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 ORDERED TO DIE
A History of the Ottoman Army
in the First World War

Edward J. Erickson
Foreword by
General Huseyin Kivrikoglu

Contributions in Military Studies, Number 201

GREENWOOD PRESS
Westport, Connecticut • London
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

Erickson, Edward J., 1950—

Ordered to die : a history of the Ottoman army in the first World War / Edward J. Erickson,
foreword by General Htiseyin Kivrikoglu
p. cm.—(Contributions in military studies, ISSN 0883-6884 ; no. 201)
Includes bibliographical references and index.
ISBN 0-313-31516-7 (alk. paper)
1. World War, 1914-1918—Campaigns—Turkey—Gallipoli Peninsula. 2. Turkey.
Ordu—History—20th century. I. Title. II. Series.
D568.3 E66 2001
940.4'15— dc21 00-021562
British Library Cataloguing in Publication Data is available.
Copyright © 2001 by Edward J. Erickson
All rights reserved. No portion of this book may be
reproduced, by any process or technique, without the
express written consent of the publisher.
Library of Congress Catalog Card Number: 00-021562
ISBN: 0-313-31516-7
ISSN: 0883-6884
First published in 2001
Greenwood Press, 88 Post Road West. Westport, CT 06881
An imprint of Greenwood Publishing Group, Inc.
www.greenwood.com
Printed in the United States of America

The paper used in this book complies with the

Permanent Paper Standard issued by the National
Information Standards Organization (Z39.48-1984).
10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3

Copyright Acknowledgment

All photographs used with the permission of the Military History and Strategy Research Center,
Turkish General Staff, Ankara, Turkey.
To my wife, Melanie
This page intentionally left blank
 Contents

Illustrations tx
Foreword by General Huseyin Kivrikoglu xiii
Preface xv
Acknowledgments xxi
1. Army on the Brink, 1908-1914 1
2. Plans 15
3. The Early Offensives. November 1914-March 1915 51
4. Under Attack, April 1915-January 1916 75
5. High Tide, January-December 1916 119
6. Strategic Pause, January-December 1917 159
7. End of Empire, January-November 1918 179
8. Conclusion 207
Appendix A. Commanders' Biographies 217
Appendix B. The Ottoman General Staff, Summer 1914 223
Appendix C. Ottoman Army Organization, 1914 225
Appendix D. The Ottoman Aviation Inspectorate and Aviation 227
Squadrons
Appendix E. German Military Assistance 231
Appendix F. Ottoman Casualties 237
Appendix G. Turkey in the First World War-Chronology 245
Selected Bibliography 251
Index 257
This page intentionally left blank
 Illustrations

A photo essay follows page 118.

MAPS

1.1 The Ottoman Empire in 1914 xx

2.1 Railroad and Road Networks in the Ottoman Empire, 1914-1918 18

3.1 The Sarikami§ Encirclement Operation According to 56

the Third Army Attack Plan of December 19, 1914

4.1 General Situation at Gallipoli, First and Fifth Army Forces, 92

End of August 1915

5.1 General Situation, Turkish Land Forces, 1916 132

6.1 General Military Situation, 1917 162

7.1 Third Army Operations, 1918 190

TABLES

1.1 German Military Mission 12

2.1 Ottoman Empire Population, 1914 15

2.2 1914 Coal Production 16

2.3 1914 Railways 16

2.4 Disposition of Turkish Forces, 1912 21

x Illustrations

2.5 Disposition of Turkish Forces, July 1913 24

2.6 Disposition of Turkish Forces, August 1914 38

2.7 Days Required to Mobilize Turkish Corps versus Days 41

Required by the Mobilization Plan

2.8 Disposition of Turkish Forces, November 1914—Concentration 43

Plan

3.1 Available Offensive Strength—Third Army, December 22, 1914 57

3.2 Third Army Strength, March 24, 1915 64

4.1 III Corps Strength, August 2, 1914 77

4.2 Disposition of Turkish Forces, Late April 1915 86

4.3 Fifth Army Ammunition Expenditures Report, 88

May8-June8, 1915

4.4 Third Army Effective Strength, June 4, 1915 106

4.5 Disposition of Turkish Forces, Late Summer 1915 109

5.1 Artillery Strength—Erzurum Fortified Zone, January 1916 124

5.2 Disposition of Turkish Forces, January 1916 126

5.3 Third Army Strength, April 28, 1916 129

5.4 Disposition of Turkish Forces, August 1916 134

5.5 Disposition of Turkish Forces, December 1916 154

6.1 Disposition of Turkish Forces, August 1917 170

7.1 Disposition of Turkish Forces, January 1918 181

7.2 The Fortress of Kars, April 30, 1918 185

7.3 Disposition of Turkish Forces, June 1918 188

7.4 Disposition of Turkish Forces, September 1918 197

7.5 Disposition of Turkish Forces, November 1918 202

 Illustrations xi

8.1 The Cost of Defeat—Commonly Used Figures 208

8.2 Disposition of Turkish Forces, January 1919 209

8.3 Ottoman Casualties (Author's Estimates) 211

D.l Aviation Squadrons, late 1915 228

F.l Ottoman Casualties 237

F.2 Other Ottoman Casualty Figures 240

F.3 Consolidated Summary of Ottoman Losses 240

in the First World War (Author's Estimates)

F.4 Consolidated Ottoman Losses by Year of the War 241

(Author's Estimates)
F.5 Ottoman Army Strength 1918 242

F.6 Consolidated Ottoman Battle and Non-Battle Losses 243

(Author's Estimates)
This page intentionally left blank
 Foreword

TURKISH GENERAL STAFF

ANKARA
Lieutenant Colonel Ed Erickson's Ordered to Die is the first complete history of
the Ottoman Army in the First World War to be attempted outside of Turkey. He
has done an admirable job in assembling the complex pieces of this important
story.
While we in Turkey may disagree with some of his fine points in this book, es-
pecially with the parts of the book which contain some assessments made by some
academicians on the Armenian Rebellion, we still think that his account is fairly
balanced and objective. I would maintain that Ordered to Die will stand as the de-
finitive work in English on the subject of the Ottoman Army in the First World
War for a long time.
The story of the Ottoman Army at war with the allies during the First World War
is an incredible story. It is remarkable that the officers and soldiers of the empire
managed to win both glorious victories and also to endure savage defeats under
such difficult conditions. As the senior officer of the Turkish Armed Forces, I am
extremely pleased that balanced and objective discourse on the subject of my
nation's military performance during the First World War is emerging. Turkey's
performance in the war has not been very well understood outside of Turkey. I
hope this book will shed light on a subject long hidden from western eyes.
The Turkish Armed Forces and I are grateful to Lieutenant Colonel Ed Erickson
for his hard work and dedication in bringing this story to the English-speaking
world.

General Hiiseyin Kivrikoglu

Chief of the Turkish General Staff
This page intentionally left blank
 Preface

/ do not expect you to attack, I order you to die. In the time which passes until we
die, other troops and commanders can come forward and take our places.

- Lieutenant Colonel Mustafa Kemal

Gallipoli, April 25, 1915
Gallipoli

There is no finer quote with which to summarize the battle history of the
Ottoman Army during the First World War than that of Mustafa Kemal (later
and better known as Atatiirk) as he led the 57th Infantry Regiment forward into
the hell of the Gallipoli beachhead. The Ottoman Army was a great fighting
army that confounded its enemies during four years of war. It was an army that
died with its boots on and endured great hardship and adversity. This was the
army that after the dust settled on the prostrate armies of Russia, Austria-
Hungary, Bulgaria, Serbia, and Romania was still on its feet and fighting a
stubborn and determined fight.
A thousand years earlier, they had swept through the Middle East from the
steppes of Central Asia and they had acquired Islam along the route. They were
Turkmen warrior tribes from the Altai Hills whose fierce fighting qualities
carried them to the gates of Vienna. They were the stuff of nightmare stories for
the small children of Europe, and when they moved through an area only flames
and destruction remained. Later, the tribes were molded into a nation by the
Osmanli Dynasty, but they were generally not known to the common people by
this appellation. For hundreds of years, feared by their neighbors, these fighting
conquerors were known simply as "the Turks."
This book is about the Turkish Army, although it carries the title A History of
the Ottoman Army in the First World War. Indeed, going back to that war the
British, their most relentless adversary, always seemed to fight the Turks, not the
Ottomans. British histories, as well as Australian, the New Zealander, and
French, portray the enemy as the Turk or even as "Johnny Turk." This was
partly due to the popular usage of the time, but in reality the term very
accurately reflected the character of that army. Although it is true that the
Ottoman Empire still existed as a legal entity and furthermore that many subject
peoples, such as Arabs and Kurds, served in the army, the essence of the army
xvi Preface

