Istanbul
, Ottoman Empire
) to mother Hesna Hanım, daughter of Varnalı Hacı Bekir Efendi, who is the youngest son of Ömer Ağa, and father Ali Sırrı Efendi, who is son of Çakmakoğlu Hüseyin Derviş Kaptan and served for Tophane (Arsenal) as secretary. In 1879 his father Ali Sırrı Bey was appointed to Black Sea Artillery Regiment (Karadeniz Topçu Alayı) at Rumeli Kavağı, family move there. Thus Fevzi's name in the Army will become "Kavaklı Fevzi Pasha".
He studied at Sadık Hoca Mektebi in Rumeli Kavağı between 1882 and 1884. And he continued to study at Tedrisiye-i Haybiye Mektebi in Sarıyer
between 1884 and 1886, at Salonica Military School (Selânik Askerî Rüşdiyesi ) between 1886 and 1887, at Soğukçeşme Askerî Rüşdiyesi between 1887 and 1890. And he learned Arabic
and Persian
languages from his grandfather Hacı Bekir Efendi, who had studied in Egypt
and Baghdad
and was one of the prominent intelligentsia at the time. He continued to Kuleli Military High School
(Kuleli Askerî İdadisi) between 1890 and 1893. After graduating from Kuleli military highschool, he entered Harbiye Mektibi
(Mekteb-i Füsûn-u Harbiyye-i Şâhâne) in Pangaltı, April 29, 1893. He completed the military school as the seventh of the class on January 28, 1896 and joined the Ottoman military
as an Infantry
Second Lieutenant
(Mülâzım-ı Sani).
On January 28, 1898, he entered the War Academy (Staff College, Mekteb-i Erkân-ı Harbiye-i Şâhâne), present day: Harp Akademisi) and on March 16, 1897, he was promoted to the rank of First Lieutenant
(Mülâzım-ı Evvel). On December 25, 1898, he graduated from Academy as a Staff Captain (Erkân-ı Harp Yüzbaşısı) and was assigned to the 4th department of the General Staff.
On April 11, 1899, he became the staff officer of 18th Regular Division (On Sekicinsi Nizamiye Fırkası) under the command of Şemsi Pasha at Metroviça (present day: Mitrovica
) of the 3rd Army
. He studied Serbian
, Bulgarian
, Albanian
languages to read their newspapers for collecting information. On April 20, 1900, he was promoted to the rank of Kolağası
, on April 20, 1902, Major (Binbaşı), on July 19, 1906, Lieutenant Colonel
(Kaymakam) and on December 17, 1907, Miralay
.
According to some researchers, he was in contact with Committee of Union and Progress
and elected the member of the secret board of directors of the Metroviça blanch of the committee. On July 3, 1908, Senior Captain Ahmed Niyazi Bey stationed at Resne (present day: Resen), an ethnic Albanian, took to the hills with 200 soldiers and a number of civilians, and issued a manifesto which demanded the restoration of constitutional government. Şemsi Pasha, an ethnic Albanian, was ordered to crush the rebel and went to Monastir with two battalions. But he was shot and killed by Second Lieutenant Bigalı Atıf Bey.
On August 19, 1909, he was demoted to Major, because of the Law for the Purge of Military Ranks (Tasfiye-i Rüteb-i Askeriye Kanunu).
On December 29, 1908 he was appointed to Governor (mutassarıf) and commander of Taşlıca (present day: Pljevlja
), and at the same time, the commander of the 35th Brigade (Otuzbeşinci Liva). On January 15, 1910, he was temporarily assigned to the headquarter of the Kosovo Provisional Corps (Mürretep Kosova Kolordusu), on September 29, he was promoted to the rank of Lieutenant Colonel (Kaymakam) and on July 27, became the chief of staff of the same corps.
On January 15, 1911, he was assigned to the 4th department of the General Staff. On October 2, 1911, when he was staying in İşkodra (present day: Shkodër
), because Italo-Turkish War
(September 29, 1911 – October 18, 1912) broke out, he was assigned to the Western Army that was formed for the defense of Western Rumelia
under the command of Birinci Ferik Ali Rıza Pasha
. On October 6, he was appointed to the Governor (mutassarıf) of İpek Sancağı (present day: District of Peć). On October 19, he went back to Istanbul to continue his task at the 4th department of the General Staff. On February 11, 1912, he was appointed to the member of the committee that was formed under the chairmanship of the Minister of the Interior Hacı Adil Bey with the decision about reform of Albania
and three vilayet (Salonica, Monastir, Kosova). May 9, he was appointed to a secretariat formed in the Sadaret
and on July 3, to the deputy commander of the 21th Infantry Division (Yirmi Birinci Fırka) at Yakova (present day: Đakovica), on August 6, to the staff of the General Forces of Kosovo (Kosova Kuva-yi Umumiyesi).
under the command of Ferik Halepli Zeki Pasha
, formed within the Western Army. During the First Balkan War
(October 8, 1912 – May 30, 1913), after the defeat at the Battle of Kumanovo
(October 23–24, 1912), Fevzi wrote that the distributions of the Ottoman forces over a wide area gave initiative to the enemy and that mobilization and concentration plan was poorly designed and flawed. He also noted that there were great deficiencies in artillery, wireless, and air units. But he wrote that he had put the idea of creating a six-corps army of one hundred thousand men operation on interior lines from the Monastir (present day: Bitola
) area. The Vardar Army retreated to Monastir.
On November 16, during the Battle of Monastir (November 16–19, 1912), his younger brother Muhtar Efendi was killed in action at the heights of Oblakovo, northwest of Bitola. After the defeat at the Battle of Bitola, he wrote that the Vardar Army's effective strength for its 78 infantry battalions was 39,398 men. The Vardar Army retreated to Albania. On May 10, because Miralay Ibrahim Halil Bey (Sedes), who was the chief of staff of the Vardar Army, went to Istanbul, Fevzi deputized the chief of staff. On June 19 the headquarters of the Vardar Army, left pier at Seman
with steamships named Karadeniz and Gülcemal and arrived at Istanbul on June 22.
