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Mustafa Fevzi Çakmak (12 January 1876 – 10 April 1950) was a Turkish
field marshal Field marshal (or field-marshal, abbreviated as FM) is the most senior military rank, ordinarily senior to the general officer ranks. Usually, it is the highest rank in an army and as such few persons are appointed to it. It is considered a ...
('' Mareşal'') and politician. He served as the Chief of General Staff from 1918 and 1919 and later the
Minister of War A defence minister or minister of defence is a cabinet official position in charge of a ministry of defense, which regulates the armed forces in sovereign states. The role of a defence minister varies considerably from country to country; in ...
of the
Ottoman Empire The Ottoman Empire, * ; is an archaic version. The definite article forms and were synonymous * and el, Оθωμανική Αυτοκρατορία, Othōmanikē Avtokratoria, label=none * info page on book at Martin Luther University) ...
in 1920. He later joined the provisional
Government of the Grand National Assembly The Government of the Grand National Assembly ( tr, Büyük Millet Meclisi Hükûmeti), self-identified as the State of Turkey () or Turkey (), commonly known as the Ankara Government (),Kemal Kirişci, Gareth M. Winrow: ''The Kurdish Question and ...
and became the
Deputy Prime Minister A deputy prime minister or vice prime minister is, in some countries, a government minister who can take the position of acting prime minister when the prime minister is temporarily absent. The position is often likened to that of a vice president, ...
, Minister of National Defense and later as the
Prime Minister of Turkey The prime minister of the Republic of Turkey (Turkish: ''Türkiye Cumhuriyeti Başbakanı'') was the head of government of the Republic of Turkey from 1920 to 2018, who led a political coalition in the Turkish Parliament and presided over the cab ...
from 1921 to 1922. He was the second
Chief of the General Staff The Chief of the General Staff (CGS) is a post in many armed forces ( militaries), the head of the military staff. List * Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff (United States) * Chief of the General Staff (Abkhazia) * Chief of General Staff ( ...
of the provisional Ankara Government and the first Chief of the General Staff of the
Republic of Turkey Turkey ( tr, Türkiye ), officially the Republic of Türkiye ( tr, Türkiye Cumhuriyeti, links=no ), is a transcontinental country located mainly on the Anatolian Peninsula in Western Asia, with a small portion on the Balkan Peninsula i ...
. Graduating from the War College as a
Staff Staff may refer to: Pole * Staff, a weapon used in stick-fighting ** Quarterstaff, a European pole weapon * Staff of office, a pole that indicates a position * Staff (railway signalling), a token authorizing a locomotive driver to use a particula ...
Captain Captain is a title, an appellative for the commanding officer of a military unit; the supreme leader of a navy ship, merchant ship, aeroplane, spacecraft, or other vessel; or the commander of a port, fire or police department, election precinct, e ...
and assigned to the 4th Department of the General Staff, Mustafa Fevzi participated in numerous battles during the prolonged downfall of the Ottoman Empire, such as the
First Balkan War The First Balkan War ( sr, Први балкански рат, ''Prvi balkanski rat''; bg, Балканска война; el, Αʹ Βαλκανικός πόλεμος; tr, Birinci Balkan Savaşı) lasted from October 1912 to May 1913 and invo ...
and the Battle of Monastir. He was engaged as the Commander of the V Corps throughout the defence of Gallipoli, during which his younger brother was killed in the Battle of Chunuk Bair. He became a
Pasha Pasha, Pacha or Paşa ( ota, پاشا; tr, paşa; sq, Pashë; ar, باشا), in older works sometimes anglicized as bashaw, was a higher rank in the Ottoman political and military system, typically granted to governors, generals, dignita ...