was Turkish. Whenever the army got right down to the terrible matter of dying
in the trenches it was usually the Turkish soldiers (Askers in Turkish) that
accomplished the deed. Therefore, in this book, the term Turkish Army is used
instead of the more proper term Ottoman Army, and associated terms such as the
Turkish General Staff are used nominally.
There is a conspicuous void within the historiography of the First World War
concerning the story of the Turkish war effort and particularly with the overall
picture of the Ottoman Empire's strategic direction of the war. For the
researcher who does not read Turkish, any serious attempt to explore these
subjects in depth will usually fail in the face of an almost complete absence of
materials that present the Turk's participation in the war in a continuous and
unitary fashion. The researcher will also find that most of the available materials
deal with the operational and tactical level of the campaigns with little analysis
of overall Turkish strategy. The picture that emerges is episodic and incomplete
since there is no overall framework on which to hang an understanding of the
Turkish conduct of the war. This is a shortfall of no small consequence for both
serious amateurs and for professional historians of the First World War. This
book attempts to fill that void.
Given the overall backwardness of the empire, the nature of the its economy,
its lack of modern lines of communication, and its sprawling geography, the
Turkish war record in the First World War was an astounding achievement.
During the war Turkey labored under many disadvantages. The geographic
disadvantage alone is evident from an examination of Map 1.1. Nevertheless the
Turks maintained their belligerent status almost until the bitter end of the First
World War, outlasting Russia and Bulgaria and matching Austria-Hungary.
Turkey absorbed punishing attacks from the Allies and sustained proportionately
large casualties. Yet Turkey's armies never mutinied and the Turks inflicted
huge numbers of casualties on their enemies. The Turkish soldier, Mehmetcik,
often died where he fought. Mehmetcik literally translates as "the Mehmet" and
was the Turkish equivalent of "Tommy" or "Doughboy." Turkey managed to
field and sustain large fighting forces simultaneously on four fronts (and at times
on a fifth) for most of the war, an accomplishment unmatched by any
belligerent, save Great Britain. This was no small challenge and was an almost
impossible strategic condition under which to engage in war. But Turkey, with
its abysmal interior lines of communications, somehow consistently and
successfully dealt with this unfavorable situation. Overall, the story of Turkey in
the First World War is an incredible saga of fortitude and resilience. That these
noble qualities are inextricably interwoven with the ineptitude and blunder of
the Young Turks should not detract from the army's accomplishments. Turkey's
story is not so much a story of failure, or of a crumbling antiquated empire, but
rather a remarkable story of a long fight against impossible odds. It is story that
begs to be told.
Although the campaigns on the Turkish fronts associated with the well-
researched and well-written British and Australian official histories have been
captured in great detail by historians, those campaigns fought on other fronts,
against other enemies, are notably absent from available histories. The Gallipoli,
 Preface xvii

Mesopotamian, and Palestinian campaigns, for example, are thoroughly covered

from the Commonwealth perspective and are also well covered by popular
histories. However, historical appraisals of the Turkish view of these campaigns
are nonexistent in western languages. Similarly, except for a single book
published in 1953, a balanced and complete overview of the brutal campaigns in
Caucasia is hard to locate. Farther afield, books about the Turkish contribution
to the defeat of Romania and the operations in Galicia are impossible to find.
Of particular significance is the fact that a definitive history of Turkey's
overall war effort, strategic direction, and command of forces has never been
written. The solitary western work to attempt this subject was written in French
in 1926 and is outdated today. The five-volume Turkish General Staff series,
written by Turkish General Farhi Belen, titled The Turkish War in the First
World War is superb but unfortunately has never been translated into English.
Subsequent staff studies of the various campaigns and battles by the Historical
Division of the Turkish General Staff have slowly trickled out from Ankara over
the past thirty years. These too, if they can be found, are written in Turkish and
present a partial picture of the unfolding events.
Because of the inadequacy of reliable western historical resources it was
inevitable that an inaccurate picture of the Turkish Army at war has taken root
over the past eighty-five years. This began when apologists sought to explain
how and why the backward Turks had badly knocked about the more
sophisticated allied armies during the war. Over the years, this picture has
become peculiarly flawed by inaccurate histories portraying the Turks as prone
to desertion, predisposed to massacre, and commanded mostly by Germans.
Later, even popular cinema such as Lawrence of Arabia, The Light Horsemen,
Gallipoli, and All the King's Men added more inaccuracies to this view. And in
the last half of the century, a determined assault on the actual events of 1915 and
1918 has been waged by the descendents of the Armenians and Greeks subjected
to Ottoman brutality.
All of this has given rise to myriad myths about the conduct of the First
World War by the Turkish Army. One of the most prevalent myths is that the
Turks held a numerical advantage over the allies during many of the important
campaigns and another is that the Germans commanded many of the major
operations. Another myth is that the Turks kept very poor records. Still another
is the idea that Turkish units often "came apart" under pressure, disintegrating
and crumbling because of mass desertion. Finally, there is the idea that the
Turks wanted to regain their shattered and crumbling empire. None of these are
true. In fact, in most cases, quite the opposite is true, showcasing the inaccurate
picture that most westerners have of these people at war. Indeed, the Turkish
Army in the First World War was a formidable fighting machine much feared by
its enemies.
This book is the first full account in a western language in seventy-five years
of the Turkish War and it attempts to frame the Ottoman war effort in a
comprehensive and fully documented format. It examines Turkish war aims,
strategic direction, and significant command decisions by theater of operation
and evaluates the effects of these decisions on the Turkish war effort. It presents
xviii Preface

the Turkish land force structure and tracks its development and deployment
from 1914 to 1918. Moreover, it considers the growth of Turkish military
effectiveness as a function both increasing levels of Turkish experience and of
German military assistance. This work evaluates the effectiveness of Turkish
strategic direction during the war by focusing on the key decision points that
changed strategic priorities and caused major force redeployments during the
war. It assesses the overall success of the Turkish war effort, given the
geographical and resource constraints of a primitive economy faced with a
multifront, highly industrialized, technologically evolving, total war.
There are herein points of view, which at first glance, may seem to overly
favor the Turks. The reader is reminded that findings are presented from the
"Turkish side of the hill" and are based primarily and whenever possible on
Turkish sources. In most cases, the enemy is deliberately referred to in the
general sense as "the British" or "the Russians" in an attempt to show how
western histories tend to present the Turks themselves. Readers interested in
specific allied commanders, formations, and orders of battle will have to consult
allied histories. This work purposefully focuses on the conduct of the war at the
strategic and operational level of war. Except for the campaigns in eastern
Europe, tactical details are generally omitted, since some of this information
concerning individual battles may already be found in previous works in western
languages.
Turkish source materials (archives and official histories) tend to focus on the
physical elements of war rather than on the human dimension or on
personalities. Contrary to expectations, the Turks did not overplay the role of
Allied superiority in men and material in explaining responsibility for defeats.
Neither do they exaggerate the role of Kemal Atatiirk in explaining certain
victories. Generally speaking, the Turkish material tends to align very well with
Allied histories and chronologies. A notable exception, of course, is the
Armenian deportation. Whenever possible, the Turkish version presented here
has been corroborated with allied histories.
In a general sense, this book is intended to be a platform work for the future.
It is a broad survey written in the hope of arousing in others an interest in
exploring the complexities of the Turkish War. Furthermore, this book may be
used as a starting point for understanding and identifying the depth and richness
of the Turkish source material. The book is intended to present a unitary picture
of the Turks at war and to complement other existing histories. Although most
of the tactical details are absent, as noted earlier, the specifics of the planning
and execution of the Sarakamis campaign, the campaigns in Galicia and
Romania, and the 1918 Caucasian campaigns are fully explained herein. Readers
familiar with the contents of the official British and Australian histories and with
the work of W. E. D. Allen, Paul Muratoff, and Commandant M. Larcher will
find that Ordered to Die complements those works and completes the story of
the Ottoman Army in the First World War.
To capture the flavor of the Ottoman world, modern Turkish script and
spelling has been used for all individuals, in all place names and events, and
titles. Exceptions to this rule are the use of commonly used western place names
 Preface xix

in use in 1914 for the major cities, these are: Constantinople (Istanbul),
Adrianople (Edirne), Smyrna (Izmir), and Gallipoli (Gelibolu). The Turkish
characters are pronounced as follows: § - an sh sound as in Pasha (Pa§a) and Q
-ach sound as in Chatalja (Qatalca), also, in Turkish, a C is pronounced as a J
as in Chatalja (£atalca).
Finally, this book creates a factual identity that characterizes the Turkish
Army in the First World War. Probably the greatest injustice done to this
magnificent fighting army was the gross distortion of its reputation, its ethos,
and its character by erroneous historical perceptions. They were more than just
the Turks; they were an army with all of the historical, psychological, and
emotional weight that entails. This work translates anonymity into a tangible
picture of decisions, fighting formations, and personalities that accurately
portrays the Turkish Army at war.
Map 1.1
The Ottoman Empire in 1914
Osmanli Devletihin Elinde Kalan Topraklar
(1914 Yazirwia)

Sence: Turkish Generai Staff, Turk Silahli Kuvvethevi Tarihi Osmanli Devro Dlinya
Harbi Idari Faaliyetler ve Lojistik Xncu Cilt (Ankara: Basimevi, 1985), Kroki (Map) 1.
 Acknowledgments