Fevzi wrote:
On August 2, 1913, he was appointed to the commander of the Ankara Reserve Division (Ankara Redif Fırkası), on November 6, to the commander of the 2nd Infantry Division (İkinci Fırka) and on November 24, he was promoted to the rank of Miralay.
. His corps engaged in the defense of Gallipoli. On March 2, 1915, he was promoted to the rank of Mirliva
. He arrived at the Gallipoli Front on July 13 and command his corps in battles of Achi Baba (İkinci Kerevizdere Muharebesi) and Sari Bair
. On August 8, his younger brother, the commander
of the 1st Company of the 2nd Battalion of the 64th Regiment, Lieutenant Mehmed Nazif Efendi was killed in action in the Battle of Chunuk Bair
.
On December 6, 1915, he served concurrently as the commander of the Anafartalar Group. In April 1916, he was appointed to the 3rd military district of Eastern Front and on September 7, 1916, to the commander of II Caucasian Corps
consisted of 5th, 11th and 37th Caucasian divisions. On July 5, 1917, he was appointed to the commander of the 2nd Army
at Diyârbekir
.
On October 9, 1917, he was assigned to the command of the 7th Army
at the Sinai and Palestine Front
and he remained in Aleppo
until October 18 and began to move his headquarters forward to Halilürrahman and arrived there on October 23. Erich von Falkenhayn
gave Fevzi control of Beersheba
and the eastern half of the Palestine Front on October 28. But Falkenhayn gave alternating orders on the same day. According to these orders, gave the command of all units on the Sinai Front Kress von Kressenstein until the new command arrangements are functional
On February 15, 1918, he wrote to Erich von Falkenhayn, serious problems with the inefficient lines of communication and the supply and recruiting Zone proportionate with the strength and situation of the army. Moreover, he mentioned that here were combat skills proficiency problems caused by the inability of his under-strength army to withdraw front-line units for training in the rear area.
on July 28, 1918, he was promoted to the rank of Ferik
. But in August 1918 he became ill and went to Istanbul to get medical treatment.
After World War I, on December 24, 1918, Fevzi Pasha was appointed to the Chief of the General Staff (Erkân-ı Harbiye Umûmiye Riyaseti) of the Ottoman Empire. In April 1919, he met with Şevket Turgut Pasha, Cevat Pasha
secretly in Constantinople and prepared a report called "Trio Oath" (Üçler Misâkı) to establish army inspectorate for the defense of homeland. In late April, Fevzi Pasha submitted this report to the Minister of War Şakir Pasha. On April 30, 1919, the War Ministry and Sultan Mehmed VI
ratified the decision about the establishing of army inspectorates that had been accepted by the Chief of General Staff On May 14, 1919, he was appointed to the commander of the Inspector of the 1st Army Troops Inspectorate (Birinci Ordu Kıt'aatı Müfettişi). On November 3, he assigned to the task in Heyet-i Nasîha and on December 31, he was appointed to the member of the Military Council (Askerî Şûra). He became the Minister of War of Ali Rıza Pasha
Cabinet (February 3 – March 3, 1920) and Salih Pasha Cabinet (March 8 – April 2, 1920).
After the resignation of Salih Pasha Cabinet, he went to Anatolia
to participate in the national movement arriving at Ankara
on April 27, 1920. On May 3, he was elected the Minister of Defense (Milli Müdafaa Vekili) and Vice Prime Minister (Heyet-i Vekile Riyaseti Vekili) as a parliamentary deputy from Kozan
.
The Ottoman Military Court declared a death sentence for him, in absentia. This sentence was published in Takvim-i Vakayi newspaper on May 30, 1920.
He became one of the founders of the "Official" Communist Party
established on October 18, 1920.
On November 9, in addition to his existing tasks, he was temporarily appointed Vice Minister of the Chief of the General Staff, because the Chief of the General Staff İsmet Bey was continuously at the front as the commander of Western Front. On January 24, 1921, in addition to his other tasks, he became Prime Minister (Heyet-i Vekile Riyaseti) and on April 3, he was promoted to Birinci Ferik
.
under İsmet Bey
(İnönü) and was able to stop the retreat of the Army of Grand National Assembly afterward.
, on August 5, 1921, he resigned as the Minister of War and was appointed the Minister of the Chief of the General Staff.
The Army of Grand National Assembly defeated the Greek forces at the Battle of Sakarya
on the outskirts of Ankara.
On July 12, 1922, he resigned as the Prime Minister.
planned and commandeered the Battle of Dumlupınar
. On August 31, 1922, he was promoted to rank of Müşir (Mareşal
) with the recommendation of Mustafa Kemal.
They were and still are the only Field Marshals that the Republic of Turkey has had up till now. So even today, an unspecified nickname Mareşal (Field Marshal
) means Fevzi Çakmak.
On March 3, 1924, he was appoinrted to the Chief of the General Staff of the Republic of Turkey
.
His funeral service was held at the Beyazıt and he was laid to rest in Eyüp Sultan Mezarlığı (Eyüp
, Istanbul) on April 12, 1950. His family didn't accept to dig up his corpse and his body wasn't transferred to the Turkish State Cemetery
in Ankara.
He knew French, English, German, Russian, Persian
, Arabic
, Albanian
, Serbian
. He spoke French, translated English and German.
