Fevzi Çakmak

Mustafa Fevzi Çakmak (12 January or 24 January 1876; Cihangir – 10 April 1950; Teşvikiye) was a Turkish field marshal (Mareşal) and politician. He was Minister of War of the Ottoman Empire, National Defence Minister, Prime minister of Ankara government, the second Chief of the General Staff of the Army of the Grand National Assembly of Turkey and the first Chief of the General Staff of the Republic of Turkey.

Family and schools
Mustafa Fevzi was born on January 24, 1876 in Cihangir (Istanbul, Ottoman Empire) to mother Hesna Hanım, daughter of Varnalı Hacı Bekir Efendi, who is the youngest son of Ömer Ağa, and father Ali Sırrı Efendi, who is son of Çakmakoğlu Hüseyin Derviş Kaptan and served for Tophane (Arsenal) as secretary. In 1879 his father Ali Sırrı Bey was appointed to Black Sea Artillery Regiment (Karadeniz Topçu Alayı) at Rumeli Kavağı, family move there. Thus Fevzi's name in the Army will become "Kavaklı Fevzi Pasha".

He studied at Sadık Hoca Mektebi in Rumeli Kavağı between 1882 and 1884. And he continued to study at Tedrisiye-i Haybiye Mektebi in Sarıyer between 1884 and 1886, at Salonica Military School (Selânik Askerî Rüşdiyesi ) between 1886 and 1887, at Soğukçeşme Askerî Rüşdiyesi between 1887 and 1890. And he learned Arabic and Persian languages from his grandfather Hacı Bekir Efendi, who had studied in Egypt and Baghdad and was one of the prominent intelligentsia at the time. He continued to Kuleli Military High School (Kuleli Askerî İdadisi) between 1890 and 1893. After graduating from Kuleli military highschool, he entered Harbiye Mektibi (Mekteb-i Füsûn-u Harbiyye-i Şâhâne) in Pangaltı, April 29, 1893. He completed the military school as the seventh of the class on January 28, 1896 and joined the Ottoman military as an Infantry Second Lieutenant (Mülâzım-ı Sani).

On January 28, 1898, he entered the War Academy (Staff College, Mekteb-i Erkân-ı Harbiye-i Şâhâne), present day: Harp Akademisi) and on March 16, 1897, he was promoted to the rank of First Lieutenant (Mülâzım-ı Evvel). On December 25, 1898, he graduated from Academy as a Staff Captain (Erkân-ı Harp Yüzbaşısı) and was assigned to the 4th department of the General Staff.

Western Rumelia


On April 11, 1899, he became the staff officer of 18th Regular Division (On Sekicinsi Nizamiye Fırkası) under the command of Şemsi Pasha at Metroviça (present day: Mitrovica) of the 3rd Army. He studied Serbian, Bulgarian, Albanian languages to read their newspapers for collecting information. On April 20, 1900, he was promoted to the rank of Kolağası, on April 20, 1902, Major (Binbaşı), on July 19, 1906, Lieutenant Colonel (Kaymakam) and on December 17, 1907, Miralay.

According to some researchers, he was in contact with Committee of Union and Progress and elected the member of the secret board of directors of the Metroviça blanch of the committee. On July 3, 1908, Senior Captain Ahmed Niyazi Bey stationed at Resne (present day: Resen), an ethnic Albanian, took to the hills with 200 soldiers and a number of civilians, and issued a manifesto which demanded the restoration of constitutional government. Şemsi Pasha, an ethnic Albanian, was ordered to crush the rebel and went to Monastir with two battalions. But he was shot and killed by Second Lieutenant Bigalı Atıf Bey.

On August 19, 1909, he was demoted to Major, because of the Law for the Purge of Military Ranks (Tasfiye-i Rüteb-i Askeriye Kanunu).