The idea of this book was conceived in the early 1990s when I was assigned to
NATO's Headquarters, Land Forces Southeast Europe in Izmir, Turkey. I had
always been in interested in military history and I wondered why there did not
seem to be a comprehensive book about the Turks in the First World War. I
asked my Turkish officemates about this and was assured that indeed such books
did exist—they just were not available in English! They then agreed to pick up
for me some of the more recent Turkish official histories of the First World War
the next time one of them went to Ankara. I first acknowledge these officers
who in 1993 got me off to a good beginning by providing me with about ten
volumes of the Turkish official histories of the Balkan Wars and of the First
World War. They are Brigadier General Adem Huduti, Colonel Alaaddin Erk,
and Colonel Orhan Yokusoglu of the Turkish Army, and I would not have ever
gotten started without their support and encouragement.
To my longtime friend and teacher, Colgate University professor Tony Busch,
I owe a large debt for encouraging me to continue on with this project and for
also giving my first rough draft a critical look. Tony's unique understanding of
Ottoman diplomacy and military history were extremely valuable in framing the
events of 1914 and 1915. Friend and colleague Dan Callahan's careful reading
of the manuscript was also very important in ironing out the fine details. I am
indebted as well to Jim Minnoch in New Hampshire, Martin Kaeser in Germany,
Bulent Yilmazer in Turkey, Geoffrey Miller in England, and to Dr. Yigal Sheffy
in Israel for their comments and insights.
In Turkey, I am especially grateful to General Hiiseyin Kivrikoglu, the current
chief of the Turkish General Staff. An old friend and my former commander,
General Kivrikoglu was instrumental in opening doors for me and for ensuring
that I received VIP treatment while in Ankara. To the director of the Turkish
General Staffs Archives Division, Major Tufan Yorgancioglu, translator and
researcher Ahmet (Jaliskan, and Librarian Gulumser Mutlu, my thanks for
making my research easier and far more fun that it probably warranted. At the
archives, I had many fruitful conversations with geostrategist Colonel A. Rifla
Ate§er, Turkish Air Force (retired), Bielefeld University Ph.D. candidate
Mustafa Gencer, and Lieutenants Devrim Pinar and Tufan Gunduz, all of whose
insights were valuable and thought provoking.
xxii Acknowledgments

There were many other friends who took care of me enroute and while I was
working in Turkey: Chuck and Hulya Gillow in Adana, Turkey. Dave and Sally
Pabst and Lisa Miller in Naples, Italy. Katherine and Tony Vass and Al and Liz
Mitchem in Ramstein, Germany. I am also indebted to Colonel Raif Okutucu,
Turkish Army, and Major Sami Gulunay, Turkish Army at the Turkish General
Staff, for their assistance in scheduling office calls and to Colonel Selim
Yticeoral, Turkish Army, and the entire staff of the Merkez Ordu Evi. I also
acknowledge my good friends Mr. Steve Dawkins, U.S. Foreign Service
(retired) and Colonel Rick Lorenz, USMC (retired) who encouraged me to start
writing upon my retirement from active duty.
Any errors are my own as are any mistakes in the translation of Turkish
documents. Finally, I owe an enormous debt to my wife, Melanie, without
whose encouragement and support I could not have finished this book.
 1
Army on the Brink, 1908-1914

THE YOUNG TURKS

Modern Turkish military history properly begins in 1908 with the accession of
the Young Turks to power in the Ottoman Empire. As the antique Ottoman
Empire entered the twentieth century, it was apparent to most educated Turks
that radical political and economic reform was needed if the empire was
continue its survival as a political entity. These modern thinkers formed
political groups and gave rise to the movement called the Young Turks. The
Young Turk movement attracted an unusual mix of Turks, including
intelligentsia, liberal thinkers, as well as numerous military and naval officers.
The most prominent of these groups was the Committee of Union and Progress
(CUP). Naturally this movement was perceived as a threat to the sultanate of
Abdulhamit II, who sought to suppress it both inside and outside of his empire.
The army officers who secretly joined these groups maintained active cells in
Damascus and Salonika.
In late 1907, the Second Young Turk Congress met in Paris. In attendance
were CUP members, the Salonika Group, and Armenian Dasnaks. The delegates
ended the congress by declaring that the sultan's regime should be deposed by
violence if necessary and parliamentary rule established. Over the spring of
1908, conditions in the Ottoman Empire deteriorated, as well as Abdulhamit's
grip on his people, and small revolts broke out. Salonika proved to be the hotbed
of revolution and regular troops were sent to suppress it. Uprisings soon
followed in the Balkans, and finally on July 23, 1908, the sultan agreed to
Young Turk proposals and to work toward modernization. The revolution was
almost bloodless.
The CUP was unprepared for such a quick about-face by the sultan and
hurried to establish itself in Constantinople. Three members (part of a committee
of seven) were sent to the capitol to influence the government, these were: Staff
Major Cemal Bey, Talat Bey, and Cevit Bey. The impact of the Young Turks
was immediate as comprehensive programs designed to modernize the empire
2 Ordered to Die

were established. Preparations for reestablishing parliament were made, and for
a time it looked as if the empire stood on the threshold of establishing full civil
liberties for its minorities. Even democracy appeared to be within reach.
Unfortunately, most of these plans were stillborn as the Young Turks fell out
with the minorities and with the more conservative elements, which sought to
slow the course of westernization and modernization.
In April 1909, a counterrevolution occurred when elements of the army
supported the sultan and forced the Young Turks out. The Young Turks in the
army now coalesced and marched on Constantinople to restore order. An
improvised "Action Army" (Hareket Ordusu) commanded by Hiiseyin Husnii,
with Mustafa Kemal at his side took the capital and restored order. The
commander of the Third Army, General Mahmut §evket Pasa now took the reins
of command and declared martial law. He reconvened parliament, which
immediately deposed Abdulhamit on April 27, 1909. Soon thereafter the empire
entered into a brief period of constitutional democracy.
Almost immediately problems erupted throughout the empire, particularly
with dissident minorities in Albania, Macedonia, and in Eastern Anatolia.
Further troubles occurred when Italy invaded the empire's sole remaining
African possession of Tripoli (Libya) in September 1911. Several Young Turk
military officers were then stationed there and distinguished themselves in the
fighting, notably Enver Bey and Mustafa Kemal. This campaign did not last
long and Italy claimed its prize on November 4. Concurrently, the CUP became
embroiled in a coalition government and in doing so compromised some of its
ideals, which internally fractured the party itself.
Unfortunately for the Ottoman Empire, other outside forces conspired to force
crisis on an already overtaxed government. Serbia, a rising Balkan power
backed by Russia, now sought to take advantage of the Turk's preoccupation
with internal and external threats. The Serbs concluded a military alliance with
Bulgaria on March 13, 1912 under which they would both receive Balkan lands
at Ottoman expense. The Bulgarians in turn forged a second alliance with
Greece on May 29, 1912, again splitting the remaining Ottoman possessions
among themselves. Montenegro was persuaded to join the alliance in September
and October. Anti-Ottoman Christian states had now forged a ring around the
remaining Ottoman European possessions of the Sanjak of Novipazar, Kosovo,
Macedonia, and the rump of Rumelia. These events found the Ottoman Army
unprepared for war with about 250,000 men under arms.

THE BALKAN WARS

The First Balkan War began on October 8, 1912, with a Montenegrin attack
on Novipazar; this was followed by a major Bulgarian offensive into Thrace.
The Bulgarians defeated the Turkish First Army at Liileburgaz in late October
and then invested the Fortress City of Adrianople. The Bulgarians continued to
march east until they were halted at the Qatalca Lines, about thirty kilometers
west of Constantinople itself. The Serbs marched into Macedonia and Kosovo
 Army on the Brink 3