Turkish people
Turkish people, also known as the "Turks" , are an ethnic group primarily living in Turkey and in the former lands of the Ottoman Empire where Turkish minorities had been established in Bulgaria, Cyprus, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Georgia, Greece, Kosovo, Macedonia, and Romania...
soldier (Mareşal
Mareşal (Turkey)
Mareşal is the highest rank in the Army of Turkey, the Turkish Armed Forces. It is the equivalent of a Field Marshal in other countries....
), politician. Minister of War of the Ottoman Empire
Ottoman Empire
The Ottoman EmpireIt was usually referred to as the "Ottoman Empire", the "Turkish Empire", the "Ottoman Caliphate" or more commonly "Turkey" by its contemporaries...
, National Defence Minister, Prime minister of Ankara government, the second Chief of the General Staff of the Army of the Grand National Assembly
Grand National Assembly of Turkey
The Grand National Assembly of Turkey , usually referred to simply as the Meclis , is the unicameral Turkish legislature. It is the sole body given the legislative prerogatives by the Turkish Constitution. It was founded in Ankara on 23 April 1920 in the midst of the Turkish War of Independence...
and the first Chief of the General Staff of the Republic of Turkey.
Family and schools
Mustafa Fevzi was born on January 24, 1876 in CihangirCihangir
Cihangir is one of the neighborhoods of the Beyoğlu district in Istanbul, Turkey. The neighborhood has many narrow streets, a park, and street cafes. It is located between Taksim Square and Kabataş...
(Istanbul
Istanbul
Istanbul , historically known as Byzantium and Constantinople , is the largest city of Turkey. Istanbul metropolitan province had 13.26 million people living in it as of December, 2010, which is 18% of Turkey's population and the 3rd largest metropolitan area in Europe after London and...
, Ottoman Empire
Ottoman Empire
The Ottoman EmpireIt was usually referred to as the "Ottoman Empire", the "Turkish Empire", the "Ottoman Caliphate" or more commonly "Turkey" by its contemporaries...
) to mother Hesna Hanım, daughter of Varnalı Hacı Bekir Efendi, who is the youngest son of Ömer Ağa, and father Ali Sırrı Efendi, who is son of Çakmakoğlu Hüseyin Derviş Kaptan and served for Tophane (Arsenal) as secretary. In 1879 his father Ali Sırrı Bey was appointed to Black Sea Artillery Regiment (Karadeniz Topçu Alayı) at Rumeli Kavağı, family move there. Thus Fevzi's name in the Army will become "Kavaklı Fevzi Pasha".
He studied at Sadık Hoca Mektebi in Rumeli Kavağı between 1882 and 1884. And he continued to study at Tedrisiye-i Haybiye Mektebi in Sarıyer
Sariyer
Sarıyer is the northernmost district of Istanbul, Turkey, on the European side of the city. With a long shore along the water, the district boasts both a beautiful coastline and a lush forest. The Sarıyer district is a huge area consisting of the villages on the European side of the Bosphorus from...
between 1884 and 1886, at Salonica Military School (Selânik Askerî Rüşdiyesi ) between 1886 and 1887, at Soğukçeşme Askerî Rüşdiyesi between 1887 and 1890. And he learned Arabic
Arabic language
Arabic is a name applied to the descendants of the Classical Arabic language of the 6th century AD, used most prominently in the Quran, the Islamic Holy Book...
and Persian
Persian language
Persian is an Iranian language within the Indo-Iranian branch of the Indo-European languages. It is primarily spoken in Iran, Afghanistan, Tajikistan and countries which historically came under Persian influence...
languages from his grandfather Hacı Bekir Efendi, who had studied in Egypt
Egypt
Egypt , officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, Arabic: , is a country mainly in North Africa, with the Sinai Peninsula forming a land bridge in Southwest Asia. Egypt is thus a transcontinental country, and a major power in Africa, the Mediterranean Basin, the Middle East and the Muslim world...
and Baghdad
Baghdad
Baghdad is the capital of Iraq, as well as the coterminous Baghdad Governorate. The population of Baghdad in 2011 is approximately 7,216,040...
and was one of the prominent intelligentsia at the time. He continued to Kuleli Military High School
Kuleli Military High School
Kuleli Military High School is the first military high school in Turkey, located in Çengelköy, Istanbul. It was founded on September 21, 1845 by Ottoman Sultan Abdülmecid I.-History:...
(Kuleli Askerî İdadisi) between 1890 and 1893. After graduating from Kuleli military highschool, he entered Harbiye Mektibi
Kara Harp Okulu
The Turkish Military Academy, , is a four year co-educational military academy located in the center of Ankara. Its mission is to develop cadets mentally and physically for service as commissioned officers in the Turkish Army...
(Mekteb-i Füsûn-u Harbiyye-i Şâhâne) in Pangaltı, April 29, 1893. He completed the military school as the seventh of the class on January 28, 1896 and joined the Ottoman military
Military of the Ottoman Empire
The history of military of the Ottoman Empire can be divided in five main periods. The foundation era covers the years between 1300 and 1453 , the classical period covers the years between 1451 and 1606 , the reformation period covers the years between 1606 and 1826 ,...
as an Infantry
Infantry
Infantrymen are soldiers who are specifically trained for the role of fighting on foot to engage the enemy face to face and have historically borne the brunt of the casualties of combat in wars. As the oldest branch of combat arms, they are the backbone of armies...
Second Lieutenant
Second Lieutenant
Second lieutenant is a junior commissioned officer military rank in many armed forces.- United Kingdom and Commonwealth :The rank second lieutenant was introduced throughout the British Army in 1871 to replace the rank of ensign , although it had long been used in the Royal Artillery, Royal...
(Mülâzım-ı Sani).
On January 28, 1898, he entered the War Academy (Staff College, Mekteb-i Erkân-ı Harbiye-i Şâhâne), present day: Harp Akademisi) and on March 16, 1897, he was promoted to the rank of First Lieutenant
First Lieutenant
First lieutenant is a military rank and, in some forces, an appointment.The rank of lieutenant has different meanings in different military formations , but the majority of cases it is common for it to be sub-divided into a senior and junior rank...