and the Chief of General Staff of the Ottoman Empire after the
First World War World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fig ...
and was appointed as the commander of the First Army Troops Inspectorate in 1919 by Grand Vizier
Ahmet Tevfik Pasha Ahmet Tevfik Pasha ( ota, احمد توفیق پاشا‎; 11 February 1845 – 8 October 1936), later Ahmet Tevfik Okday after the Turkish Surname Law of 1934, was an Ottoman statesman of Crimean Tatar origin. He was the last Grand vizie ...
. After briefly serving as War Minister in 1920, Fevzi left to join the dissident Grand National Assembly in
Ankara Ankara ( , ; ), historically known as Ancyra and Angora, is the capital of Turkey. Located in the central part of Anatolia, the city has a population of 5.1 million in its urban center and over 5.7 million in Ankara Province, mak ...
as a
Member of Parliament A member of parliament (MP) is the representative in parliament of the people who live in their electoral district. In many countries with Bicameralism, bicameral parliaments, this term refers only to members of the lower house since upper house ...
for Kozan. He was appointed as National Defence Minister and Deputy Prime Minister by Mustafa Kemal Paşa in 1920, commanding numerous military successes throughout the
Turkish War of Independence The Turkish War of Independence "War of Liberation", also known figuratively as ''İstiklâl Harbi'' "Independence War" or ''Millî Mücadele'' "National Struggle" (19 May 1919 – 24 July 1923) was a series of military campaigns waged by th ...
, notably during the Battle of Sakarya. He succeeded Mustafa Kemal as Prime Minister in 1921, resigning in 1922 to engage in the successful Battle of Dumlupınar. He was appointed
Field Marshal Field marshal (or field-marshal, abbreviated as FM) is the most senior military rank, ordinarily senior to the general officer ranks. Usually, it is the highest rank in an army and as such few persons are appointed to it. It is considered a ...
( Mareşal) in 1922 at the recommendation of Mustafa Kemal. He had succeeded
İsmet İnönü Mustafa İsmet İnönü (; 24 September 1884 – 25 December 1973) was a Turkish army officer and statesman of Kurdish descent, who served as the second President of Turkey from 11 November 1938 to 22 May 1950, and its Prime Minister three ti ...
as the Chief of General Staff in August 1921 and continued serving after the Turkish Republic was declared in 1923. Adopting the surname 'Çakmak', he was a candidate to succeed
Mustafa Kemal Atatürk Mustafa Kemal Atatürk, or Mustafa Kemal Pasha until 1921, and Ghazi Mustafa Kemal from 1921 until 1934 ( 1881 – 10 November 1938) was a Turkish field marshal, revolutionary statesman, author, and the founding father of the Rep ...
as the
President of Turkey The president of Turkey, officially the president of the Republic of Türkiye ( tr, Türkiye Cumhuriyeti Cumhurbaşkanı), is the head of state and head of government of Turkey. The president directs the executive branch of the national governm ...
after Atatürk's death in 1938, but stood down in favour of İnönü. He continued to serve as Chief of General Staff until 1944, after which he became a Member of Parliament for
Istanbul Istanbul ( , ; tr, İstanbul ), formerly known as Constantinople ( grc-gre, Κωνσταντινούπολις; la, Constantinopolis), is the List of largest cities and towns in Turkey, largest city in Turkey, serving as the country's economic, ...
from the Democrat Party. He later resigned from the Democrats and co-founded the Nation Party headed by
Osman Bölükbaşı Osman Bölükbaşı (1913 – February 6, 2002) was a Turkish politician and political party leader. Early life He was born at Hasanlar village of the former Mucur district in 1913. He completed his secondary education at the Istanbul High Scho ...
. Fevzi Çakmak remains, alongside Mustafa Kemal Atatürk, as one of the only two field marshals of Turkey.