meeting the Montenegrins. By early November 1912, the Turkish Second Army
was beaten and withdrawing into Albania. The Greeks pushed north taking the
prize city of Salonika on November 8. In less than sixty days the two Ottoman
armies had been defeated in detail and the empire's European possessions lost to
the Christian Balkan states.
Negotiations began in London in mid-December in the hopes of bringing the
war to a conclusion. The Ottomans had no bargaining position to speak of, their
armies were shattered, hundreds of thousands of Muslim refugees were
streaming into the empire, and Constantinople and Adrianople were on the verge
of being lost. A sense of despair hung over the government and the Ottoman
cabinet appeared hesitant and uncommitted to concluding a peace on any kind of
terms favorable to the Turks. CUP members feared that the negotiations would
give away too much and so they determined to act. On January 23, 1913, CUP
member Enver Bey, led the famous "Raid on the Sublime Porte" and forced the
grand vizier, Kamil Pasa, to resign at gunpoint. The CUP appointed Cemal Bey
as Commander of the First Army defending Constantinople and also appointed
Mahmut Sevket Pasa as the new grand vizier. The new CUP government was
committed to retaining Adrianople, a condition that broke up the London
Conference. Fierce fighting resumed in February 1913, and in March the
Bulgars launched a determined attack on the (^atalca lines, which failed.
Although the Turks planned and executed abortive counterattacks, the Fortress
of Adrianople fell on March 28. Negotiations resumed and finally on June 10,
1913, the Treaty of London was signed. In this treaty, the Turks lost the Balkan
lands they had held since the fifteenth century as well as Adrianople.
As a result of such unfavorable terms, considerable political opposition arose
to confront the CUP. In an attempted counter coup, opposition gunman
assassinated Mahmut §evket Pasa. The CUP immediately suppressed the
attempted coup and consolidated its grip on the Ottoman government. The CUP
appointed Mehmet Sait Halim Pasa, an Egyptian prince, as the new grand vizier
on June 12, 1913.
The Second Balkan War began when the erstwhile allies, Bulgaria, Serbia,
Montenegro, and Greece fell out among themselves. The problem was the
apportionment of Ottoman lands, especially the Aegean port city of Salonika,
which the Bulgars coveted but were denied by their allies. On June 29-30, 1913,
Bulgaria conducted a surprise attack on Serbian and Greek forces in Macedonia.
Although the Bulgars seemed to enjoy a momentary advantage, Montenegro and
the Romania joined the fight against the Bulgars. Bulgaria, now confronted with
multiple enemies on both flanks, withdrew its army from Adrianople to oppose
its former allies. The CUP took immediate advantage of this weakness and
Enver ordered the army forward into Thrace. On July 21, the Ottoman Army
seized Adrianople and the surrounding area. The Treaty of Bucharest ended the
Second Balkan War on August 10, 1913. Thus, by the late summer of 1913,
Serbia had doubled in size, Greece gained Salonika and much of Macedonia,
Bulgaria gained only a small access to the Aegean Sea, and the Ottoman grip on
the Balkans had ended.
4 Ordered to Die

The Balkan Wars served to solidify the CUP's hold on the government since
it appeared to the public that the CUP was responsible for abrogating the
London Treaty and for retaking Adrianople and Thrace. The leadership that
would take the Ottoman Empire into the First World War was now established,
with Sait Halim as prime minister (and grand vizier), Talat Pasa as the minister
of the interior, Enver Pasa as the minister of war, and Cemal Pasa as the minister
of the marine. Other CUP members were less successful in grabbing the reins of
power. In particular, the ambitious Mustafa Kemal, who was at odds with Enver,
was forced into semiexile as the military attache in Sofia. Fethi Bey, another
prominent CUP member, went to Sofia as well and other lesser CUP members
went to obscure military postings at the fringes of the empire. As a group, the
new CUP leaders of the Ottoman Empire were ambitious nationalists dedicated
to westernizing and modernizing the empire. As individuals, they were young
men in their late thirties and early forties, highly educated at either the Military
Staff College or in universities, skilled in bureaucratic infighting. Unfortunately,
they were also power hungry and beset by petty jealousies, which compromised
their ability to work effectively together. As the events of 1914 unfolded, these
traits, in combination, were to prove dangerous to the continued existence of the
Ottoman Empire.

THE TURKISH GENERAL STAFF AND ARMY

At the apex of the Ottoman military structure was the Ministry of War
(Harbiye) which had been established in 1826 after the suppression of the
Janissaries. Within the ministry, there were offices for procurement, combat
arms, peacetime military affairs, mobilization, and for promotions. Often staff
coordination between these offices was poor or nonexistent.1 From January 3,
1914, through October 4, 1918, Enver Pasa served as the minister of war
(Harbiye Nazin). Izzet Pasa filled this position from October 14, 1918 until
November 11, 1918. The titular commander in chief of the Ottoman military
forces was the sultan. However, the minister of war fulfilled this role as well by
commanding all forces under the office of acting commander in chief
(Baskomutanlik Vekaleti). The ministry did not, however, directly control the
actual operations of the army, a general staff performed this function.
The Ottoman General Staff, hereafter referred to as the Turkish General Staff,
was closely modeled on the Prussian General Staff The General Staff fulfilled
the classic staff duties then in use by all major European powers and was staffed
by Kurmay Subay or General Staff officers. Carefully selected officers were
highly trained in staff procedures at the War Academy in Constantinople. After
completion of the War Academy, graduates were advanced in grade over their
nongraduate contemporaries and immediately assigned to key billets. Almost all
of the wartime Turkish corps and division commanders and chiefs of staff were
trained General Staff officers. Reflecting the Prussian model, the most
influential position within the Turkish General Staff was that of the chief of the
General Staff. The staff itself was composed of various divisions, which
 Army on the Brink 5

specialized in a variety of military fields. The most powerful staff division was
the First Division, or the Operations Division. There was also an Intelligence
Division, and like the Germans the Turks had separate divisions for Railroads
and Communications, and a variety of additional staff divisions to administer
and supply the army. To help the chief of the General Staff, or to run the staff in
the absence of the chief, there were two assistant chiefs of staff.
After January 1913, Enver Pasa served concurrently as minister of war and as
the acting commanding general of the Turkish Army. He also served as the chief
of the Turkish General Staff (Erkani Harbiyei Umumiye Reisleri) from January
3, 1914, through October 4, 1918. Ahmet Izzet Pasa briefly held this post from
October 4 through November 3, 1918, as did Cevat Pa§a from November 3
through December 24, 1918. In August 1914, Enver Pasa was heavily engaged
in the Ottoman diplomatic maneuvering which brought Turkey into the First
World War. Based on what historians know of Enver Pasa's actions in the
summer of 1914, probably the office receiving the least attention under Enver's
competing portfolios was that of the chief of the Turkish General Staff.
Fortunately for the Turks, in the spring of 1914, Liman von Sanders reassigned a
highly trained German General Staff officer named Colonel Friedrich Bronsart
von Schellendorf from a German Military Mission tactical assignment to the
position of first assistant chief of staff of the Turkish General Staff. In the virtual
absence of Enver Pasa, Bronsart von Schellendorf began immediate preparation
of mobilization and war plans. The second assistant chief of staff was Turkish
Colonel Hafiz Hakki Bey. Although they were both trained General Staff
officers, as will be seen, there were intellectual divergences between these two
men.
The active regular army force of thirty-six infantry divisions was divided up
among the corps of four numbered armies. Turkish army corps had three
infantry divisions, an artillery regiment, and a cavalry regiment. Turkish infantry
divisions had three infantry regiments and an artillery regiment. All of these
forces were mobile and were capable of sustained combat operations. Reserve
forces were distributed throughout the empire and constituted a reserve
manpower and small unit pool, which would be used to augment and to bring
the regular forces up to their wartime strength. There were four fortress area
commands: the western border city of Adrianople, the Dardanelles, the
Bosphorus, and the eastern border city of Erzurum. A fifth fortress area was
established at (^atalca during the First Balkan War to protect Constantinople,
and although it was maintained in readiness it was inactive for most of the war.
The fortresses were built of permanent concrete forts and entrenchments, except
for Qatalca which was mostly built of earthworks and trenches.
Among the remainder of Ottoman military strength were the Light Reserve
Cavalry Regiments. These units were the successors to the irregular Hamidiye
cavalry formations, which were disestablished on August 17, 1910.2 These new
regiments were formed into seven cavalry brigades and three independent
regiments and comprised mainly of Kurds, some rural Turks, and an occasional
Armenian. Conventional-style military discipline had always been a problem
with these irregular units and the Turkish General Staff was determined to end
6 Ordered to Die

this with the establishment of the new reserve formations. After 1912, these
brigades and regiments were consolidated into four reserve cavalry divisions
placed in wartime under the control of the Third Army.
An important addition to the wartime strength of the army was the
paramilitary Jandarma. Formed after the disastrous Russo-Turkish War of 1878
under a French training mission, the Jandarma was a powerful force. Its mission
was primarily internal security and preservation of the borders. It was deployed
throughout the empire. Every vilayet had a mobile Jandarma battalion, many
large cities had mobile Jandarma regiments, and there were substantial numbers
of static local battalions as well. The mobile regiments contained 2,371 officers,
39,268 men, and 75,395 animals, but total Jandarma strength including staffs,
border guards, and support personnel greatly exceeded several hundred thousand
men. Under mobilization, control of this substantial force transferred from the
Ministry of the Interior to the Ministry of War.
The army was closely modeled on the German Army and included a large
number of officer and noncommissioned leadership academies, branch training
schools (including artillery, cavalry, infantry, signal, and engineer), technical
centers, and regimental recruit depots. Basic training for soldiers was
particularly severe and employed draconian discipline. Turkish soldiers spent
the first half of their service undergoing training as individual soldiers and then
spent the last half in unit training. Resources were scarce, soldiers typically were
issued a single uniform and expended an annual total of only twenty to thirty
rounds of rifle ammunition. Company and battalion-level training exercises were
conducted throughout the year and the army conducted annual large-scale field
maneuvers every October. Reserve infantry divisions were usually called to the
colors to participate in these maneuvers and military attaches from the
embassies in Constantinople were normally invited to observe these exercises.
Frequently, however, western observers criticized the Turks because the
maneuvers tended to be scripted and over controlled rather than using a free play
methodology, which seriously tested commanders and units. The last full-scale
maneuver of this type occurred in 1910 in Thrace near Liileburgaz. The exercise
pitted the First Army against the Second Army and lasted twelve days. The
scenario had been planned in May and pitted the "Eastern Army" against the
"Western Army" in October 1910.
In terms of military doctrine, the Turks tended to copy the techniques of their
German teachers. Doctrinal march tables, frontages for attack and defense,
tactics, and staff procedures were patterned on contemporary German methods.
After the turn of the century, the great Ottoman fortress cities of Adrianople and
Erzurum reflected German thinking on fortifications as well, as redoubts were
moved father out and the forts became mutually supporting.
The strengths of the Turkish Army were primarily at the extreme ends of its
rank structure. At its highest echelons, its highly trained General Staff officers
were aggressive and well trained. At the bottom end, its rank and file were tough
and capable of great feats of endurance, and were famous throughout Europe for
their tenacity. However, it was in the middle ranks that the Turkish Army was
the weakest. Unlike the British or the Germans, the Turks had no long-service
 Army on the Brink 7

