79.3 Turkish National Struggle 1919-1922

A History of Europe Key Battles

Carl Rylett

History

4.4 • 756 Ratings

🗓️ 25 October 2025

⏱️ 31 minutes

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Summary

Turkish National Struggle 1919-1922

The Ottoman Empire emerges defeated from World War One. The Entente Allies impose harsh conditions in the armistice whereby the Ottomans lose most of their territory including parts of Anatolia. However, Mustafa Kemal, later known as Ataturk, raises an army to oppose the Allies

Picture: Mustafa Kemal and Turkish soldiers

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Transcript

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0:00.0	Welcome to a history of Europe, the interwar years, the Turkish national struggle of 1919 to 1922, Part 3 At the beginning of 1919, the First World War was over.
0:32.4	The central powers, including the Ottoman Empire, had been defeated, and the armistices,
0:36.5	were signed. I described previously
0:39.9	the agreement made at Mudras by the victorious Allied powers concerning the fate of the Ottoman
0:45.4	Empire. The initial agreement was high level and there was still much detail to be decided.
0:51.5	Nevertheless, the Allies now held in their hands the fate of the Ottoman Empire
0:55.6	and its peoples. Their conquered populations were bewildered and seemed to accept their fate with weary
1:02.0	resignation. At this point, the Allies should have acted quickly and decisively, but instead they
1:10.1	vacillated and played for time.
1:12.8	Nevertheless, the large numbers of Greeks and Turkey were convinced that their time had come.
1:18.2	In Constantinople, they strung blue and white Greek flags from churches
1:22.4	and a gigantic portrait of Venizelos.
1:25.9	The Prime Minister of Greece was erected in Taksim Square.
1:31.8	In July 1918, a new Sultan, Membert de 6 came to the throne after the death of his brother,
1:38.9	Mehmet V. In his late 50s, he held little influence, and his main priority was to maintain the legitimacy of his dynasty and to remain the titular head of the Ottoman Empire.
1:55.0	At the end of the war, the former ruling party, the Committee of Union and Progress, or CUP, was blamed for the empire's defeat.
2:03.6	It was disbanded and its property confiscated.
2:09.0	In this armistice period, there was continued political instability, 12 governments and 7 Prime Ministers, each weaker than the previous one.
2:18.3	When Parliament was dissolved in December 1918, the new administration attempted to take control of the situation.
2:26.3	Any group which might cause trouble or dissent, including nationalists, societies, military and naval associations and university student organisations were dissolved or disbanded.
2:40.0	Unlike the emperors of Germany and Austria-Hungary, the Sultan was able to keep his position,
2:46.0	but more out of his maniability to the Allies than through strength.
	...

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