On December 29, 1908 he was appointed to Governor (mutassarıf) and commander of Taşlıca (present day: Pljevlja), and at the same time, the commander of the 35th Brigade (Otuzbeşinci Liva). On January 15, 1910, he was temporarily assigned to the headquarter of the Kosovo Provisional Corps (Mürretep Kosova Kolordusu), on September 29, he was promoted to the rank of Lieutenant Colonel (Kaymakam) and on July 27, became the chief of staff of the same corps.

On January 15, 1911, he was assigned to the 4th department of the General Staff. On October 2, 1911, when he was staying in İşkodra (present day: Shkodër), because Italo-Turkish War (September 29, 1911 – October 18, 1912) broke out, he was assigned to the Western Army that was formed for the defense of Western Rumelia under the command of Birinci Ferik Ali Rıza Pasha. On October 6, he was appointed to the Governor (mutassarıf) of İpek Sancağı (present day: District of Peć). On October 19, he went back to Istanbul to continue his task at the 4th department of the General Staff. On February 11, 1912, he was appointed to the member of the committee that was formed under the chairmanship of the Minister of the Interior Hacı Adil Bey with the decision about reform of Albania and three vilayet (Salonica, Monastir, Kosova). May 9, he was appointed to a secretariat formed in the Sadaret and on July 3, to the deputy commander of the 21th Infantry Division (Yirmi Birinci Fırka) at Yakova (present day: Đakovica), on August 6, to the staff of the General Forces of Kosovo (Kosova Kuva-yi Umumiyesi).

Balkan Wars
On September 29, 1912, he was appointed to the chief of the 1st department (chief of operations) of the Vardar Army under the command of Ferik Halepli Zeki Pasha, formed within the Western Army. During the First Balkan War (October 8, 1912 – May 30, 1913), after the defeat at the Battle of Kumanovo (October 23–24, 1912), Fevzi wrote that the distributions of the Ottoman forces over a wide area gave initiative to the enemy and that mobilization and concentration plan was poorly designed and flawed. He also noted that there were great deficiencies in artillery, wireless, and air units. But he wrote that he had put the idea of creating a six-corps army of one hundred thousand men operation on interior lines from the Monastir (present day: Bitola) area. The Vardar Army retreated to Monastir.

On November 16, during the Battle of Monastir (November 16–19, 1912), his younger brother Muhtar Efendi was killed in action at the heights of Oblakovo, northwest of Bitola. After the defeat at the Battle of Bitola, he wrote that the Vardar Army's effective strength for its 78 infantry battalions was 39,398 men. The Vardar Army retreated to Albania. On May 10, because Miralay Ibrahim Halil Bey (Sedes), who was the chief of staff of the Vardar Army, went to Istanbul, Fevzi deputized the chief of staff. On June 19 the headquarters of the Vardar Army, left pier at Seman with steamships named Karadeniz and Gülcemal and arrived at Istanbul on June 22.

Fevzi wrote:

"On the morning of June 6, 1329, Karadeniz, in late afternoon Gülcemal, left pier at Seman. I also got on board Gülcemal. We've bid farewell to five centuries of Turkish rule of Western Rumelia. When the sun went down, the coast of Albania was gradually ceasing to be visible in front of our eyes. The cession of the part of our homeland, where our ancestors irrigated with their blood for centuries and many old and new martyrs were buried, brought unacceptable heartbreak and nostalgia to our hearts. Today, Western Rumelia that is the victim of ignorance and politics, was fluttering in pathetic sorrows."

On August 2, 1913, he was appointed to the commander of the Ankara Reserve Division (Ankara Redif Fırkası), on November 6, to the commander of the 2nd Infantry Division (İkinci Fırka) and on November 24, he was promoted to the rank of Miralay.

World War
On December 22, 1913, he was appointed to the commander of the V Corps. His corps engaged in the defense of Gallipoli. On March 2, 1915, he was promoted to the rank of Mirliva. He arrived at the Gallipoli Front on July 13 and command his corps in battles of Achi Baba (İkinci Kerevizdere Muharebesi) and Sari Bair. On August 8, his younger brother, the commander of the 1st Company of the 2nd Battalion of the 64th Regiment, Lieutenant Mehmed Nazif Efendi was killed in action in the Battle of Chunuk Bair.