corps of professional noncommissioned officers (sergeants), and there was no

tradition of such service in the Ottoman forces. In peacetime, this made the
effective and rapid training of recruits difficult. In combat, as junior officers
were killed, this lack of professional depth meant that there were no leaders to
step up and assume leadership responsibilities. This particularly hurt the Turkish
Army when engaged in the highly attritional battles that characterized the First
World War.

MOBILIZATION

In terms of human resources, the Turkish General Staff believed that the
empire had a mobilization potential of about two million men; However, this
ambitious figure was in fact never achieved during the course of the war. In the
summer of 1914, the classes of 1893 and 1894 (each age cohort was about
ninety thousand men) had been called to the colors and the Turkish Army
enjoyed a peacetime operating strength of about two hundred thousand men and
eight thousand officers. Unlike some European powers, Turkey did not employ
first-line formations in peacetime at war establishment, preferring instead to
field a higher number of reduced establishment formations. This policy was
systematically carried out by reducing the structure of all units below division
level. Every Turkish infantry regiment was short one battalion (out of three) and
every infantry battalion short one company (out of four). The average strength
of Turkish infantry divisions, in the summer of 1914, was four thousand men out
of a war establishment often thousand personnel. To bring the field army to war
establishment the Turkish Army required a total of 477,868 men and 12,469
officers to completely fill out its divisions. This use of a reduced establishment
or cadre structure (a lean and understrength organizational framework designed
to be heavily augmented) was intentional and reflected a deliberate decision
taken by the army after the Balkan Wars. There were no reserve artillery or
reserve technical formations. In any case, the Turkish General Staff believed
that approximately 1,000,000 men and 210,000 animals were easily available for
recall and that, immediately upon full mobilization, the mobile field army would
have an effective strength of 460,000 men, 14,500 officers, and 160,000
animals.4 To this must be added the heavily armed and trained mobile field
(seyyar) Jandarma of forty-two thousand men (twenty-five thousand gendarmes,
twelve thousand frontier guards, and six thousand mule-mobile troops).5
Altogether, Turkey planned to field about five hundred thousand men in mobile
operational units, the remainder serving in fortress garrisons, coastal defenses,
and in servicing the lines of communications and transportation.
In material terms, the army was ill equipped to fight a modern war. Most
divisions had twenty-one or fewer of the 75 mm field guns that they were
authorized out of an establishment of twenty-four. This artillery force was a
mixed bag of French Schneider, German Krupp, and Austro-Hungarian Skoda
pieces6 and numbered about nine hundred field pieces. At corps level, most of
8 Ordered to Die

the twelve 105 mm howitzers required for the three batteries of corps artillery
were available. Overall, the army needed two hundred eighty field artillery
pieces to bring itself up to war establishment. Additionally, in the fortresses of
Adrianople, Erzurum, the Bosphorus, the Dardanelles, and Qatalca, there were
an additional 900 fixed or semifixed coastal and fortress artillery pieces, which
were ill placed for immediate use.
The machine gun situation was worse. Each Turkish Infantry Regiment was
authorized four machine guns. Some regiments were short and the army needed
two hundred to equip the regimental force to standard. At battalion and company
level, there simply were no machine guns and the army estimated that it needed
several thousand more to fill all requirements. At 1,500,000 in hand, rifles were
a less critical shortage but the army still needed 200,000.
Ammunition stockade was low and the Turks were unable to meet anticipated
wartime demands. There were 150 cartridges available per rifleman, a further
190 available in corps depots, and for the entire army there were 200,000,000
cartridges in reserve. For the Turkish artillery, there were about 588 shells
available per gun.
In service support, the Turkish Army suffered terribly. Each division was
authorized a field medical unit, and each corps was authorized four field
hospitals; however, these were never filled at established strengths. This
deficiency was compounded by chronic shortages of doctors, medicine and
medical supplies. The total Turkish hospital capacity was thirty-seven thousand
beds, of which fourteen thousand were located in the city of Constantinople.
Transportation was a critical weakness; especially short were supply wagons and
draft animals. Motorization and aviation were almost nonexistent in the Turkish
Army.
Upon the advice of the German advisor General von der Goltz, mobilization
planning was based on peacetime conscription which provided a flow of trained
individuals from the active army into the reserve forces. Active service in the
peacetime Turkish Army was for a period of three years for the infantry and four
years for the artillery and technical services.8 Likewise, animals served for a
period of four years and, in turn, were returned to civilian use carrying a lifelong
obligation for national service. Non-Muslims were excluded from military
service and were forced to pay a special military tax instead. By 19i4, the period
of active obligatory service was reduced to two years for infantry and cavalry
and three years for the artillery. This decision was the result of reduced budgets
and under this scheme the active army was maintained a lower strength. The
military staff thought that a 50 percent bi-annual turnover was inferior to a 33
percent turnover every three years. In any case, the huge losses in trained leaders
suffered during the Balkan Wars were reflected in the inability of the forces to
adequately train replacements.
All men were liable for military service and were drafted as a group
according to their chronological age as a class or cohort. This usually occurred
annually in the late summer. Liability for service began on March 1 in the year
when a man turned twenty and ended twenty-five years later. The Turkish
military was divided into an active force (Nizamiye), a reserve force (Ihtiyat),
 Army on the Brink 9

and a territorial force (Mustahfiz). The two youngest classes provided the
manpower for the active army, the next sixteen classes provided the trained
manpower for the reserve, and the oldest seven classes comprised the territorial
forces.9 The previous reserve system of the Redif (organized reserve units),
begun in 1886, was discontinued in 1913. Some reservists and territorials were
organized into units of battalion size or smaller and had local depots designated
as mobilization stations, however after 1913 most were assigned as individual
replacements. Turkey was not wedded to the idea of military units reflecting
local character (as were the British or German armies), but in 1914 Turkish
Army units were mainly composed of locally recruited men. This changed as the
war progressed and men were sent as individuals or in levies to whatever units
needed them the most. Unlike all other major European powers, Turkey did not
have a large-unit reserve system which could field intact reserve corps
composed of reserve divisions.10 The use of permanently established reserve
infantry divisions stationed in major cities having been discontinued in 1913
with the end of the Balkan Wars. Consequently, there was no major increase in
the raw number of formations available to the Turkish Army immediately upon
mobilization. There were several exceptions, those being the XII Corps
(Independent), the 38th Infantry Division (Independent), and 1st, 2nd, 3 rd , and 4th
Reserve Cavalry Divisions. Later in the war, as the Turks needed more combat
infantry formations, they simply mobilized more regular divisions. The
identification of Turkish divisions mobilized after August 1914 as "reserve
divisions" is erroneous. Likewise, the identification of some wartime Turkish
divisions as "bis," or paired divisions, by British intelligence was in error. The
probable culprit in both cases was likely to have been a misunderstanding of
how the Redif changed in 1913.
There was also a residual volunteer system, called the Goniillii Sistemi, which
encouraged men to volunteer to fight together. While the last major use of this
system was during the First and Second Balkan Wars, it remained in existence
and there was some small use of it in the Caucasus and in Thrace. However, the
Goniillii Sistemi was used mainly in attempts to recruit from the many groups of
Muslim refugees harbored in the empire. These Muslim volunteer groups would
see action in the Sinai, in Persia, and in the Caucasus.
Between July 1913 and August 1914, the Turkish Army was undergoing an
enormous reorganization and reconstruction effort as a result of the devastating
losses suffered in the Balkan Wars. Compounding this huge task was Enver
Pasa's determination to rid the army of older and less active officers, which he
felt were an obstruction to modernization. Over thirteen hundred officers were
involuntarily retired during this period.11 The scale of this effort to rebuild the
army must be explained in some detail because this reorganization of the
Turkish forces provides the basis for understanding both the offensive failures of
1914 and the defensive successes of 1915.
Prior to the beginning of the Balkan War of 1912, the Turkish Army enjoyed
a fair degree of stability based on a garrison system extending throughout the
empire. A German military assistance group under General Colmar von der
Goltz had restructured the Turkish Army and standardized the organization of
10 Ordered to Die