(Mülâzım-ı Evvel). On December 25, 1898, he graduated from Academy as a Staff Captain (Erkân-ı Harp Yüzbaşısı) and was assigned to the 4th department of the General Staff.
Western Rumelia
Kosovska Mitrovica
Kosovska Mitrovica , is a city and municipality in northern Kosovo. It is the administrative centre of the homonymous district....
) of the 3rd Army
Third Army (Ottoman Empire)
The Ottoman Third Army was originally established in the Balkans and later defended the northern and eastern parts of the Ottoman Empire. Its initial headquarters was at Salonica. With the onset of World War I, it moved to Erzurum Fortress. The headquarters was moved to Susehir after the Battle...
. He studied Serbian
Serbian language
Serbian is a form of Serbo-Croatian, a South Slavic language, spoken by Serbs in Serbia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro, Croatia and neighbouring countries....
, Bulgarian
Bulgarian language
Bulgarian is an Indo-European language, a member of the Slavic linguistic group.Bulgarian, along with the closely related Macedonian language, demonstrates several linguistic characteristics that set it apart from all other Slavic languages such as the elimination of case declension, the...
, Albanian
Albanian language
Albanian is an Indo-European language spoken by approximately 7.6 million people, primarily in Albania and Kosovo but also in other areas of the Balkans in which there is an Albanian population, including western Macedonia, southern Montenegro, southern Serbia and northwestern Greece...
languages to read their newspapers for collecting information. On April 20, 1900, he was promoted to the rank of Kolağası
Kolağası
Kolağası was a military rank of the Ottoman Army. It corresponds to a Senior Captain or an Adjutant Major. Kol Ağası is a compound word composed of Kol and Ağa...
, on April 20, 1902, Major (Binbaşı), on July 19, 1906, Lieutenant Colonel
Lieutenant colonel
Lieutenant colonel is a rank of commissioned officer in the armies and most marine forces and some air forces of the world, typically ranking above a major and below a colonel. The rank of lieutenant colonel is often shortened to simply "colonel" in conversation and in unofficial correspondence...
(Kaymakam) and on December 17, 1907, Miralay
Miralay
Miralay or Mîr-i alay was a military rank of the Ottoman Army and Navy. It corresponds to a Colonel . Miralay is a compound word composed of Mir and Alay...
.
According to some researchers, he was in contact with Committee of Union and Progress
Committee of Union and Progress
The Committee of Union and Progress began as a secret society established as the "Committee of Ottoman Union" in 1889 by the medical students İbrahim Temo, Abdullah Cevdet, İshak Sükuti and Ali Hüseyinzade...
and elected the member of the secret board of directors of the Metroviça blanch of the committee. On July 3, 1908, Senior Captain Ahmed Niyazi Bey stationed at Resne (present day: Resen), an ethnic Albanian, took to the hills with 200 soldiers and a number of civilians, and issued a manifesto which demanded the restoration of constitutional government. Şemsi Pasha, an ethnic Albanian, was ordered to crush the rebel and went to Monastir with two battalions. But he was shot and killed by Second Lieutenant Bigalı Atıf Bey.
On August 19, 1909, he was demoted to Major, because of the Law for the Purge of Military Ranks (Tasfiye-i Rüteb-i Askeriye Kanunu).
On December 29, 1908 he was appointed to Governor (mutassarıf) and commander of Taşlıca (present day: Pljevlja
Pljevlja
Pljevlja is a town and municipality located in the northern part of Montenegro. The city lies at an altitude of...
), and at the same time, the commander of the 35th Brigade (Otuzbeşinci Liva). On January 15, 1910, he was temporarily assigned to the headquarter of the Kosovo Provisional Corps (Mürretep Kosova Kolordusu), on September 29, he was promoted to the rank of Lieutenant Colonel (Kaymakam) and on July 27, became the chief of staff of the same corps.
On January 15, 1911, he was assigned to the 4th department of the General Staff. On October 2, 1911, when he was staying in İşkodra (present day: Shkodër
Shkodër
Shkodër , is a city located on Lake of Shkoder in northwestern Albania in the District of Shkodër, of which it is the capital. It is one of the oldest and most historic towns in Albania, as well as an important cultural and economic centre. Shkodër's estimated population is 90,000; if the...
), because Italo-Turkish War
Italo-Turkish War
The Italo-Turkish or Turco-Italian War was fought between the Ottoman Empire and the Kingdom of Italy from September 29, 1911 to October 18, 1912.As a result of this conflict, Italy was awarded the Ottoman provinces of Tripolitania, Fezzan, and...
(September 29, 1911 – October 18, 1912) broke out, he was assigned to the Western Army that was formed for the defense of Western Rumelia
Rumelia
Rumelia was an historical region comprising the territories of the Ottoman Empire in Europe...
under the command of Birinci Ferik Ali Rıza Pasha
Ali Riza Pasha
Ali Riza Pasha was one the last grand viziers of the Ottoman Empire, under the reign of the last Ottoman sultan Mehmed VI Vahdeddin, between 14 October 1919 and 2 March 1920....