Biography


Family and schools

Mustafa Fevzi was born on 12 January 1876 in Cihangir (
Istanbul Istanbul ( , ; tr, İstanbul ), formerly known as Constantinople ( grc-gre, Κωνσταντινούπολις; la, Constantinopolis), is the List of largest cities and towns in Turkey, largest city in Turkey, serving as the country's economic, ...
,
Ottoman Empire The Ottoman Empire, * ; is an archaic version. The definite article forms and were synonymous * and el, Оθωμανική Αυτοκρατορία, Othōmanikē Avtokratoria, label=none * info page on book at Martin Luther University) ...
) His family is of
Turkish Turkish may refer to: *a Turkic language spoken by the Turks * of or about Turkey ** Turkish language *** Turkish alphabet ** Turkish people, a Turkic ethnic group and nation *** Turkish citizen, a citizen of Turkey *** Turkish communities and mi ...
origin. Their ancestors came to Istanbul from
Balıkesir Balıkesir () is a city in Turkey and is the capital city of Balıkesir Province. Balıkesir is located in the Marmara region of Turkey and has a population of 338,936. Between 1341–1922, it was the capital of Karasi. History Close to ...
, Çakmak. to mother Hesna Hanım, daughter of Varnalı Hacı Bekir Efendi, who was the youngest son of Ömer Ağa, and father Ali Sırrı Efendi, who was the son of Çakmakoğlu Hüseyin Derviş Kaptan. Ali Sırrı Efendi had served for Tophane (Arsenal) as secretary. In 1879 Ali Sırrı Bey was appointed to Black Sea Artillery Regiment (''Karadeniz Topçu Alayı'') at Rumeli Kavağı, and the family moved there. Thus, Fevzi's name in the Army became "Kavaklı Fevzi Pasha".Hayrullah Gök, ''Mareşal Fevzi Çakmak'ın askerî ve siyasî faaliyetleri, 1876–1950'', p. 3. He studied at Sadık Hoca Mektebi in Rumeli Kavağı between 1882 and 1884. He continued to study at Tedrisiye-i Haybiye Mektebi in
Sarıyer Sarıyer () is the northernmost district of Istanbul, Turkey, on the European side of the city. It consists of the neighbourhoods of Rumelifeneri, Tarabya, Yeniköy, İstinye, Emirgan and Rumelihisarı. Sarıyer also administers the Black Sea ...
between 1884 and 1886, at Salonica Military School (''Selânik Askerî Rüşdiyesi'' ) between 1886 and 1887, at Soğukçeşme Askerî Rüşdiyesi between 1887 and 1890. He learned
Arabic Arabic (, ' ; , ' or ) is a Semitic language spoken primarily across the Arab world.Semitic languages: an international handbook / edited by Stefan Weninger; in collaboration with Geoffrey Khan, Michael P. Streck, Janet C. E.Watson; Walte ...
and Persian languages from his grandfather Hacı Bekir Efendi, who had studied in
Egypt Egypt ( ar, مصر , ), officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, is a transcontinental country spanning the northeast corner of Africa and southwest corner of Asia via a land bridge formed by the Sinai Peninsula. It is bordered by the Med ...
and
Baghdad Baghdad (; ar, بَغْدَاد , ) is the capital of Iraq and the second-largest city in the Arab world after Cairo. It is located on the Tigris near the ruins of the ancient city of Babylon and the Sassanid Persian capital of Ctesipho ...
and was one of the prominent intelligentsia at the time. He continued to
Kuleli Military High School Kuleli Military High School was the oldest military high school in Turkey, located in Çengelköy, Istanbul, on the Asian shore of the Bosphorus strait. It was founded on September 21, 1845, by Ottoman Sultan Abdülmecid I. After the 2016 Turki ...
(''Kuleli Askerî İdadisi'') between 1890 and 1893. After graduating from the Kuleli military high school, he entered
Ottoman Military College The Ottoman Military College or Imperial Military Staff College or Ottoman Army War College ( ota, مكتب اركان حربيه شاهانه, Mekteb-i Erkân-ı Harbiyye-i Şâhâne or اركان حربيه مكتب, romanized: ''Erkân-ı Har ...
on 29 April 1893. He completed the military school as the seventh of the class on 28 January 1896 and joined the Ottoman military as an infantryman where he saw combat during the 1897 Greco-Turkish War.
Second Lieutenant Second lieutenant is a junior commissioned officer military rank in many armed forces, comparable to NATO OF-1 rank. Australia The rank of second lieutenant existed in the military forces of the Australian colonies and Australian Army until 1 ...
(''Mülâzım-ı Sani'').T.C. Genelkurmay Harp Tarihi Başkanlığı Yayınları, ''Türk İstiklâl Harbine Katılan Tümen ve Daha Üst Kademelerdeki Komutanların Biyografileri'', Genelkurmay Başkanlığı Basımevi, Ankara, 1972, p. 52. On 28 January 1898, he entered the Imperial War Academy and on 16 March 1897, he was promoted to the rank of first lieutenant. On 25 December 1898, he graduated from Academy as a staff captain and was assigned to the 4th department of the General Staff.Genelkurmay, ''Türk İstiklâl Harbine Katılan Tümen ve Daha Üst Kademelerdeki Komutanların Biyografileri'', p. 53.