Turkish corps at a strength of three infantry divisions. In a prescient decision in

1910, von der Goltz also standardized the organization of the Turkish infantry
division at a strength of three infantry regiments. Prior to this, the Turks had
employed the European standard of two brigades of two regiments each within
each infantry division. All European armies during the First World War would
later adopt this triangular structure. In the Balkans, the twelve-infantry division
strong Turkish Second Army provided security for Turkey's remaining
possessions in the Vardar Valley and Albania. The equally powerful Turkish
First Army (twelve infantry divisions) provided security for Adrianople and
Constantinople. The smaller Third and Fourth Armies provided protection for
Caucasia and Mesopotamia, and independent corps garrisoned Syria, Palestine,
and Arabia. This powerful regular establishment was backed up by a reserve
system that fielded infantry divisions in all major cities of the empire.
However, in less than a year, both the First and Second Armies had been
destroyed. The Turkish Army had lost fourteen infantry divisions out of a
beginning total of forty-three infantry divisions and the corps-sized fortress
garrison of Adrianople was also lost. Additionally, eight regular infantry
divisions and fifteen newly mobilized infantry divisions of reservists and
territorials had been deployed to European Turkish Thrace to serve in the newly
formed Qatalca and Gallipoli Armies. Several infantry divisions and a corps
headquarters had been dissolved to provide replacements. Only six of the
infantry divisions of the pre-Balkan War regular Turkish Army were spared the
trauma of combat. In another context, 90 percent of Turkish infantry divisions
mobilized participated in the Balkan Wars. Casualties from the wars exceeded
250,000 men. This was a military disaster of unprecedented magnitude for the
empire, which all but destroyed the regular Turkish Army as an effective
fighting force.
At the conclusion of the Balkan Wars, the condition of the Turkish Army
demanded attention. Complete armies had been shattered, corps had been
deliberately dissolved, and there were huge disparities in the fighting strengths
of infantry divisions. There was a large number of ad hoc reserve divisional
formations (named after their city of origin) composed of older reservists and
territorials which had been mobilized to replace the lost regular formations.
Training was at a standstill, as was weapons procurement. Finally, and not the
least worrisome, almost the entire Turkish field army was deployed in European
Turkish Thrace. These strategic and operational imperatives forced Turkey to
immediately engage itself in a massive military reorganization effort in the
aftermath of the Balkan Wars.
The reorganization of Turkish forces in 1914 was comprehensive and was
designed to return the army back into its pre-Balkan War garrison locations and
also to rebuild the divisional and corps base of the army. This was a gigantic
undertaking and was incomplete on the eve of the First World War. In the
reconstituted First Army, only the III Corps survived the war intact and retained
its original organic pre-Balkan War divisions. The I Corps and II Corps lost a
division each and each were rebuilding a new division. It is significant, and no
surprise, that the combat hardened and intact III Corps was selected to defend
 Army on the Brink 11

the strategic Gallipoli Peninsula in 1915. Facing the Russians in Caucasia, of the
Third Army's nine infantry divisions, three were being rebuilt from scratch and
four were deployed there from Thrace that year. This hastily assembled and
cobbled-together army was hurled against the Russians in December 1914 with
predictably disastrous results. The Second Army was reconstituted in Syria and
Palestine and was rebuilding two divisions while absorbing two more that were
redeployed from Thrace. Altogether, fourteen of thirty-six Turkish infantry
divisions organized in August 1914 were in the process of being entirely rebuilt,
and eight divisions of the thirty-six had conducted a major redeployment within
the year. The overall effectiveness of these twenty-two new or redeployed
infantry divisions was low and would inevitably take time to remedy. However,
events overcame preparation time and twelve of these divisions were involved in
the early Turkish offensive disasters of 1914. Reciprocally, the single
organizationally intact corps - the III Corps with its organic 7th, 8th, and 9th
Infantry Divisions successfully defended the Gallipoli Peninsula in the spring of
1915. It could be argued that defeat in the Balkan Wars, and subsequent Turkish
reconstitution and restationing efforts, set the stage for Turkish success or failure
in the initial phases of the First World War.

THE GERMAN MILITARY MISSION

Essential to the rebirth of the Turkish Army as an effective fighting force was
the continuing presence of the German Reform Mission12 (hereafter referred to
as the German Military Mission). By the summer of 1914, this mission, under
the command of Major General Otto Liman von Sanders, consisted of about
thirty officers and forty men. The mission had both teaching and operational
responsibilities, and it was hoped that the assignment of high-ranking German
officers to key command and staff positions would accelerate the reorganization
of the Turkish Army. Although the outbreak of war initially and temporarily
dried up the source of available German officers, the mission continued its work
throughout the First World War. As originally structured, the German Military
Mission (fully staffed) is depicted in Table l-l. 13
This manning plan was changed completely in 1914 and was adapted by
Liman von Sanders to accommodate the circumstances of the regenerating
Turkish Army. German commanders were assigned to three Turkish infantry
divisions: these were the 3 rd Infantry Division (Colonel Bronsart von
Schellendorf), the 5th Infantry Division (Colonel Zadernstorn), and the 10th
Infantry Division (Colonel Tronnier). In addition, Lieutenant Colonel Nikolai
and Captain Stange were given command of the 3 rd Artillery Regiment and the
8th Infantry Regiment, respectively.14 The I, VI, and X Army Corps received
highly trained German General Staff officers as their corps chief of staff. This
arrangement front-loaded the bulk of the German talent into operational
assignments in the First, Second, and Third Armies, with the I Corps in
Constantinople receiving the most assistance.
12 Ordered to Die

In a remarkably prescient and highly effective move, Liman von Sanders

reassigned Colonel Bronsart von Schellendorf from command of a Turkish
division to the Turkish General Staff in the position of first assistant chief of the
General Staff. From this position, Bronsart von Schellendorf exercised
enormous power over the armies of the Ottoman Empire. Liman von Sanders,
however, assumed command of the First Army in Constantinople in the early
fall of 1914. In this position he was unable to affect the course of events as
Turkey slid into war.

Table 1.1
German Military Mission

Command Group
1 commandera
1 General Staff officer (field grade)
2 aides-de-camp
3 other officers

Operational Assignments Training Assignments

1 corps commander 3 General Staff officers (field grade)
1 division commander 1 director, Staff College
1 advisor - Rifle Regiment 2 instructors, Staff College
1 advisor - Cavalry Regiment 1 director, Infantry School
1 advisor - Field Artillery Regiment 1 director, Field Artillery School
1 advisor-Communications 1 director, Heavy Artillery School
1 director, Cavalry School
1 officer - Junior Officer School
6 officers - for two corps headquarters
2 commanders, Demonstration Regiment
10 officers for technical advice b
1 military doctor
1 director, Gymnastics School
3 commanders for NCO Schools

Notes: This plan only lists principal officers. Supporting noncommissioned officers and
soldiers assigned to the mission greatly increased its personnel strength. Fully staffed, the
mission would consist of about eleven hundred officers and men.
a. The commander of the mission would serve in a dual role as the corps commander. In
fact, Liman von Sanders was initially "double-hatted" as commander, I Corps.
b. These specialties were railroads, motorization, telephones, telegraphs, engineers,
logistics, and ordnance.

Source: Cemal Akbay, Birinci Diinya Harbinde Turk Harbi (Inci Cilt) Osmanli
Imparatorlugu 'nun Siyasi ve Askeri Hazirliklari ve Harbe Giri§i (Ankara: Genelkurmay
BasimEvi, 1991), 274.
 Army on the Brink 13

NOTES

1. Turkish General Staff, Turk Silahli Kuvvetleri Tarihi lllncu Gilt 6nci Kisim (1908-
1920) (Ankara: GK Basimevi, 1971), 242.
2. Ibid., 130.
3. Cemal Akbay, Birinci Diinya Harbinde Turk Harbi (lnci Gilt) Osmanli
Imparatorlugu 'nun Siyasi ve Askeri Hazirliklari ve Harbe Girisi (Ankara: Genelkurmay
BasimEvi, 1991), 127.
4. Ibid., 127.
5. Commandant M. Larcher, La Guerre Turque Dans La Guerre Mondiale (Paris:
Chiron & Berger-Levrault, 1926), 66.
6. Ibid., 70.
7. Akbay, Birinci Diinya Harbinde, 135-136.
8. David Woodward, Armies of the World 1854-1914 (New York: G. P. Putnam's
Sons, 1978), 89.
9. Larcher, La Guerre Turque, 65.
10. Turkey, therefore, did not have units such as the "First Reserve Corps" or the "16th
Bavarian Reserve Infantry Division. "
11. Akbay, Birinci Diinya Harbinde, 121.
12. In Turkish, Alman Islah Heyeti, or German Reform Mission or German
Improvement Mission.
13. Akbay, Birinci Diinya Harbinde, 274.
14. Ibid., 126.
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 2
Plans

RESOURCES

By 1914, the Ottoman Empire had fallen far behind the European Great Powers
in every category of resources necessary for the conduct of modern war. The
very term empire belied the ability of the beleaguered Turkish State to mobilize
itself for a protracted war. Nevertheless, the physical landmass of the Ottoman
Empire and its strategic geographic position forced upon it the roles and
responsibilities of a Great Power. The empire was educationally backward,
resource poor, industrially underdeveloped, and financially bankrupt. A brief
comparison of population, coal production, and railways graphically shows the
disparity between the Ottoman Empire and several of the Great Powers (Tables
2.1, 2.2, and 2.3). Of particular significance are the population figures for the
Ottoman Empire contrasted with the actual numbers of ethnic Turks living
within the empire.