. On October 6, he was appointed to the Governor (mutassarıf) of İpek Sancağı (present day: District of Peć). On October 19, he went back to Istanbul to continue his task at the 4th department of the General Staff. On February 11, 1912, he was appointed to the member of the committee that was formed under the chairmanship of the Minister of the Interior Hacı Adil Bey with the decision about reform of Albania
History of Ottoman Albania
The land that is today Albania was controlled by the Ottoman Empire from 1481 until 1912.-Ottoman Rule:The Ottoman Turks expanded their empire from Anatolia to the Balkans in the 14th century. They crossed the Bosporus in 1352, and in 1389 they crushed a Serbian army in the Battle of Kosovo...
and three vilayet (Salonica, Monastir, Kosova). May 9, he was appointed to a secretariat formed in the Sadaret
Grand Vizier
Grand Vizier, in Turkish Vezir-i Azam or Sadr-ı Azam , deriving from the Arabic word vizier , was the greatest minister of the Sultan, with absolute power of attorney and, in principle, dismissable only by the Sultan himself...
and on July 3, to the deputy commander of the 21th Infantry Division (Yirmi Birinci Fırka) at Yakova (present day: Đakovica), on August 6, to the staff of the General Forces of Kosovo (Kosova Kuva-yi Umumiyesi).
Balkan Wars
On September 29, 1912, he was appointed to the chief of the 1st department (chief of operations) of the Vardar ArmyVardar Army
The Vardar Army of the Ottoman Empire was one of the field armies under the command of the Western Army. It was formed during the mobilization phase of the First Balkan War.- Order of Battle, October 19, 1912 :...
under the command of Ferik Halepli Zeki Pasha
Zekki Pasha
Zeki Pasha or Zekki Pasha or Zeki Baraz Kolaç or Zeki Kolaç or Mehmet Zeki Baraz was a Balkan Wars and World War I Müşir of the Ottoman forces in the Balkans....
, formed within the Western Army. During the First Balkan War
First Balkan War
The First Balkan War, which lasted from October 1912 to May 1913, pitted the Balkan League against the Ottoman Empire. The combined armies of the Balkan states overcame the numerically inferior and strategically disadvantaged Ottoman armies and achieved rapid success...
(October 8, 1912 – May 30, 1913), after the defeat at the Battle of Kumanovo
Battle of Kumanovo
The Battle of Kumanovo or Battle of Kumanova on 23 – 24 October 1912 was a major battle of the First Balkan War. It was an important Serbian victory over the Ottoman army in Vardar Macedonia, shortly after the outbreak of the war...
(October 23–24, 1912), Fevzi wrote that the distributions of the Ottoman forces over a wide area gave initiative to the enemy and that mobilization and concentration plan was poorly designed and flawed. He also noted that there were great deficiencies in artillery, wireless, and air units. But he wrote that he had put the idea of creating a six-corps army of one hundred thousand men operation on interior lines from the Monastir (present day: Bitola
Bitola
Bitola is a city in the southwestern part of the Republic of Macedonia. The city is an administrative, cultural, industrial, commercial, and educational centre. It is located in the southern part of the Pelagonia valley, surrounded by the Baba and Nidže mountains, 14 km north of the...
) area. The Vardar Army retreated to Monastir.
On November 16, during the Battle of Monastir (November 16–19, 1912), his younger brother Muhtar Efendi was killed in action at the heights of Oblakovo, northwest of Bitola. After the defeat at the Battle of Bitola, he wrote that the Vardar Army's effective strength for its 78 infantry battalions was 39,398 men. The Vardar Army retreated to Albania. On May 10, because Miralay Ibrahim Halil Bey (Sedes), who was the chief of staff of the Vardar Army, went to Istanbul, Fevzi deputized the chief of staff. On June 19 the headquarters of the Vardar Army, left pier at Seman
Seman
The Seman is a river in western Albania. It is formed at the confluence of the rivers Osum and Devoll, a few km northwest of Kuçovë. It flows west through Fier-Shegan and Mbrostar . It flows into the Adriatic Sea near Topojë....
with steamships named Karadeniz and Gülcemal and arrived at Istanbul on June 22.
Fevzi wrote:
On August 2, 1913, he was appointed to the commander of the Ankara Reserve Division (Ankara Redif Fırkası), on November 6, to the commander of the 2nd Infantry Division (İkinci Fırka) and on November 24, he was promoted to the rank of Miralay.
World War
On December 22, 1913, he was appointed to the commander of the V CorpsV Corps (Ottoman Empire)
The V Corps of the Ottoman Empire was one of the corps of the Ottoman Army. It was formed in the early 20th century during Ottoman military reforms.- Order of Battle, 1911 :...
. His corps engaged in the defense of Gallipoli. On March 2, 1915, he was promoted to the rank of Mirliva
Mirliva
Mirliva or Mîr-i livâ was a military rank of the Ottoman Army. It corresponds to a Brigadier General or Major General . Mirliva is a compound word composed of Mir and Liva...
. He arrived at the Gallipoli Front on July 13 and command his corps in battles of Achi Baba (İkinci Kerevizdere Muharebesi) and Sari Bair
Battle of Sari Bair
The Battle of Sari Bair , also known as the August Offensive, was the final attempt made by the British in August 1915 to seize control of the Gallipoli peninsula from the Ottoman Empire during First World War.The Battle of Gallipoli had raged on two fronts, Anzac and Helles, for three months since...
. On August 8, his younger brother, the commander
Company Commander
A company commander is the commanding officer of a company, a military unit which typically consists of 100 to 350 soldiers, often organized into three or four smaller units called platoons....
of the 1st Company of the 2nd Battalion of the 64th Regiment, Lieutenant Mehmed Nazif Efendi was killed in action in the Battle of Chunuk Bair
Battle of Chunuk Bair
The Battle of Chunuk Bair was a World War I battle fought between the Ottoman defenders and troops of New Zealand and Britain. Allied units that made the summit of Chunuk Bair early a.m...
.
