Part 14 Goodnight Kemal this world shall never change...
Greek controlled Western Anatolia, September 10th, 1921 (old calendar)/ September 23rd, 1921 (new calendar)
Painstaking effort had been taken to coordinate the disparate Kuva-yi Milliye partisans all over the Greek controlled zone. The order was simple, launch a general attack against the Greek occupation army no matter the possible cost. Massed attacks were launched against Greek troop and the local Greek and Armenian populations. After the initial surprise the Greeks start methodically taking back control of the situation, over the last 2 years of fighting the partisans had taken significant casualties while many had joined the Turkish regular forces. Still despite often crippling losses the partisans achieved at least partly their goal, as the over 108,000 Greek troops covering Greek rear areas were tied down by the attacks and the supply lines east cut in several occasions. But any hopes the Greeks would move troops from the Smyrna Army Corps, which was being in general reserve to deal with the attacks would proved fruitless as Paraskeuopoulos quickly issued orders for them to stay put.
Halys/Kizilirmak river, September 12th, 1921 (old calendar)/ September 25th, 1921 (new calendar)
Nearly 71,000 troops under Mustafa Kemal's personal command struck over the Halys. For once the Turks had numerical superiority, Kemal had striped the east and Cilicia of troops to rebuild the Western front one last time. Opposite him he had the four divisions of the Greek B Corps under general Pierrakos Mauromichalis had a bit fewer than 57,000 men with three divisions dug along the Halys and the Crete division held in reserve. Kemal concentrated his main effort against lt general Nikolaos Trikoupis III infantry division, careful reconnaissance before the battle had noticed that unlike the sectors of the other two divisions for reasons that would become the subject of heated debate postwar, Trikoupis had failed to properly fortify his sector. [1] Under the pressure the III division start giving ground.
Ankara, September 18th, 1921 (old calendar)/ October 1st, 1921 (new calendar)
Things had been touch and go for the past six days. Quick intervention by the Crete division had saved the III division from collapse which could have had drastically bad consequences for the Greeks. Mauromichalis had still been forced to pull back from his position on the Halys and in the fighting that followed he had been pushed back several kilometres and losing nearly 5,500 men in exchange for slightly over 3,500. The price had been steep but his corps was still fighting and unlike Kemal the Greeks had reserves. Reserves that now have had time to redeploy. The Greek Smyrna Corps, three infantry and a cavalry division, 46.000 men in total entered the fray. One more division, the II infantry was marching towards the fight from Konya.
Halys/Kizilirmak river, September 26th, 1921 (old calendar)/ October 9th, 1921 (new calendar)
Kemal's troops had been pushed back to the east of the river by the Greek counterattack in eight days of fighting. Their casualties by now were in excess of 9,000 men, the Greeks had also suffered over 8,000 but by now had over 108,000 men on the Halys, while on the Turkish side desertions were becoming endemic again. Behind the Greek lines Kuva-yi Milliye had suffered grievously from coming out on the open to attack the Greeks. It looked as if Kemal had launched his last bolt. It had come close, but not close enough
Constantinople, September 30th, 1921 (old calendar)/ October 13th, 1921 (new calendar)
The Greek Serres division, the first formed by the government on National Defence during the world war, marched into Constantinople while the allies announced that Georgios Kafantaris would become allied high commissioner, presiding over the high commissioners, Britain, France, Italy anf Greece already had in Constantinople ad they considered article 36 of the treaty of Sevres to be in effect due to the continued Turkish resistance.
It was the end result of a diplomatic fight waged by Venizelos at the same time Greek and Turkish troops were bleeding on the battlefields of Anatolia. His argument was simple, it was well past time to activate article 36 of the treaty of Sevres and eject the sultan's government from the queen of cities given continued Turkish resistance. The British had been quick to agree, there were people within the administration, Lloyd George and Harold Nicholson in particular, who were suggesting outright annexation of the European side of Constantinople to Greece, Venizelos was actually more moderate than this. The French had been more reluctant but had no reason to alienate a loyal ally when said ally was winning and they stood to gain. The Italians had obviously been a more problematic prospect, at the same time they were reinforcing their army in Anatolia they were sheltering Turkish partisans during the recent offensive. But Giovanni Giolitti and his foreign minister count Carlo Sforza had not been replaced by a new ministry under Ivanoe Bonomi and the new minister was more open towards rapprochement with Britain. Venizelos had struck a deal agreeing to support the Italian hold in Caria in the new peace conference all expected in exchange for Italian support. Turkish nationalists had inadvertently helped when Damat Ferid pasha had been assassinated by a pair of CUP associated junior officers a week earlier after persistent rumours had circulated that he was about to become grand vizier.
Sivas, October 15th, 1921
Tan, Ali Şükrü Bey's paper and de facto voice of the opposition "Third Group", was up in arms openly questioning Kemal's leadership and where the war was leading following the entry of Greek troops to Constantinople the installation of a Greek high commissioner and the activation of article 36. The number of representatives opposing Kemal's leadership rose sharply, as the Monarchists and the Islamists within the Assembly now found common ground against him. Kemal and his supporters had not taken kindly to it. The same day Ali Şükrü Bey disappeared.