Western Rumelia

On 11 April 1899, he became the staff officer of 18th Regular Division under the command of Şemsi Pasha at Metroviça (present day Mitrovica) of the Third Army. He studied
Serbian Serbian may refer to: * someone or something related to Serbia, a country in Southeastern Europe * someone or something related to the Serbs, a South Slavic people * Serbian language * Serbian names See also

* * * Old Serbian (disambiguat ...
, Bulgarian, Albanian languages to read their newspapers for collecting information. On 20 April 1900, he was promoted to the rank of
Kolağası ''Kolağası'' (also written as ''Kol Ağası'', ''Kol Aghasi'') was a military rank of the Ottoman Army. It corresponds to a Senior Captain (modern Turkish: ''Kıdemli Yüzbaşı'') or an Adjutant Major. Erik Jan Zürcher, ''The Unionist Factor ...
, on 20 April 1902, Major (''Binbaşı''), on 19 July 1906, Lieutenant Colonel (''Kaymakam'') and on 17 December 1907, Miralay. According to some researchers, he was in contact with
Committee of Union and Progress The Committee of Union and Progress (CUP) ( ota, اتحاد و ترقى جمعيتی, translit=İttihad ve Terakki Cemiyeti, script=Arab), later the Union and Progress Party ( ota, اتحاد و ترقى فرقه‌سی, translit=İttihad ve Tera ...
and elected the member of the secret board of directors of the Metroviça branch of the committee. On 3 July 1908, Senior Captain
Ahmed Niyazi Bey Ahmed Niyazi Bey (1873 – 1913) ( tr, Resneli Niyazi Bey, Ahmet Niyazi Bey; sq, Ahmet Njazi Bej Resnja; "Ahmet Niyazi Bey from Resen") was an Ottoman revolutionary, who was the bey of the Resne (now Resen, North Macedonia) area in the late 19 ...
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 then Second Lieutenant Bigalı Atıf Bey. On 19 August 1909, he was demoted to major, because of the Law for the Purge of Military Ranks. On 29 December 1908 he was appointed as governor and commander of Taşlıca (present day
Pljevlja Pljevlja ( srp, Пљевља, ) is a town and the center of Pljevlja Municipality located in the northern part of Montenegro. The town lies at an altitude of . In the Middle Ages, Pljevlja had been a crossroad of the important commercial roads an ...
), and at the same time, the commander of the 35th Brigade . On 15 January 1910, he was temporarily assigned to the headquarters of the Kosovo Provisional Corps, on 29 September, he was promoted to the rank of lieutenant colonel and on 27 July, became the chief of staff of the same corps. On 15 January 1911, he was assigned to the 4th department of the General Staff. On 2 October 1911, when he was staying in İşkodra (present day:
Shkodër Shkodër ( , ; sq-definite, Shkodra) is the fifth-most-populous city of the Republic of Albania and the seat of Shkodër County and Shkodër Municipality. The city sprawls across the Plain of Mbishkodra between the southern part of Lake Sh ...
), because
Italo-Turkish War The Italo-Turkish or Turco-Italian War ( tr, Trablusgarp Savaşı, "Tripolitanian War", it, Guerra di Libia, "War of Libya") was fought between the Kingdom of Italy and the Ottoman Empire from 29 September 1911, to 18 October 1912. As a result ...
(29 September 1911 – 18 October 1912) broke out, he was assigned to the Western Army that was formed for the defense of
Western Rumelia Rumelia ( ota, روم ايلى, Rum İli; tr, Rumeli; el, Ρωμυλία), etymologically "Land of the Romans", at the time meaning Eastern Orthodox Christians and more specifically Christians from the Byzantine rite, was the name of a histo ...
under the command of Birinci Ferik Ali Rıza Pasha. On 6 October, he was appointed governor of İpek Sancağı (present day District of Peja). On 19 October, he went back to Istanbul to continue his task at the 4th department of the General Staff. On 11 February 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 Albania ( ; sq, Shqipëri or ), or , also or . officially the Republic of Albania ( sq, Republika e Shqipërisë), is a country in Southeastern Europe. It is located on the Adriatic The Adriatic Sea () is a body of water separating the ...
and three
vilayet A vilayet ( ota, , "province"), also known by #Names, various other names, was a first-order administrative division of the later Ottoman Empire. It was introduced in the Vilayet Law of 21 January 1867, part of the Tanzimat reform movement init ...
(
Salonica Thessaloniki (; el, Θεσσαλονίκη, , also known as Thessalonica (), Saloniki, or Salonica (), is the second-largest city in Greece, with over one million inhabitants in its metropolitan area, and the capital of the geographic region ...
, Monastir, Kosova). 9 May, he was appointed to a secretariat formed in the Sadaret and on 3 July, to the deputy commander of the 21st Infantry Division at Yakova (now
Gjakova Gjakova, ) and Đakovica ( sr-Cyrl, Ђаковица, ) is the seventh largest city of Kosovo and seat of Gjakova Municipality and Gjakova District. The city has 40,827 inhabitants, while the municipality has 94,556 inhabitants. Geographically ...
), on 6 August, to the staff of the General Forces of Kosovo .Genelkurmay, ''Türk İstiklâl Harbine Katılan Tümen ve Daha Üst Kademelerdeki Komutanların Biyografileri'', p. 54.