On December 6, 1915, he served concurrently as the commander of the Anafartalar Group. In April 1916, he was appointed to the 3rd military district of Eastern Front and on September 7, 1916, to the commander of II Caucasian Corps consisted of 5th, 11th and 37th Caucasian divisions. On July 5, 1917, he was appointed to the commander of the 2nd Army at Diyârbekir.

On October 9, 1917, he was assigned to the command of the 7th Army at the Sinai and Palestine Front and he remained in Aleppo until October 18 and began to move his headquarters forward to Halilürrahman and arrived there on October 23. Erich von Falkenhayn gave Fevzi control of Beersheba and the eastern half of the Palestine Front on October 28. But Falkenhayn gave alternating orders on the same day. According to these orders, gave the command of all units on the Sinai Front Kress von Kressenstein until the new command arrangements are functional

On February 15, 1918, he wrote to Erich von Falkenhayn, serious problems with the inefficient lines of communication and the supply and recruiting Zone proportionate with the strength and situation of the army. Moreover, he mentioned that here were combat skills proficiency problems caused by the inability of his under-strength army to withdraw front-line units for training in the rear area.

on July 28, 1918, he was promoted to the rank of Ferik. But in August 1918 he became ill and went to Istanbul to get medical treatment.

After World War I, on December 24, 1918, Fevzi Pasha was appointed to the Chief of the General Staff (Erkân-ı Harbiye Umûmiye Riyaseti) of the Ottoman Empire. In April 1919, he met with Şevket Turgut Pasha, Cevat Pasha secretly in Constantinople and prepared a report called "Trio Oath" (Üçler Misâkı) to establish army inspectorate for the defense of homeland. In late April, Fevzi Pasha submitted this report to the Minister of War Şakir Pasha. On April 30, 1919, the War Ministry and Sultan Mehmed VI ratified the decision about the establishing of army inspectorates that had been accepted by the Chief of General Staff On May 14, 1919, he was appointed to the commander of the Inspector of the 1st Army Troops Inspectorate (Birinci Ordu Kıt'aatı Müfettişi). On November 3, he assigned to the task in Heyet-i Nasîha and on December 31, he was appointed to the member of the Military Council (Askerî Şûra). He became the Minister of War of Ali Rıza Pasha Cabinet (February 3 – March 3, 1920) and Salih Pasha Cabinet (March 8 – April 2, 1920).

War of Independence
After the resignation of Salih Pasha Cabinet, he went to Anatolia to participate in the national movement arriving at Ankara on April 27, 1920. On May 3, he was elected the Minister of Defense (Milli Müdafaa Vekili) and Vice Prime Minister (Heyet-i Vekile Riyaseti Vekili) as a parliamentary deputy from Kozan.

The Ottoman Military Court declared a death sentence for him, in absentia. This sentence was published in Takvim-i Vakayi newspaper on May 30, 1920.

He became one of the founders of the "Official" Communist Party established on October 18, 1920.

On November 9, in addition to his existing tasks, he was temporarily appointed Vice Minister of the Chief of the General Staff, because the Chief of the General Staff İsmet Bey was continuously at the front as the commander of Western Front. On January 24, 1921, in addition to his other tasks, he became Prime Minister (Heyet-i Vekile Riyaseti) and on April 3, he was promoted to Birinci Ferik.

Battle of Kütahya-Eskişehir
Fevzi Çakmak took control of the Army after the Turkish loss in Kütahya-Altıntaş under İsmet Bey (İnönü) and was able to stop the retreat of the Army of Grand National Assembly afterward.

Battle of Sakarya
Before the Battle of Sakarya, on August 5, 1921, he resigned as the Minister of War and was appointed the Minister of the Chief of the General Staff.

