Fevzi Çakmak

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Mustafa Fevzi Çakmak (January 12, 1876 – April 12, 1950), was a Turkish soldier (Field Marshal), prime minister, and a close companion-in-arms of Mustafa Kemal Atatürk.

[edit] Early life

Mustafa Fevzi was born on January 12, 1876 in Istanbul, Ottoman Empire (modern-day Turkey). He was schooled at the age of five. After graduating from Kuleli military highschool, he entered Pangaltı military school on June 29, 1893. He completed the military school as the most successful student on December 25, 1898 and joined the Ottoman military as a Lieutenant.

[edit] Political life

At the age of 42, in 1918 he became Minister of War and Commander of the Ottoman Army. In 1920, he followed Mustafa Kemal to Samsun, and supported him throughout the Turkish War of Independence. His support provided Mustafa Kemal with the full support of the Armed Forces, which was reduced to two armies in the aftermath of the disarmement dictated by the Treaty of Sèvres. These two armies were under the command of Kazım Karabekir on the Eastern Front based in Erzurum and Ali Fuat Cebesoy on the Western Front based in Ankara. Fevzi Çakmak was one of the few significant generals of the Turkish War of Independence.

Fevzi Çakmak took control of the Army after the Turkish loss in Kutahya-Altıntas under Ismet Inonu and was able to stop the retreat of the Turkish Army afterwards and beat the invading Greek Armies at the Battle of Sakarya on the outskirts of Ankara. Fevzi Çakmak and Mustafa Kemal planned and commandeered the Battle of Dumlupınar, and on August 31, 1922, he was promoted to rank of Field Marshal (Turkish: Mareşal) along with Mustafa Kemal. They were and still are the only Field Marshalls Turkish Republic had up till now. So even today, an unspecified nickname Mareşal(Field Marshall) means Fevzi Çakmak. Before the establishment of the republic, he was the prime minister of the government of the Grand National Assembly of Turkey from January 24, 1921 until July 9, 1922. He quit politics by resigning from the parliament in 1924. Fevzi Çakmak served as the Chief of the General Staff of the Turkish Armed Forces from March 3, 1924 until his retirement on January 12, 1944. He died on April 12, 1950 and was laid to rest in Eyüp, İstanbul. He has a memorial burial place in the Turkish State Cemetery in Ankara.

Political offices
Preceded by Mustafa Kemal Atatürk	Prime Minister of Turkey Jan 24, 1921–Jul 9, 1922	Succeeded by Rauf Orbay
Military offices
Preceded by Ismet Inönü	Chief of the General Staff of Turkey Jul 12, 1922–Jan 12, 1944	Succeeded by Kazım Orbay

v • d • e Chiefs of the General Staff of Turkey İnönü • Çakmak • Orbay • Omurtak • Gürman • Yamut • Baransel • Tunaboylu • Mengüç • Erdelhun • Gümüşpala • Sunay • Tural • Tağmaç • Gürler • Sancar • Evren • Ersin • Üruğ • Torumtay • Güreş • Karadayı • Kıvrıkoğlu • Özkök • Büyükanıt

v • d • e Prime Ministers of the Republic of Turkey Turkish War of Independence (1920 - 1923) Mustafa Kemal Atatürk • Fevzi Çakmak • Rauf Orbay • Ali Fethi Okyar Republic of Turkey (1923 - present) İsmet İnönü • Ali Fethi Okyar • Celal Bayar • Refik Saydam • Ahmet Fikri Tüzer • Şükrü Saracoğlu • Mehmet Recep Peker • Hasan Saka • Şemsettin Günaltay • Adnan Menderes • Cemal Gürsel • Emin Fahrettin Özdilek • Suat Hayri Ürgüplü • Süleyman Demirel • Nihat Erim • Ferit Melen • Naim Talu • Bülent Ecevit • Sadi Irmak • Bülend Ulusu • Turgut Özal • Yıldırım Akbulut • Mesut Yılmaz • Tansu Çiller • Necmettin Erbakan • Abdullah Gül • Recep Tayyip Erdoğan

[edit] External links

• [1] Turkish Ministry of Tourism and Culture.

Persondata
NAME	Çakmak, Fevzi
ALTERNATIVE NAMES
SHORT DESCRIPTION	Turkish politician, general
DATE OF BIRTH	January 12, 1876
PLACE OF BIRTH	Istanbul, Ottoman Empire
DATE OF DEATH	April 12, 1950
PLACE OF DEATH