Sivas, October 20th, 1921
Henry Franklin-Bouillon reached Sivas to find the Grand National Assembly in chaos. Two days earlier the dead body of Ali Şükrü Bey had been found with the opposition blaming Kemal's Laz bodyguards for the assassination [2] and of Kemal trying to eliminate all opposition given the questionable circumstances of Enver pasha's death. By nw the situation was verging close to open fighting between rival factions. Franklin-Bouillon helped only exacerbate things as he brought the message of the French government. The carrot was that France was offering her good services over signing an armistice ans on her part was willing to adhere to the March treaty which the assembly had rejected. The stick was that otherwise the French army would resume operations against Turkey, Gouraud was much more entusiastic over French military prospects now that Syria was mostly pacified and most of the Turkish army in Cilicia was gone.
Sivas, October 25th, 1921
Even Mustafa Kemal had been forced to accept that continuing the war, with the Grand National Assembly almost on the verge of civil war and the army melting away from desertions was not practical. Whether it had been the entry of Greek troops in Constantinople of Franklin-Bouillon's not quite ultimatum would remain an open question for discussion but the result was the same, as the Grand National Assembly signed an armistice bringing the fight to an end, with Franklin-Bouillon hastily authorized to sign on behalf of Britain and Greece as well.
The question of Kemal himself remained. He could not quite remain speaker of the assembly and de facto head of the government. He could not just be removed from power either, given the support he still commanded and legitimate fears about his life, after all Turkish politics were turning into a blood sport the past few months. Finally his own lieutenants Rauf Orbay, recently released from Malta by the British is exchange for a number of British prisoners of war, and Kazim Karabekir had devised a compromise to ease him out of power. Kemal would head the Turkish delegation at the peace conference in Paris. Back in Anatolia the negotiations to unite the government of the Grand National Assably with the Ottoman one begun. It was understood by all involved that in effect the Ottoman government would be absorbed by that of the assembly. After all two thirds of the Ottoman parliament has actually joined the assembly...
[1] Yes I'm shamelessly stealing from Trikoupis failures in OTL August 1922. Only here he's still a division commander the only one common both before and after the November elections.
[2] In OTL Topal Osman was used as a scapegoat for Ali Şükrü Bey's assassination in 1922 but there is probably little doubt at who had ordered the assassination. TTL Topal had a much deserved appointment with an 9.2 inch shell at Samsun but Sivas in late 1921 is not exactly short of people who'd follow orders to take out a "traitor" no questions asked.
Painstaking effort had been taken to coordinate the disparate Kuva-yi Milliye partisans all over the Greek controlled zone. The order was simple, launch a general attack against the Greek occupation army no matter the possible cost. Massed attacks were launched against Greek troop and the local Greek and Armenian populations. After the initial surprise the Greeks start methodically taking back control of the situation, over the last 2 years of fighting the partisans had taken significant casualties while many had joined the Turkish regular forces. Still despite often crippling losses the partisans achieved at least partly their goal, as the over 108,000 Greek troops covering Greek rear areas were tied down by the attacks and the supply lines east cut in several occasions. But any hopes the Greeks would move troops from the Smyrna Army Corps, which was being in general reserve to deal with the attacks would proved fruitless as Paraskeuopoulos quickly issued orders for them to stay put.
Halys/Kizilirmak river, September 12th, 1921 (old calendar)/ September 25th, 1921 (new calendar)
Nearly 71,000 troops under Mustafa Kemal's personal command struck over the Halys. For once the Turks had numerical superiority, Kemal had striped the east and Cilicia of troops to rebuild the Western front one last time. Opposite him he had the four divisions of the Greek B Corps under general Pierrakos Mauromichalis had a bit fewer than 57,000 men with three divisions dug along the Halys and the Crete division held in reserve. Kemal concentrated his main effort against lt general Nikolaos Trikoupis III infantry division, careful reconnaissance before the battle had noticed that unlike the sectors of the other two divisions for reasons that would become the subject of heated debate postwar, Trikoupis had failed to properly fortify his sector. [1] Under the pressure the III division start giving ground.
Ankara, September 18th, 1921 (old calendar)/ October 1st, 1921 (new calendar)
Things had been touch and go for the past six days. Quick intervention by the Crete division had saved the III division from collapse which could have had drastically bad consequences for the Greeks. Mauromichalis had still been forced to pull back from his position on the Halys and in the fighting that followed he had been pushed back several kilometres and losing nearly 5,500 men in exchange for slightly over 3,500. The price had been steep but his corps was still fighting and unlike Kemal the Greeks had reserves. Reserves that now have had time to redeploy. The Greek Smyrna Corps, three infantry and a cavalry division, 46.000 men in total entered the fray. One more division, the II infantry was marching towards the fight from Konya.
