The Great Offensive was crowned with victory 103 years ago today
The Great Offensive, the turning point of the National War of Independence led by Commander-in-Chief Mustafa Kemal Pasha, concluded in victory 103 years ago today, on August 30, 1922. This great victory paved the way for the founding of the Republic of Turkey.
12punto
Following the victory of the Battle of Sakarya, which lasted 22 days and 22 nights, the Turkish Army mobilized for a year to prepare for the final blow that would completely expel the Greek occupation from Anatolia. Deficiencies were addressed with limited resources, and all assets were transferred to the army. Despite impatience in the Parliament, Mustafa Kemal Pasha chose to wait, stating, "An offensive carried out with half-preparation is worse than not attacking at all."
The Great Offensive, directed from Afyon Kocatepe on the morning of August 26, 1922, concluded with a decisive Turkish victory on August 30. Mustafa Kemal Pasha's order to the retreating Greek army, "Armies, your first target is the Mediterranean, forward!" went down in history. On September 9, the Turkish army entered İzmir, and by September 18, Greek forces had completely abandoned Anatolia.
THE PATH TO THE REPUBLIC
Following the Great Victory, the diplomatic process began. The Treaty of Lausanne was signed on July 24, 1923, and the Republic was proclaimed on October 29, 1923. Mustafa Kemal Atatürk became the first President of Turkey. August 30 began to be celebrated as Victory Day starting in 1924 and became an official national holiday throughout the country after 1926.
NOBEL NOMINATION FROM VENIZELOS TO ATATÜRK
The leaders of the parties that faced each other on the battlefield met at the diplomatic table during the peace period. Greek Prime Minister Eleftherios Venizelos came to Ankara in 1930 and signed the Turkish-Greek Friendship Treaty with Atatürk and İsmet İnönü.
In a letter he wrote to the Nobel Committee in 1934, Venizelos nominated Atatürk for the Nobel Peace Prize. In his letter, he stated, "The fact that Turkey, which was reborn as a respectable nation-state in the aftermath of the Asia Minor Catastrophe, accepted the hand of friendship we sincerely extended, has been the foundation of peace between our peoples. The person who made the most valuable contribution to the establishment of this peace is Mustafa Kemal Pasha."
THE LEGACY OF AUGUST 30
Today, the Great Victory won 103 years ago maintains its place in history not only as a military success but as the foundation of independence, freedom, and the Republic.