March 18 date; It is a national day celebrated all over Turkey, which celebrates the victory in the Battle of Gallipoli and is designated as the day of commemoration of the martyrs. The Battle of Çanakkale, which changed the history of the world, witnessed many defenses and contributed greatly to the victory of the National Struggle. The war is a great war in which approximately 500 thousand people lost their lives. It has been one of the most important turning points, enabling the rewriting of the history of many nations, as well as for the Turks.
History and Events of the Battle of Çanakkale
Çanakkale War; It is a defensive war waged by the Ottoman Empire against the entente formed by the western countries. Naval battles took place between 3 November 1914 and 18 March 1915. Between 25 April 1915 and 9 January 1916, land wars took place on the Gallipoli Peninsula.
The Allied Powers, which attacked the Ottoman Empire, planned to seize Istanbul by crossing the Dardanelles. With the passing of the Dardanelles into their hands, their allies will be able to bring all kinds of support and assistance to Russia. In order to seize the Bosphorus, the first attacks began in February 1915 in Çanakkale. The strongest attack took place on March 18, 1915. In the face of this attack, the Ottoman Army inflicted heavy losses on the enemy navy with the mines laid in the strait. After the sunk enemy ship, they had to give up the naval attack.
They continued their attacks by landing on the Gallipoli Peninsula on April 25, 1915. However, they were defeated as a result of the great struggle of the Turkish Nation and the Ottoman Army. The Entente Powers, which made 3 expeditions to the land, withdrew from Gallipoli in December 1916 after the third defeat. The Dardanelles War, in which there were difficult struggles, is described as an “epic” in Turkish history. The Allied Powers, which had a strong navy and were in a superior position, were struggled against impossibilities and a great victory was achieved.
The Importance of the Battle of Çanakkale
After the Turks won the Dardanelles War, the British and the French could not help the Russian Tsardom. For this reason, the Bolsheviks led by Lenin made a revolution and the monarchy in Russia was overthrown. The established Soviet Union withdrew from the war and the foundations of the “Cold War” period, which lasted until 1991, were laid.
Despite the victory, British and French ships anchored in the capital Istanbul, and they started to share the Ottoman lands on paper. The fame of Mustafa Kemal, who had a great share in the victory of the Dardanelles War, spread everywhere. For this reason, Mustafa Kemal Atatürk gained the trust of thousands of people in the War of Independence, which turned into a national struggle, and succeeded in attracting him.
The victory at the Çanakkale Front changed the balance of power between the countries of the world. The hope and determination of the Anatolian people were effective in winning the War of Independence. It has been shown to the whole world that Turkish soldiers do not lose their faith on the battlefield and show mercy even to enemy soldiers.
Mustafa Kemal Atatürk in the Battle of Çanakkale
When World War I started, Mustafa Kemal was working as Military Attaché in Sofia, Bulgaria. He voluntarily participated in the Çanakkale War. By applying to the Deputy Commander-in-Chief, he wanted to be brought to an active duty in the front. But his answer “There is always a mission for you in the army. However, since we see the Sofia Attaché as more important, we leave you there.” has been.
Upon this reply, Mustafa Kemal sent a letter to Enver Pasha, the Deputy Commander-in-Chief of Sofia, and stated again that he wanted to take an active role in the front. In the letter he sent; “There can be no more important and higher duty than the active duties of the defense of the homeland. While my friends are on the battle fronts, on the firing lines, I cannot be an attaché in Sofia! If this is your opinion, if I am deprived of the merits of being a first-class officer, please be frank.” is writing. Upon the insistence of Mustafa Kemal, he was appointed to the 19th Division Command of the 2nd Corps under the command of Esat Pasha on 20 January 1915.
The 19th Division, commanded by Mustafa Kemal, stopped the enemy forces that landed in Arıburnu on April 25, 1915 at Conkbayırı. Upon this success, Mustafa Kemal was promoted to the rank of colonel. Mustafa Kemal, who was the Commander of the Anafartalar Group, won the Anafartalar Victory on August 9-10. Kireçtepe on 17 August, II. Anafartalar won their victory. To Mustafa Kemal’s soldiers “I am not ordering you to attack, I am ordering you to die!” The order changed the fate of the front.