On December 6, 1915, he served concurrently as the commander of the Anafartalar Group. In April 1916, he was appointed to the 3rd military district of Eastern Front and on September 7, 1916, to the commander of II Caucasian Corps
II Caucasian Corps (Ottoman Empire)
The II Caucasian Corps of the Ottoman Empire was one of the corps of the Ottoman Army...
consisted of 5th, 11th and 37th Caucasian divisions. On July 5, 1917, he was appointed to the commander of the 2nd Army
Second Army (Ottoman Empire)
The Second Army of the Ottoman Empire was one of the field armies of the Ottoman Army. It was formed in the late 19th century during Ottoman military reforms.- Order of Battle, 1877:In 1877, it was stationed in what is now Bulgaria...
at Diyârbekir
Diyarbakır
Diyarbakır is one of the largest cities in southeastern Turkey...
.
On October 9, 1917, he was assigned to the command of the 7th Army
Seventh Army (Ottoman Empire)
The Ottoman Seventh Army was a large military formation of Ottoman Empire in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Although designated as an army, at least by 1918, it was only of corps strength....
at the Sinai and Palestine Front
Sinai and Palestine Campaign
The Sinai and Palestine Campaigns took place in the Middle Eastern Theatre of World War I. A series of battles were fought between British Empire, German Empire and Ottoman Empire forces from 26 January 1915 to 31 October 1918, when the Armistice of Mudros was signed between the Ottoman Empire and...
and he remained in Aleppo
Aleppo
Aleppo is the largest city in Syria and the capital of Aleppo Governorate, the most populous Syrian governorate. With an official population of 2,301,570 , expanding to over 2.5 million in the metropolitan area, it is also one of the largest cities in the Levant...
until October 18 and began to move his headquarters forward to Halilürrahman and arrived there on October 23. Erich von Falkenhayn
Erich von Falkenhayn
Erich von Falkenhayn was a German soldier and Chief of the General Staff during World War I. He became a military writer after World War I.-Early life:...
gave Fevzi control of Beersheba
Beersheba
Beersheba is the largest city in the Negev desert of southern Israel. Often referred to as the "Capital of the Negev", it is the seventh-largest city in Israel with a population of 194,300....
and the eastern half of the Palestine Front on October 28. But Falkenhayn gave alternating orders on the same day. According to these orders, gave the command of all units on the Sinai Front Kress von Kressenstein until the new command arrangements are functional
On February 15, 1918, he wrote to Erich von Falkenhayn, serious problems with the inefficient lines of communication and the supply and recruiting Zone proportionate with the strength and situation of the army. Moreover, he mentioned that here were combat skills proficiency problems caused by the inability of his under-strength army to withdraw front-line units for training in the rear area.
on July 28, 1918, he was promoted to the rank of Ferik
Ferik
Ferik is a town in the Armavir Province of Armenia. The town is named in honor of poet and revolutionary Ferik Polatbekov.- References :*...
. But in August 1918 he became ill and went to Istanbul to get medical treatment.
After World War I, on December 24, 1918, Fevzi Pasha was appointed to the Chief of the General Staff (Erkân-ı Harbiye Umûmiye Riyaseti) of the Ottoman Empire. In April 1919, he met with Şevket Turgut Pasha, Cevat Pasha
Cevat Çobanli
Cevat Çobanlı was a military commander of the Ottoman Army, War Minister of the Ottoman Empire and a general of Turkish Army.-Family and schools:...
secretly in Constantinople and prepared a report called "Trio Oath" (Üçler Misâkı) to establish army inspectorate for the defense of homeland. In late April, Fevzi Pasha submitted this report to the Minister of War Şakir Pasha. On April 30, 1919, the War Ministry and Sultan Mehmed VI
Mehmed VI
Mehmet VI was the 36th and last Sultan of the Ottoman Empire, reigning from 1918 to 1922...
ratified the decision about the establishing of army inspectorates that had been accepted by the Chief of General Staff On May 14, 1919, he was appointed to the commander of the Inspector of the 1st Army Troops Inspectorate (Birinci Ordu Kıt'aatı Müfettişi). On November 3, he assigned to the task in Heyet-i Nasîha and on December 31, he was appointed to the member of the Military Council (Askerî Şûra). He became the Minister of War of Ali Rıza Pasha
Ali Riza Pasha
Ali Riza Pasha was one the last grand viziers of the Ottoman Empire, under the reign of the last Ottoman sultan Mehmed VI Vahdeddin, between 14 October 1919 and 2 March 1920....
Cabinet (February 3 – March 3, 1920) and Salih Pasha Cabinet (March 8 – April 2, 1920).
War of Independence
Anatolia
Anatolia is a geographic and historical term denoting the westernmost protrusion of Asia, comprising the majority of the Republic of Turkey...
to participate in the national movement arriving at Ankara
Ankara
Ankara is the capital of Turkey and the country's second largest city after Istanbul. The city has a mean elevation of , and as of 2010 the metropolitan area in the entire Ankara Province had a population of 4.4 million....
on April 27, 1920. On May 3, he was elected the Minister of Defense (Milli Müdafaa Vekili) and Vice Prime Minister (Heyet-i Vekile Riyaseti Vekili) as a parliamentary deputy from Kozan
Kozan
Kozan may refer to:*Kozan, Hiroshima in Japan*Kozan, Adana in Turkey*Kozan, Shaft in Iran*Kozan, a village in Northern Cyprus...
.
The Ottoman Military Court declared a death sentence for him, in absentia. This sentence was published in Takvim-i Vakayi newspaper on May 30, 1920.
He became one of the founders of the "Official" Communist Party
Communist Party of Turkey (Official)
Turkish Communist Party , often referred to as the official communist party, was a political party in Turkey. TKF was set up by Mustafa Kemal Atatürk in 1920, in order to counter the influence of the Communist Party of Turkey .-See also:...
established on October 18, 1920.