The Army of Grand National Assembly defeated the Greek forces at the Battle of Sakarya on the outskirts of Ankara.

On July 12, 1922, he resigned as the Prime Minister.

Great Offensive
Fevzi Çakmak and Mustafa Kemal planned and commandeered the Battle of Dumlupınar. On August 31, 1922, he was promoted to rank of Müşir (Mareşal) with the recommendation of Mustafa Kemal.

They were and still are the only Field Marshals that the Republic of Turkey has had up till now. So even today, an unspecified nickname Mareşal (Field Marshal) means Fevzi Çakmak.

Musul Offensive Plan
On August 14, 1923, he was elected a deputy from Istanbul.

On March 3, 1924, he was appoinrted to the Chief of the General Staff of the Republic of Turkey.

İzmir assassination attempt and purge
He quit politics by resigning from the parliament on October 31, 1924.

World War II
He retired on January 12, 1944.

Death


He died on the morning of April 10, 1950 in his house in Teşvikiye. His funeral service was held at the Beyazıt and he was laid to rest in Eyüp Cemetery, Istanbul) on April 12, 1950. His family rejected an effort to exhume his body and effect a transfer to Turkish State Cemetery in Ankara.

He knew French, English, German, Russian, Persian, Arabic, Albanian, and Serbian. He spoke French and translated English and German.

Medals and Decorations

 * Imtiyaz Medal in Silver (January 23, 1900)
 * Order of Medjidie, 5th class (August 22, 1900)
 * Order of Osmanieh, 4th class (July 17, 1906)
 * Harp Madalyası (October 2, 1915)
 * Silver (November 18, 1915)
 * Iron Cross, 2nd class (Germany, December 26, 1915)
 * Gold Liakat Medal (January 17, 1916)
 * War Medal (Germany, October 21, 1916)
 * İmtiyaz Medal in Gold (November 11, 1916)
 * Military Merit Cross, 2nd class (Austria-Hungary, April 3, 1917)
 * Order of the Osmanî with Swords, 2nd class (September 23, 1917)
 * Order of the Osmanî with Swords, 1st class (January 7, 1918)
 * Order of the Crown (Württemberg, June 19, 1918)
 * Medal of Independence with Red-Green Ribbon (November 21, 1923) & Citation

Works

 * Fevzi Çakmak (Mareşal), Garbî Rumeli'nin Suret-i Ziya-ı ve Balkan Harbinde Garp Cephesi Hakkında. Konferanslar, Erkan-ı Harbiye Mektebi Matbaası, İstanbul, 1927.
 * Mareşal Fevzi Çakmak, Büyük Harpte Şark Cephesi Hareketleri, Gen.Kur. Basımevi, Ankara, 1936.

Books

 * Süleyman Külçe, Mareşal Fevzi Çakmak: Askerî Hususî Hayatı, Yeni Asır Matbaası, İzmir, 1946.
 * Sinan Omur, Büyük Mareşal Fevzi Çakmak'ın Askerî Dehâsı, Siyasî Hayatı, Sinan Matbaası, İstanbul, 1962.
 * Ziya Tütüncü, Mareşal Fevzi Çakmak: büyük milletin, büyük askeri, Milliyetçi Yayınlar, İstanbul, 1968.
 * Ali Gümüş, Kahraman Asker Mareşal Fevzi Çakmak, Tercüman Aile ve Kültür Kitaplığı, İstanbul, 1986.
 * Veli Yılmaz, Fevzi Çakmak, Kastaş Yayınları, İstanbul, 2006.
 * Rahmi Akbaş, Mareşal Fevzi Çakmak: 1876–1950, Ötüken Neşriyat, İstanbul, 2008.

Articles

 * Adnan Çakmak, "Fevzi Çakmak'ın Hatıraları", Hürriyet Gazetesi, April 10 – May 20, 1975 (41 volumes).