Balkan Wars

On 29 September 1912, he was appointed to the chief of the 1st department (chief of operations) of the Vardar Army under the command of Ferik Halepli Zeki Pasha, formed within the Western Army. During the
First Balkan War The First Balkan War ( sr, Први балкански рат, ''Prvi balkanski rat''; bg, Балканска война; el, Αʹ Βαλκανικός πόλεμος; tr, Birinci Balkan Savaşı) lasted from October 1912 to May 1913 and invo ...
(8 October 1912 – 30 May 1913), after the defeat at the
Battle of Kumanovo The Battle of Kumanovo ( sr, / , tr, Kumanova Muharebesi), 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 the Kosovo Vilayet, shortly after the outbreak of t ...
( 23–24 October 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.Edward J. Erickson, ''Defeat in Detail: The Ottoman Army in the Balkans, 1912–1913'', Praeger, 2003, , p. 183. 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 (; mk, Битола ) is a city in the southwestern part of North Macedonia. It is located in the southern part of the Pelagonia valley, surrounded by the Baba (North Macedonia), Baba, Nidže, and Kajmakčalan mountain ranges, north of th ...
) area. The Vardar Army retreated to Monastir. On 16 November, during the Battle of Monastir ( 16–19 November 1912), his younger brother Muhtar Efendi was killed in action at the heights of Oblakovo, northwest of Bitola.Nilüfer Hatemi, ''Günlükleri'', I. Cilt., p. 191. 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 10 May, because Colonel Ibrahim Halil Bey (Sedes), who was the chief of staff of the Vardar Army, went to Istanbul, and Fevzi was deputized the chief of staff. On 19 June, the headquarters of the Vardar Army evacuated from the pier on the Seman aboard the steamships ''Karadeniz'' and ''Gülcemal'' and arrived at Istanbul on 22 June. Fevzi wrote: On 2 August 1913, he was appointed to the commander of the Ankara Reserve Division, on 6 November, to the commander of the 2nd Infantry Division and on 24 November, he was promoted to the rank of colonel.