On November 9, in addition to his existing tasks, he was temporarily appointed Vice Minister of the Chief of the General Staff, because the Chief of the General Staff İsmet Bey was continuously at the front as the commander of Western Front. On January 24, 1921, in addition to his other tasks, he became Prime Minister (Heyet-i Vekile Riyaseti) and on April 3, he was promoted to Birinci Ferik
Birinci Ferik
Birinci Ferik or Ferik-i evvel was a military rank of the Ottoman Army. It is translated as Lieutenant General or General . The title means "first Ferik" and was superior to a Ferik and junior only to the Müşir .The title of Birinci Ferik was abolished with Act No...
.
Battle of Kütahya-Eskişehir
Fevzi Çakmak took control of the Army after the Turkish loss in Kütahya-AltıntaşBattle of Afyonkarahisar-Eskisehir
The Battle of Afyonkarahisar–Eskişehir was fought between June 27 and July 10, 1921 when the Greek army defeated the Turkish troops commanded by İsmet Pasha in defence of the line of Kara Hisâr-ı Sahib -Kütahya-Eskişehir...
under İsmet Bey
Ismet Inönü
Mustafa İsmet İnönü was a Turkish Army General, Prime Minister and the second President of Turkey. In 1938, the Republican People's Party gave him the title of "Milli Şef" .-Family and early life:...
(İnönü) and was able to stop the retreat of the Army of Grand National Assembly afterward.
Battle of Sakarya
Before the Battle of SakaryaBattle of Sakarya
The Battle of Sakarya , also known as the Battle of the Sangarios , was an important engagement in the Greco-Turkish War and Turkish War of Independence....
, on August 5, 1921, he resigned as the Minister of War and was appointed the Minister of the Chief of the General Staff.
The Army of Grand National Assembly defeated the Greek forces at the Battle of Sakarya
Battle of Sakarya
The Battle of Sakarya , also known as the Battle of the Sangarios , was an important engagement in the Greco-Turkish War and Turkish War of Independence....
on the outskirts of Ankara.
On July 12, 1922, he resigned as the Prime Minister.
Great Offensive
Fevzi Çakmak and Mustafa KemalMustafa Kemal Atatürk
Mustafa Kemal Atatürk was an Ottoman and Turkish army officer, revolutionary statesman, writer, and the first President of Turkey. He is credited with being the founder of the Republic of Turkey....
planned and commandeered the Battle of Dumlupınar
Battle of Dumlupinar
The Battle of Dumlupınar Muharebesi or Başkumandanlık Meydan Muharebesi; literally "All-out battle of Supreme military commands") was the last battle in the Greco-Turkish War...
. On August 31, 1922, he was promoted to rank of Müşir (Mareşal
Mareşal (Turkey)
Mareşal is the highest rank in the Army of Turkey, the Turkish Armed Forces. It is the equivalent of a Field Marshal in other countries....
) with the recommendation of Mustafa Kemal.
They were and still are the only Field Marshals that the Republic of Turkey has had up till now. So even today, an unspecified nickname Mareşal (Field Marshal
Field Marshal
Field Marshal is a military rank. Traditionally, it is the highest military rank in an army.-Etymology:The origin of the rank of field marshal dates to the early Middle Ages, originally meaning the keeper of the king's horses , from the time of the early Frankish kings.-Usage and hierarchical...
) means Fevzi Çakmak.
Republican era
Musul Offensive Plan
On August 14, 1923, he was elected a deputy from Istanbul.On March 3, 1924, he was appoinrted to the Chief of the General Staff of the Republic of Turkey
Chief of the Turkish General Staff
The General Staff of the Republic of Turkey presides over the Armed Forces of the Republic of Turkey, comprising the Army, Navy and Air Force...
.
İzmir assassination attempt and purge
He quit politics by resigning from the parliament on October 31, 1924.Candidate of Atatürk's successor
According to Hasan Rıza Soyak, who was Atatürk's secretary, Atatürk said to him about his successor, Of course, the right to speak and elect belongs to nation and its representative Grand National Assembly. But I'll state my opinion about this issue. Firstly İsmet Paşa comes to mind; he has performed many great contributions to this country. However, for some reason he seems not to get public sympathy. So he should not be very attractive. And Mareşal Fevzi Çakmak, he has great contributions in this country and also he fared well with everyone, he always has appreciated opinions of owners of authority; he is in a fight with nobody. In this regard, I think he is the most appropriate friend for the Head of State.Death
He died on the morning of April 10, 1950 in his house in TeşvikiyeTesvikiye
Teşvikiye is a neighbourhood of Şişli district in Istanbul, Turkey. According to the 2000 census, population of the neighbourhood is 11,598. It is actually a part of the Nişantaşı quarter, one of the wealthiest quarters of Istanbul.-References:...
His funeral service was held at the Beyazıt and he was laid to rest in Eyüp Sultan Mezarlığı (Eyüp
Eyüp
-External links:* * * * *...
, Istanbul) on April 12, 1950. His family didn't accept to dig up his corpse and his body wasn't transferred to the Turkish State Cemetery
Turkish State Cemetery
Turkish State Cemetery is a national and military cemetery in Ankara, Turkey, containing the graves of the presidents of Turkey and the high-ranked, close companions-in-arms of Mustafa Kemal Atatürk, the founder of the Republic of Turkey, in the Turkish War of Independence.- History :The cemetery...
in Ankara.
He knew French, English, German, Russian, Persian
Persian language
Persian is an Iranian language within the Indo-Iranian branch of the Indo-European languages. It is primarily spoken in Iran, Afghanistan, Tajikistan and countries which historically came under Persian influence...
, Arabic
Arabic language
Arabic is a name applied to the descendants of the Classical Arabic language of the 6th century AD, used most prominently in the Quran, the Islamic Holy Book...
, Albanian
Albanian language
Albanian is an Indo-European language spoken by approximately 7.6 million people, primarily in Albania and Kosovo but also in other areas of the Balkans in which there is an Albanian population, including western Macedonia, southern Montenegro, southern Serbia and northwestern Greece...