Table 2.1
Ottoman Empire Population, 1914

Country Population-World Almanac Population-British Intelligence

Germany 65,000,000
Britain 45,000,000
France 39,000,000
Ottoman Empire 22,000,000 20,000,000
Ethnic Turks 12,000,000 10,000,000

Sources: Press Publishing, The World Almanac and Encyclopedia, 1914 (New York:
Press Publishing, 1913), 224, and Intelligence Section Cairo, Handbook of the Turkish
Army, Eighth Provisional Edition, February 1916 (Nashville: Battery Press, 1996), 9.
16 Ordered to Die

The population of the Ottoman Empire in 1914 is generally estimated at about

nineteen to twenty-three million people. This estimate is based on adjusting the
1908 Ottoman census figures upwards, taking into consideration probable birth
and mortality rates and the loss of about a fifth of the empire's population as a
result of the Balkan Wars. However, the actual number of ethnic Turks is
perhaps the most useful statistic in comparing war making population potentials
for Turkey during the First World War. As the Turks were to find out as the war
progressed the empire was very often let down by the fighting performance of
its subject minority peoples. In particular, the Arabs, the Kurds, and the Greeks
were sometimes military liabilities when compared to their fellow ethnic Turk
citizens.

Table 2.2
1914 Coal Production (tons)

Country Tons of Coal

Germany 277,000,000
Britain 292,000,000
France 40,000,000
Italy 900,000
Ottoman Empire 826,000

Source: Press Publishing, The World Almanac and Encyclopedia, 1914 (New York:
Press Publishing, 1913), 244.

Table 2.3
1914 Railways

Country Kilometers of Railways Square Kilometers of Area

Germany 64,000 540,000
France 51,000 536,000
India 55,000 3,160,000
USA 388,330 7,739,524
Ottoman Empire 5,759 2,410,000

Source: Ahmed Emin Yalman, Turkey in the World War (New Haven, Conn.: Yale
University Press, 1930), 85.

Production of pig iron and steel in the Ottoman Empire in 1914 was
inconsequential;1 therefore these critical indicators of economic potential are not
presented. Additionally, there was literally no chemical production and very few
petroleum refining facilities. For the production of military items there were
only a single cannon and small arms foundry, a single shell and bullet factory,
 Plans 17

and a single gunpowder factory. All of these facilities were located in the
Constantinople suburbs directly on the shore of the Sea of Marmara making
them extremely vulnerable. The only items that the empire produced in adequate
amounts were agricultural products, such as wool, cotton, and hides.
Financially, the Ottoman Empire was almost paralyzed by the deficit spending
patterns that constituted fiscal policy during the period 1911 through 1913. The
actual Turkish deficit during these years was in excess of thirty-four million
Turkish Pounds.2 To compound matters, over 30 percent of the annual budget
went to payments on the public debt. Although Britain, France, and particularly
Germany with its Baghdad Railway, maneuvered for favorable positions in
Ottoman railroad consortiums, there was little profit realized from these
endeavors. Turkey, overall, was in an extremely unfavorable industrial and
financial condition in 1914.
Consequently, the asymmetric Ottoman economy was incapable of sustained
and independent industrial operations. Unlike all other major powers in the First
World War, Turkey and its empire underwent almost no industrial expansion
and remained dependent on imported weapons and war material until the end of
the war. Until the restoration of continental landlines of communication after the
defeat of Serbia in late 1915, the empire suffered terrible and crippling shortages
of war supplies and raw materials. By any measurement of resources, save
courage, the Ottoman Empire was unprepared to engage in a major war against
Great Power opponents.
Lines of communications in the Ottoman Empire were extremely poor. As
previously stated, the Turks were especially weak in their railroad system. This
was compounded by the fact that various national consortiums had constructed
the empire's railroad net over a prolonged period to various degrees of
efficiency. It is significant to note here that all of the European Great Powers
had railroad systems specifically designed to accommodate military
mobilization. The Turkish system, designed by foreigners for profit motives, did
not service the frontiers and it was not designed to deliver large numbers of men
from their mobilization sites to concentration areas. There were different gages
of railroad track in use, and there were also numerous types of German, French,
and English steam engines, railway cars and equipment. In 1914, there were 280
engines, 720 passenger cars, and 4,500 freight cars in use in the Ottoman
Empire.3 The operationally ready rate for this small fleet was about 75 percent
most of the time. Additionally, geography was not kind to the Turks, and the
empire was spread over harsh and inhospitable terrain. Many of the railroads
that had been started were incomplete and some had been abandoned. Several
were cut by high mountain chains transversing the route through which tunnels
had not yet been completed. The uncompleted gaps in railroad
interconnectability (as illustrated by Map 2.1) at Pozanti through the Taurus
Mountains and at Osmaniye through the Amanus Mountains particularly
affected transportation going to Mesopotamia and Syria, since all cargo had to
be transloaded through the mountains. These "choke points" afflicted the entire
Map 2.1
Railroad and Road Networks in the Ottoman Empire, 1914-1918

Source: Turkish General Staff, Turk Silahli Kuvvetleri Tarihi Osmanli Devri Diinya
Harbi Idari Faaliyetler ve Lojistik Xncu Cilt (Ankara: Basimevi, 1985), Kroki (Map) 3.
 Plans 19

Turkish war effort until the very last days of the war and greatly impeded
military operations in the Caucasus, Palestine and Mesopotamia.
The road network was likewise haphazardly constructed and generally
followed ancient caravan routes or terrain features. There were few paved roads.
Unfortunately for the Turks, there were also huge gaps in the East-West lateral
transportation lines linking eastern Turkey with Constantinople and the western
reaches of the empire. On the Tigris and Euphrates Rivers, there were fairly well
developed river steamer and boat lines, but these suffered from periods of
seasonal flooding and low water. Prior to the outbreak of the First World War,
much of the Ottoman Empire's economic commerce was seaborne between its
port cities by a healthy coastal trade. However, in the Mediterranean and
Aegean Seas this came to an abrupt termination as the Allies quickly blockaded
the coastline. In the Black Sea the critical coastal trade carrying coal to
Constantinople continued throughout the war, despite frequent Russian attempts
at interdiction.
Of particular importance, Turkey, alone among the major powers, entered the
First World War already exhausted from her involvement in the First and
Second Balkan Wars. The significance of this fact cannot be overstated; it
explains why Turkey, once again unique among the major powers, did not have
mobilization plans designed to bring a mass of maneuver to a decisive point for
early offensive operations (Britain's deployment of the British Expeditionary
Force into France notwithstanding). By the end of the Balkan Wars, the
Ottoman Empire had lost 32.7 percent of its territory and 20 percent of its
population.4 Furthermore, the empire was literally bankrupt and its army had
been savaged by defeat in detail. By comparison, it would be hard to imagine
France after suffering less damage proportionately, even with allies, renewing
the war against Germany in 1872.