World War I

On 22 December 1913, he was appointed to the commander of the V Corps. His corps engaged in the defense of Gallipoli. On 2 March 1915, he was promoted to the rank of
Mirliva ''Mirliva'' or ''Mîr-i livâ'' was a military rank of the Ottoman Army and Navy. It corresponds to a brigadier general ( modern Turkish: ''Tuğgeneral'') in the modern Turkish Army. ''Mirliva'' is a compound word composed of '' Mir'' (command ...
. He arrived at the Gallipoli Front on 13 July and command his corps in battles of Achi Baba (''İkinci Kerevizdere Muharebesi'') and Sari Bair. On 8 August, his younger brother, the
commander Commander (commonly abbreviated as Cmdr.) is a common naval officer rank. Commander is also used as a rank or title in other formal organizations, including several police forces. In several countries this naval rank is termed frigate captain ...
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.Kemal Arı
"Mülâzım-ı Evvel Mehmed Nazif Efendi'nin Conkbayırı'nda Şehit Düşüşü ve Buna İlişkin Mustafa Kemal (Atatürk)'in Bir Mektubu"
, Türk Tarih Kurumu, ''Belleten'', LVIII/222 (Ağustos, 1994), pp. 451–459.
On 6 December 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 7 September 1916, to the commander of II Caucasian Corps, which consisted of the 5th, 11th and 37th Caucasian divisions. On 5 July 1917, he was appointed to the commander of the Second Army at Diyarbekir. On 9 October 1917, he was assigned to the command of the Seventh Army at the Sinai and Palestine Front and he remained in Aleppo until 18 October and began to move his headquarters forward to Halilürrahman and arrived there on 23 October.Edward J. Erickson, ''Ottoman Army Effectiveness in World War I: A comparative study'', Routledge, 2007, , p. 115.
Erich von Falkenhayn General Erich Georg Sebastian Anton von Falkenhayn (11 September 1861 – 8 April 1922) was the second Chief of the German General Staff of the First World War from September 1914 until 29 August 1916. He was removed on 29 August 1916 after t ...
gave Fevzi control of
Beersheba Beersheba or Beer Sheva, officially Be'er-Sheva ( he, בְּאֵר שֶׁבַע, ''Bəʾēr Ševaʿ'', ; ar, بئر السبع, Biʾr as-Sabʿ, Well of the Oath or Well of the Seven), is the largest city in the Negev desert of southern Israel. ...
and the eastern half of the Palestine Front on 28 October. But Falkenhayn gave an alternate set of orders on the same day, giving command of all units on the Sinai Front to Kress von Kressenstein until the new command arrangements would become functionalErickson, ''Ottoman Army Effectiveness in World War I: A comparative study'', p. 120. On 15 February 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 28 July 1918, he was promoted to the rank of Ferik. But in August 1918 he fell ill and went to Istanbul to get medical treatment. After World War I, on 24 December 1918, Fevzi Pasha was appointed to the Chief of the General Staff of the Ottoman Empire. In April 1919, he met with
Şevket Turgut Pasha Shevket Turgut Pasha ( tr, Şevket Turgut Paşa; 1857–1924) was an Ottoman army general with the rank of ''mirliva'' (major general), who also held the governmental title of ''pasha'' (lord). He went to the Prussian military school. Biography ...
,
Cevat Pasha Cevat is a given name. Notable people with the name include: * Cevat Rıfat Atilhan (1892–1967), Turkish career officer, antisemitic writer, initiator of the 1934 Thrace pogroms * Cevat Çobanlı (1870–1938), military commander of the Ottoman ...
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 30 April 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 14 May 1919, he was appointed to the commander of the Inspector of the 1st Army Troops Inspectorate (''Birinci Ordu Kıt'aatı Müfettişi''). On 3 November, he assigned to the task in ''Heyet-i Nasîha'' and on 31 December, he was appointed to the member of the Military Council (''Askerî Şûra''). He became the Minister of War of Ali Rıza Pasha Cabinet (3 February – 3 March 1920) and Salih Pasha Cabinet (8 March – 2 April 1920).


War of Independence

After the resignation of Salih Pasha Cabinet, he went to
Anatolia Anatolia, tr, Anadolu Yarımadası), and the Anatolian plateau, also known as Asia Minor, is a large peninsula in Western Asia and the westernmost protrusion of the Asian continent. It constitutes the major part of modern-day Turkey. The r ...
to participate in the national movement arriving at
Ankara Ankara ( , ; ), historically known as Ancyra and Angora, is the capital of Turkey. Located in the central part of Anatolia, the city has a population of 5.1 million in its urban center and over 5.7 million in Ankara Province, mak ...
on 27 April 1920. On 3 May, 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.Genelkurmay, ''Türk İstiklâl Harbine Katılan Tümen ve Daha Üst Kademelerdeki Komutanların Biyografileri'', p. 55. The Ottoman Military Court declared a death sentence for him, in absentia. This sentence was published in ''
Takvim-i Vakayi ''Takvim-i Vekayi'' ( ota, تقویم وقایع, meaning "Calendar of Events") was the first fully Turkish language newspaper. It was launched in 1831 by Sultan Mahmud II, taking over from the '' Moniteur ottoman'' as the Official Gazette of the ...
'' newspaper on 30 May 1920. He became one of the founders of the "Official"
Communist Party A communist party is a political party that seeks to realize the socio-economic goals of communism. The term ''communist party'' was popularized by the title of '' The Manifesto of the Communist Party'' (1848) by Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels. ...
established on 18 October 1920. On 9 November, 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 24 January 1921, in addition to his other tasks, he became Prime Minister (''Heyet-i Vekile Riyaseti'') and on 3 April, he was promoted to Birinci Ferik.


