About Atatürk

Illustrated Biography of Atatürk and Chronology of Independence and Reforms

1881 M. Kemal is born in the Ottoman cityof Salonika.

1893 He enrolls in the Military CadetSchool in Salonika.

1896 He graduates to the Military HighSchool in Manastir.

1899 He graduates to the War College inIstanbul.

1902 He graduates to the War Academy inIstanbul.

1905 He graduates from the War Academy asStaff Captain, and is assigned to 5th Army in Damascus.

1906 He establishes in Damascus theMotherland and Freedom Society.

1907 He is transferred to 3rd Army inSalonika as Adjutant Major, and joins the Progress And Union Society.

1909 He is assigned as Chief of Staff of themilitary operation to quell March 31 uprising in Istanbul.

1910 He is the Chief of Staff of themilitary operation in Albania.

1911 He is assigned to the General Staffoffice in Istanbul with the rank of Major.

1911 He is the Commander of the offensiveagainst Italy in Tobruk, Tripoli.

1912 He is the Commander of Operations forthe Defense of the Straits.

1913 He is the Military Attache in Sofia.

1914 He is promoted to Lieutenant Colonel.

1915 He is the Commander of 19th Divisionfor the defense of the Dardanelles, and defeats Winston Churchill’s attempt totake Gallipoli and break through the Straits.

1916 He is assigned as Brigadier General torecapture the cities of Bitlis and Mus from the British.

1917 He is the Commander of 2nd Army inDiyarbakir, then 7th Army in Aleppo. He issues his famous report on the stateof the country and the military.

November 11, 1918 Armistice ending WWI issigned between Allied and Axis countries.

November 13,1918 Istanbul is occupied byallied forces.

November 18, 1918 He stops the Britishadvance at the north of Aleppo. Concerned over the progress of events, hereturns to Istanbul.

April 30,1919 He unsuccessfullyconfers with several leaders of the military and politicians, and with theSultan. He is assigned as Inspector to the 9th Army in Erzurum.

May 15, 1919, Greek forces land inand occupy Izmir, with the encouragement and under the protection of theBritish.

May 16, 1919 He leaves Istanbul for Samsun