Great Offensive

The Great Offensive (Büyük Taarruz) was the largest and final military operation of the Turkish War of Independence, fought between the Turkish Armed Forces loyal to the Government of the Grand National Assembly of Turkey and the Kingdom of Greece, during the Greco-Turkish War. The offensive began on 26 August 1922 with the famous Battle of Dumlupınar and ended on 9 September 1922 with the recapture of İzmir. The Turks amassed around 104,000 men, the largest number since the beginning of the war, to start their offensive on 26 August and to drive the Greek army of over 200,000 men out of western Anatolia. A pursuit operation started on a 250-mile (400 km) wide front.

The units of the Turkish Army marched in 10 days (31 August to 9 September) a distance of 186 miles (300 km) while simultaneously fighting the Greek troops. The Turkish Army lacked all kinds of motorized vehicles, its forces consisting of only infantry and cavalry units and its logistical support provided by a primitive supply system based on mainly ox-carts. Within two weeks, the Turkish Army had driven out the Greek Army completely out of Anatolia. From 26 August to 9 September, the Turks chased the fleeing Greeks 250 miles (400 km) to İzmir, which was later abandoned by the Greek soldiers. Consequently, the Greek occupation of Smyrna, which had begun on May 1919, ended on 9 September 1922 in an event known as the Liberation of İzmir.

After Dumlupınar




31 August
Turkish V Cavalry Corps, Kızıltaş Deresi, Murat Dağı, Murat Çayı,

Trikoupis, Bazan

Greek 5th Division, Abine, Eşme

Greek 4th Division, Oysu village

Turkish I Corps

Francos Group of Greek I Corps, Hallaçlar, Ahatköy, Uşak, Kapaklar, Kırka

Turkish IV Corps

1 September


After Mustafa Kemal's order issued in the Forces of the Grand National Assembly of Turkey, the main part of the Turkish Army started moving towards İzmir. A secondary force started moving from Eskişehir in the direction of Bursa.

2 September
Tricoupis

Nihat (Tok) Commander of the 1st Battalion of the 69th Regiment of the 23rd Division

Greek 15th Division, Kütahya - Simav

Turkish 61st Division

3 September
Kula, Alaşehir

4 September
Turkish V Cavalry Corps, Alaşehir, Salihli

promotion of Turkish officers

5 September
Francos

Plastiras, Salihli, Kasaba (Turgutlu)

Turkish 1st Cavalry Division

6 September
Turkish 3rd Cavalry Division

Greeks, Kula, Eşme, Salihli, Alaşehir

Turkish 73rd Infantry Regiment

Turkish 14th Cavalry Division

Fahreddin (Fahrettin Altay): Kılıca kuvvet!

7 September
Turkish V Cavalry Corps, Turkish I Corps, Turkish II Corps

Greeks, reinforcement to İzmir

8 September
Edgard Quinet

Greeks, Çeşme

Menemen Boğazı, Hamidiye, Nif (Kemalpaşa)

Francos, Balçova, Urla Peninsula

Izzeddin (İzzettin Çalışlar)

9 September
I Corps, Nif (Kemalpaşa), II Corps, Manisa, IV Corps, Kasaba (Turgutlu)

III Corps, Kazancıbayırı, Bursa

Turkish 4th Cavalry Regiment Captain Sherafeddin (Şerafettin İzmir)

Turkish 14th Cavalry Regiment Captain Zeki (Doğan)

Turkish 1st Cavalry Division Mürsel (Bakû)

Belkahve

Aftermath
Greek 18th Regiment, Seydiköy

16 September, last Greek troops left Çeşme.

15th Division, 13 September, Dikili.

Greek III Corps, 18 September, left Erdek.

The British Chief of Staff expressed his admiration for the Turkish military operation.