Battle of Kütahya-Eskişehir

Fevzi Çakmak took control of the Army after the Turkish loss in Kütahya-Altıntaş under İsmet Bey (İnönü) and was able to stop the retreat of the Army of Grand National Assembly afterward.


Battle of Sakarya

Before the Battle of Sakarya, on 5 August 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 Ankara ( , ; ), historically known as Ancyra and Angora, is the capital of Turkey. Located in the central part of Anatolia, the city has a population of 5.1 million in its urban center and over 5.7 million in Ankara Province, mak ...
. On 12 July 1922, he resigned as the Prime Minister.


Great Offensive

Fevzi Çakmak and Mustafa Kemal planned and commandeered the Battle of Dumlupınar. On 31 August 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 Turkey ( tr, Türkiye ), officially the Republic of Türkiye ( tr, Türkiye Cumhuriyeti, links=no ), is a transcontinental country located mainly on the Anatolian Peninsula in Western Asia, with a small portion on the Balkan Peninsula i ...
has had up till now. So even today, an unspecified nickname ''Mareşal'' (
Field Marshal Field marshal (or field-marshal, abbreviated as FM) is the most senior military rank, ordinarily senior to the general officer ranks. Usually, it is the highest rank in an army and as such few persons are appointed to it. It is considered a ...
) means Fevzi Çakmak.


Republican era


Musul offensive plan

On 14 August 1923, he was elected a deputy from Istanbul. On 3 March 1924, he was appointed as the Chief of the General Staff of the Republic of Turkey. He quit politics by resigning from the parliament on 31 October 1924.


Member of the Reform Council in the East

In September 1925, after the suppression of the Sheikh Said rebellion, he was a member of the Reform Council of the East () which delivered the Report for Reform in the East (), which recommended the suppression of the Kurdish elite and establishment of Inspectorates-General that where governed by
Martial Law Martial law is the imposition of direct military control of normal civil functions or suspension of civil law by a government, especially in response to an emergency where civil forces are overwhelmed, or in an occupied territory. Use Marti ...
Following this report, three of such Inspectorates–General were established in the Kurdish areas.


Views on Kurds

In 1930, he complained that the Kurds would still demand their right for self-determination like it was described in the
Fourteen Points U.S. President Woodrow Wilson The Fourteen Points was a statement of principles for peace that was to be used for peace negotiations in order to end World War I. The principles were outlined in a January 8, 1918 speech on war aims and peace ter ...
provided by US president
Woodrow Wilson Thomas Woodrow Wilson (December 28, 1856February 3, 1924) was an American politician and academic who served as the 28th president of the United States from 1913 to 1921. A member of the Democratic Party, Wilson served as the president of P ...
following the end of
World War I World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was List of wars and anthropogenic disasters by death toll, one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, ...
, and demanded the exclusion of any member of Kurdish race from the administration in
Erzincan Erzincan (; ku, Erzîngan), historically Yerznka ( hy, Երզնկա), is the capital of Erzincan Province in Eastern Turkey. Nearby cities include Erzurum, Sivas, Tunceli, Bingöl, Elazığ, Malatya, Gümüşhane, Bayburt, and Giresun. The ...
.


Candidate to be Atatürk's successor

His name was mentioned as a possible successor of Atatürk and as a Turkish war hero he was very respected amongst the Turkish political and civil society. But he denied his interest of becoming president mentioning Ismet Inönü as the official candidate. He retired on 12 January 1944.