Halys/Kizilirmak river, September 26th, 1921 (old calendar)/ October 9th, 1921 (new calendar)
Kemal's troops had been pushed back to the east of the river by the Greek counterattack in eight days of fighting. Their casualties by now were in excess of 9,000 men, the Greeks had also suffered over 8,000 but by now had over 108,000 men on the Halys, while on the Turkish side desertions were becoming endemic again. Behind the Greek lines Kuva-yi Milliye had suffered grievously from coming out on the open to attack the Greeks. It looked as if Kemal had launched his last bolt. It had come close, but not close enough
Constantinople, September 30th, 1921 (old calendar)/ October 13th, 1921 (new calendar)
The Greek Serres division, the first formed by the government on National Defence during the world war, marched into Constantinople while the allies announced that Georgios Kafantaris would become allied high commissioner, presiding over the high commissioners, Britain, France, Italy anf Greece already had in Constantinople ad they considered article 36 of the treaty of Sevres to be in effect due to the continued Turkish resistance.
It was the end result of a diplomatic fight waged by Venizelos at the same time Greek and Turkish troops were bleeding on the battlefields of Anatolia. His argument was simple, it was well past time to activate article 36 of the treaty of Sevres and eject the sultan's government from the queen of cities given continued Turkish resistance. The British had been quick to agree, there were people within the administration, Lloyd George and Harold Nicholson in particular, who were suggesting outright annexation of the European side of Constantinople to Greece, Venizelos was actually more moderate than this. The French had been more reluctant but had no reason to alienate a loyal ally when said ally was winning and they stood to gain. The Italians had obviously been a more problematic prospect, at the same time they were reinforcing their army in Anatolia they were sheltering Turkish partisans during the recent offensive. But Giovanni Giolitti and his foreign minister count Carlo Sforza had not been replaced by a new ministry under Ivanoe Bonomi and the new minister was more open towards rapprochement with Britain. Venizelos had struck a deal agreeing to support the Italian hold in Caria in the new peace conference all expected in exchange for Italian support. Turkish nationalists had inadvertently helped when Damat Ferid pasha had been assassinated by a pair of CUP associated junior officers a week earlier after persistent rumours had circulated that he was about to become grand vizier.
Sivas, October 15th, 1921
Tan, Ali Şükrü Bey's paper and de facto voice of the opposition "Third Group", was up in arms openly questioning Kemal's leadership and where the war was leading following the entry of Greek troops to Constantinople the installation of a Greek high commissioner and the activation of article 36. The number of representatives opposing Kemal's leadership rose sharply, as the Monarchists and the Islamists within the Assembly now found common ground against him. Kemal and his supporters had not taken kindly to it. The same day Ali Şükrü Bey disappeared.
Sivas, October 20th, 1921
Henry Franklin-Bouillon reached Sivas to find the Grand National Assembly in chaos. Two days earlier the dead body of Ali Şükrü Bey had been found with the opposition blaming Kemal's Laz bodyguards for the assassination [2] and of Kemal trying to eliminate all opposition given the questionable circumstances of Enver pasha's death. By nw the situation was verging close to open fighting between rival factions. Franklin-Bouillon helped only exacerbate things as he brought the message of the French government. The carrot was that France was offering her good services over signing an armistice ans on her part was willing to adhere to the March treaty which the assembly had rejected. The stick was that otherwise the French army would resume operations against Turkey, Gouraud was much more entusiastic over French military prospects now that Syria was mostly pacified and most of the Turkish army in Cilicia was gone.
Sivas, October 25th, 1921
Even Mustafa Kemal had been forced to accept that continuing the war, with the Grand National Assembly almost on the verge of civil war and the army melting away from desertions was not practical. Whether it had been the entry of Greek troops in Constantinople of Franklin-Bouillon's not quite ultimatum would remain an open question for discussion but the result was the same, as the Grand National Assembly signed an armistice bringing the fight to an end, with Franklin-Bouillon hastily authorized to sign on behalf of Britain and Greece as well.
The question of Kemal himself remained. He could not quite remain speaker of the assembly and de facto head of the government. He could not just be removed from power either, given the support he still commanded and legitimate fears about his life, after all Turkish politics were turning into a blood sport the past few months. Finally his own lieutenants Rauf Orbay, recently released from Malta by the British is exchange for a number of British prisoners of war, and Kazim Karabekir had devised a compromise to ease him out of power. Kemal would head the Turkish delegation at the peace conference in Paris. Back in Anatolia the negotiations to unite the government of the Grand National Assably with the Ottoman one begun. It was understood by all involved that in effect the Ottoman government would be absorbed by that of the assembly. After all two thirds of the Ottoman parliament has actually joined the assembly...
[1] Yes I'm shamelessly stealing from Trikoupis failures in OTL August 1922. Only here he's still a division commander the only one common both before and after the November elections.
[2] In OTL Topal Osman was used as a scapegoat for Ali Şükrü Bey's assassination in 1922 but there is probably little doubt at who had ordered the assassination. TTL Topal had a much deserved appointment with an 9.2 inch shell at Samsun but Sivas in late 1921 is not exactly short of people who'd follow orders to take out a "traitor" no questions asked.
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