, Serbian
Serbian language
Serbian is a form of Serbo-Croatian, a South Slavic language, spoken by Serbs in Serbia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro, Croatia and neighbouring countries....
. He spoke French, translated English and German.
Medals and Decorations
- Imtiyaz MedalImtiyaz MedalThe Imtiyaz Medal / Imtiaz Medal or Nishan-i-Imtiaz was an Ottoman military decoration, instituted in 1882. It was presented in two classes, gold and silver. The gold medal was the highest Ottoman military decoration for gallantry. When awarded during World War I, the medal was worn with a...
in Silver (January 23, 1900) - Order of Medjidie, 5th class (August 22, 1900)
- Order of Osmanieh, 4th class (July 17, 1906)
- Harp MadalyasıGallipoli Star (Ottoman Empire)The Ottoman War Medal , better known as the Gallipoli Star, or the Iron Crescent was a military decoration of the Ottoman Empire which was instituted by the Sultan Mehmed Reshad V on 1 March 1915 for gallantry in battle...
(October 2, 1915) - Silver Medal of Liyaqat (November 18, 1915)
- Iron CrossIron CrossThe Iron Cross is a cross symbol typically in black with a white or silver outline that originated after 1219 when the Kingdom of Jerusalem granted the Teutonic Order the right to combine the Teutonic Black Cross placed above a silver Cross of Jerusalem....
, 2nd class (Germany, December 26, 1915) - Golden Medal of Liyaqat (January 17, 1916)
- War Medal (Germany, October 21, 1916)
- İmtiyaz MedalImtiyaz MedalThe Imtiyaz Medal / Imtiaz Medal or Nishan-i-Imtiaz was an Ottoman military decoration, instituted in 1882. It was presented in two classes, gold and silver. The gold medal was the highest Ottoman military decoration for gallantry. When awarded during World War I, the medal was worn with a...
in Gold (November 11, 1916) - Military Merit CrossMilitary Merit Cross (Austria-Hungary)The Military Merit Cross was a decoration of the Empire of Austria and, after the establishment of the Dual Monarchy in 1867, the Empire of Austria-Hungary. It was first established on October 22, 1849 and underwent several revisions to its design and award criteria over the years of its existence...
, 2nd class (Austria-Hungary, April 3, 1917) - Order of the OsmanîOsminieh OrderThe Order of Osmanieh, Order of Osmanie, Order of Osmania was a military decoration of the Ottoman Empire, created in January 1862 by Sultan Abdulaziz. With the obsolescence of the Nichan Iftikhar , this became the second highest order in the Empire, ranking below the High Order of Honour...
with Swords, 2nd class (September 23, 1917) - Order of the OsmanîOsminieh OrderThe Order of Osmanieh, Order of Osmanie, Order of Osmania was a military decoration of the Ottoman Empire, created in January 1862 by Sultan Abdulaziz. With the obsolescence of the Nichan Iftikhar , this became the second highest order in the Empire, ranking below the High Order of Honour...
with Swords, 1st class (January 7, 1918) - Order of the CrownOrder of the Crown (Württemberg)The Order of the Württemberg Crown was an order of chivalry in Württemberg.-History:First established in 1702 as the St.-Hubertus-Jagdorden , in 1807 it was renamed the "Ritterorden vom Goldenen Adler" by Frederick I, and on 23 September 1818 renewed and restructured by William I as the "Order of...
(Württemberg, June 19, 1918) - Medal of Independence with Red-Green Ribbon (November 21, 1923) & Citation
Works
- Fevzi Çakmak (Mareşal), Garbî Rumeli'nin Suret-i Ziya-ı ve Balkan Harbinde Garp Cephesi Hakkında. Konferanslar, Erkan-ı Harbiye Mektebi Matbaası, İstanbul, 1927.
- Mareşal Fevzi Çakmak, Büyük Harpte Şark Cephesi Hareketleri, Gen.Kur. Basımevi, Ankara, 1936.
Family tree
Books
- Süleyman Külçe, Mareşal Fevzi Çakmak: Askerî Hususî Hayatı, Yeni Asır Matbaası, İzmir, 1946.
- Sinan Omur, Büyük Mareşal Fevzi Çakmak'ın Askerî Dehâsı, Siyasî Hayatı, Sinan Matbaası, İstanbul, 1962.
- Ziya Tütüncü, Mareşal Fevzi Çakmak: büyük milletin, büyük askeri, Milliyetçi Yayınlar, İstanbul, 1968.
- Ali Gümüş, Kahraman Asker Mareşal Fevzi Çakmak, Tercüman Aile ve Kültür Kitaplığı, İstanbul, 1986.
- Veli Yılmaz, Fevzi Çakmak, Kastaş Yayınları, İstanbul, 2006.
- Rahmi Akbaş, Mareşal Fevzi Çakmak: 1876 – 1950, Ötüken Neşriyat, İstanbul, 2008.
Articles
- Adnan Çakmak, "Fevzi Çakmak'ın Hatıraları", Hürriyet GazetesiHürriyet-External links:* * ** * *...
, April 10 – May 20, 1975 (41 volumes).
External links
- General Staff official site
- "Fevzi Çakmak." Encyclopædia Britannica. 2009. Encyclopædia Britannica Online.
- "Fevzi Çakmak Diaries, 1911–1950." Manuscripts Division. 2002. Princeton University Library.
- Mesut Çevikalp, "Mareşal'in gözyaşları", Aksiyon, Sayı: 800, April 5, 2010.
- "Bir telefon bile etmedi. Mareşal Fevzi Çakmak’ın Amerika’daki öz torunu Ahmet Çakmak VATAN’a konuştu", Vatan, April 16, 2010.