Death

He died on the morning of 10 April 1950 in his house in Teşvikiye. His funeral service was held at the Beyazıt and he was laid to rest in
Eyüp Cemetery The Eyüp Cemetery ( tr, Eyüp Mezarlığı), aka Eyüp Sultan Cemetery, is a historic burial ground located in the Eyüp district, on the European side of Istanbul, Turkey. It is administered by the General Directorate of Foundations. One of th ...
, Istanbul, on 12 April 1950. His family rejected an effort to exhume his body and effect a transfer to Turkish State Cemetery in Ankara. He knew French, English, German, Russian, Persian,
Arabic Arabic (, ' ; , ' or ) is a Semitic language spoken primarily across the Arab world.Semitic languages: an international handbook / edited by Stefan Weninger; in collaboration with Geoffrey Khan, Michael P. Streck, Janet C. E.Watson; Walte ...
, Albanian, and Bosnian. He spoke French and translated English and German.Hayrullah Gök, ''Mareşal Fevzi Çakmak'ın askerî ve siyasî faaliyetleri, 1876–1950'', appendix: 25, İstanbul Milletvekili Seçilen Fevzi Paşa için tanzim edilen tutanak.


Medals and decorations

*
Imtiyaz Medal The Imtiyaz Medal / Imtiaz Medal ( tr, İmtiyaz Madalyası) 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 a ...
in Silver (23 January 1900) *
Order of Medjidie Order of the Medjidie ( ota, نشانِ مجیدی, August 29, 1852 – 1922) is a military and civilian order of the Ottoman Empire. The Order was instituted in 1851 by Sultan Abdulmejid I. History Instituted in 1851, the Order was awarded in f ...
, 5th class (22 August 1900) *
Order of Osmanieh The Order of Osmanieh or Order of Osmaniye ( ota, نشانِ عثمانیہ) was a civil and military decoration of the Ottoman Empire. History The order was created in January 1862 by Sultan Abdülaziz. With the obsolescence of the Nişan-i Ift ...
, 4th class (17 July 1906) * Harp Madalyası (2 October 1915) *Silver (18 November 1915) *
Iron Cross The Iron Cross (german: link=no, Eisernes Kreuz, , abbreviated EK) was a military decoration in the Kingdom of Prussia, and later in the German Empire (1871–1918) and Nazi Germany (1933–1945). King Frederick William III of Prussia e ...
, 2nd class (Germany, 26 December 1915) *Gold Liakat Medal (17 January 1916) *War Medal (Germany, 21 October 1916) * İmtiyaz Medal in Gold (11 November 1916) * Military Merit Cross, 2nd class (Austria-Hungary, 3 April 1917) * Order of the Osmanî with Swords, 2nd class (23 September 1917) * Order of the Osmanî with Swords, 1st class (7 January 1918) * Order of the Crown (Württemberg, 19 June 1918) * Medal of Independence with Red-Green Ribbon (21 November 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


See also

*
List of high-ranking commanders of the Turkish War of Independence This list includes high-ranking commanders who took part in the Turkish War of Independence: See also * Turkish State Cemetery#Burials * List of recipients of the Medal of Independence with Red-Green Ribbon (Turkey) Footnotes References ...


References


Further reading


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 Gazetesi'', 10 April – 20 May 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, 5 April 2010.
"Bir telefon bile etmedi. Mareşal Fevzi Çakmak’ın Amerika’daki öz torunu Ahmet Çakmak VATAN’a konuştu"
''Vatan'', 16 April 2010. * {{DEFAULTSORT:Cakmak, Fevzi 1876 births 1950 deaths 20th-century prime ministers of Turkey Military personnel from Istanbul Kuleli Military High School alumni Ottoman Military Academy alumni Ottoman Military College alumni Ottoman Army generals Ottoman military personnel of the Italo-Turkish War Ottoman military personnel of the Balkan Wars Ottoman military personnel of World War I Turks from the Ottoman Empire Turkish Army generals Chiefs of the Turkish General Staff Turkish military personnel of the Turkish War of Independence Turkish military personnel of the Greco-Turkish War (1919–1922) Field marshals of Turkey Government ministers of Turkey Ministers of National Defence of Turkey Recipients of the Order of the Medjidie, 5th class Recipients of the Gold Imtiyaz Medal Recipients of the Gold Liakat Medal Recipients of the Iron Cross (1914), 2nd class Recipients of the Medal of Independence with Red-Green Ribbon (Turkey) Deputies of Istanbul Burials at Eyüp Cemetery People of the Dersim rebellion Members of the 1st government of Turkey Nation Party (Turkey, 1948) politicians