WAR AIMS

The entry of the Ottoman Empire in the First World War was an event of
huge importance for several reasons. First, the entry of the Turks upset the
careful calculations of strategic thinking that had characterized prewar military
planning by all alliance partners. Russia and Britain, in particular, were
unprepared for the nearly instantaneous creation of secondary fronts threatening
vital strategic interests. Second, because of Turkey's geographic position, the
relatively weak Turkish army became a magnet for Allied attacks which sought
decisive and cheap victory over the apparently ill prepared and weak Turks.
This drained deployable allied strength, particularly much of Britain's available
strategic reserves in 1915 and a substantial part of the Russian strategic reserve
in 1916. Third, Turkey's entrance into the war almost certainly propelled
Bulgaria toward an active partnership with the Central Powers (this was not a
foregone conclusion in 1914) by securing her rear in a war against Serbia. The
20 Ordered to Die

entry of Bulgaria into the war was the death knell of Serbia and Romania. All of
these events would have profound and unforeseen consequences on the conduct
of the war. However, in 1914 Turkey had no elaborate mobilization plans
designed to deliver large forces to a decisive point, nor did it have territorial or
irredentist ambitions. In fact, beyond the simple act of the preservation of the
state and the preservation of territorial integrity, the Turks seemed to have had
no clearly defined war aims. The question of why and how Turkey entered the
war begs an answer.
The most prolific author writing on the diplomacy of Turkey in this period is
Ulrich Trumpener, whose main interests concern the role of Germany in Turkish
affairs and the diplomacy of the Turco-German alliance. In Germany and the
Ottoman Empire 1914-1918, Trumpener develops the theme that the secret
alliance of August 2, 1914, provided the engine that separated Turkey from
meaningful dialogue with the entente, while at the same time obligated Turkey
to support Germany in an almost unavoidable slide toward war. He further
develops the theme that the personal actions of Enver Pa§a leading to the
reckless naval attacks on Russian Black Sea ports on October 29, 1914, were
primarily responsible for Turkey's involvement in the war. In Eagles on the
Crescent, Frank G. Weber follows the same argument but further elaborates on
the role of Austria-Hungary as agent provocateur in Turkey's entry into the war.
However, neither Trumpener nor Weber precisely detail Turkey's war aims nor
do they explain what the Turks hoped to accomplish or gain. Both of these
authors leave out significant parts of the story, particularly Sait Halim's policy
directives and the secret alliance between Bulgaria and Turkey. A. J. P. Taylor
in The Struggle for Mastery in Europe, 1848-1918 states that the Turks thought
that a victorious entente would dismember the Ottoman Empire and reciprocally
that Germany would guarantee its preservation. Taylor further states that war
was an " all or nothing" bid by Turkey to resolve the issue of Black Sea power
and control. Almost contradicting his own argument, Taylor also discusses the
wildly vacillating Turkish diplomacy that characterized the months of
September and October 1914. All of these themes intersect but none
satisfactorily offer to explain what the Turks actually hoped to achieve by
entering the war.
To understand the entry of the Ottoman Empire into the First World War it is
necessary to consider the effect of the Balkan Wars of 1912 and 1913 on the
Turks. Absent a hostile Great Power, the Turks entered the First Balkan War of
1912 under the worst possible strategic conditions, that is, against an alliance of
every small Christian state in the Balkans. This hitherto impossible coalition of
Bulgaria, Serbia, Greece, and Montenegro was temporary and lasted only long
enough for the Ottomans to be ejected from the Balkan territory that they had
held since the early part of the seventeenth century. The disposition of Ottoman
forces shown by Table 2.4 illustrates the substantial investment that the Turks
had committed to maintain a military presence in the Balkans by 1912. The First
and Second Balkan Wars close forever this chapter of Ottoman history.
 Table 2.4
Disposition of Turkish Forces, 1912

EUROPEAN THRACE CAUCASIA

Second Army, First Army Third Army
stationed in the I Corps: 1,2, 3 Inf. Div. IX Corps: 28, 29 Inf. Div.
Balkans theater II Corps: 4, 5, 6 Inf. Div. X Corps: 30, 31, 32 Inf. Div.
III Corps: 7, 8, 9 Inf. Div. XI Corps: 33, 34 Inf. Div.
BALKANS
IV Corps: 10, 11, 12 Inf. Div.
Second Army ^ ^
V Corps: 13, 14, 15 Inf. Div.
VI Corps: 16, 17, 18 Inf. Div. MESOPOTAMIA
VII Army Corps,
VII Corps: 19,20,21 Inf. Div Fourth Army
assigned to the Second Army,
Army Reserve: 22, 23, 24 Inf.Div XII Corps: 35, 36 Inf. Div.
comprising the
19th, 20th, and 21st XIII Corps: 37, 38 Inf. Div.
Infantry Divisions Army Reserve: 42 Inf. Div.
Army Reserve,
assigned to the SYRIA
Second Army VIII Corps: 25, 26, 27 Inf. Div.

ARABIA-YEMEN
XIV Corps: 39, 40, 41, 43 Inf. Div.
22 Ordered to Die

In Caucasian Battlefields, Allen and Muratoff state, "The result of the Balkan
Wars was that the center of gravity of the Turkish State had been removed from
Europe to Asia."5 The significance of this event for the leadership of the
Ottoman Empire in 1914 cannot be ignored.
Out of twelve prewar mobilization plans in 1912, seven Turkish Army
mobilization plans centered on the Balkans.6 Mobilization Plan Number 5
matched the actual threat and posited the First and Second Turkish Armies
facing the combined armies of Bulgaria, Serbia, Montenegro, and Greece. In
this particular plan, the Ottomans fielded 373 infantry battalions in Thrace (First
Army) and 222 infantry battalions in Macedonia (Second Army) against an
estimated 556 hostile infantry battalions. This plan was defensive and, although
the Turks had a slight numerical advantage, invited defeat in detail. With a
single exception, all twelve plans were strategically defensive and indicated
Turkey's fundamental unwillingness to renew any irredentist claims from
previous wars.
In Plan 5, the Second Army in Macedonia organized its three army corps into
an area defense and at the tactical level simply attempted to hold key fortresses
and cities.7 Given a period of peace prior to the outbreak of war, reinforcements
would come into Macedonia by rail and by sea from as far away as Yemen and
Syria. Over half of the infantry strength of the 344,923-man Second Army
would come from the reserves. Many never arrived.
The larger First Army defended Thrace from the fortress city of Adrianople.
For this mission, the army had 466,453 men of which 54 percent of the infantry
were reservists.8 The Ottoman General Staff developed mobilization timetables,
which mobilized most reserve infantry battalions within six to thirteen days and
which used a combination of foot marches and rail transportation to deploy the
units to their war stations. However, some units were not mobilized until the
twenty-third day of mobilization. The disparity in personnel strengths of the two
armies represented both the degree of difficulty involved in moving
reinforcements from Anatolia to the Balkans, and also represented the strategic
importance of Thrace as the main approach to Constantinople. Both armies were
to fight on the defensive with the mission of holding ground while wearing the
enemy down to exhaustion. The desired strategic outcome of Plan 5 was the
collapse of the enemy coalition.
Unfortunately for the Ottoman Empire, Mobilization Plan Number 5 resulted
in the defeat in detail of the First Army, the loss of Adrianople, and the near loss
of Constantinople itself. Significantly, It also resulted in the nearly total
destruction of the Second Army and the complete loss of the remaining Turkish
possessions in the Sanjack, Macedonia, and lower Serbia. The effect that these
twin losses had on Turkish military and diplomatic thinking were significant and
would become important in the events of the late summer and early fall of 1914.
The Turkish Second Army headquartered in Macedonia was composed of the
V, VI, and VII Army Corps, each of three infantry divisions and one cavalry
brigade. The army had three additional infantry divisions in army reserve. It was
 Plans 23

an important and prestigious command and it was well supplied with proficient
Turkish General Staff officers. Nevertheless, by the end of April 1913, the
Second Army had been hammered down to a strength of less than twelve
regiments and a few miscellaneous bits of units scattered about its former
operational area.9
The larger Turkish First Army was composed of the I, II, and III Army Corps,
each of three infantry divisions, and the Fourth and Fifteenth Fortified Zone
Commands (corps equivalents), which together deployed two infantry divisions
and four fortress divisions. The fortress of Adrianople itself had a corps-sized
garrison of one infantry division, one fortress division, and three reserve
infantry divisions. But by the end of July 1913, Adrianople and its garrison were
lost and the First Army lay shattered and locked in a death struggle at Qatalca.10
The defeated army headquarters element itself was renamed the £atalca Army
and fully half of its strength was composed of ad hoc reserve infantry divisions
mobilized from the Anatolian heartland in a last ditch effort to defend the
capitol. Table 2.5 illustrates the extreme differences between the balanced army
dispositions of 1912 and the battered condition it found itself in 1913 after
suffering both defeat and the loss of the Balkans.
The Treaty of London brought the First Balkan War to a close. The Second
Balkan War began in June 1913 with the dissolution of the temporary alliance
against Turkey. During that summer, Bulgaria attacked Serbia and Greece, and
was in turn heavily attacked by those countries. Turkey took advantage of this
momentary window of opportunity to exploit Bulgarian weakness in Thrace by
retaking Adrianople. This action stabilized the Turkish frontier along its current
boundary. The Treaty of Bucharest ended the Second Balkan War with Turkey
holding Adrianople, Greece holding Salonika and Epirius, and Serbia holding
Macedonia.
What was the overall effect on Turkey of these wars? First, the ponderous and
operationally unsuccessful mobilization of 1912 brought home the lesson that
timetable planning (as was used by the major powers of Europe) was unsuitable
given the poorly developed lines of communications extant in the Ottoman
Empire. Readiness of mobilized forces, therefore, became an event-oriented
situation rather than a timetable-driven situation. Second, the immense losses
suffered by the army had consequences of enormous impact. The losses in
equipment, trained leaders, and experienced formations preordained the
enlargement of the existing German Military Mission. This enlargement in early
1914, led by Cavalry Major General Otto Liman von Sanders, would have a dire
effect on Entente perceptions of the events of the fall of 1914. Third, the loss of
the entire Second Army of twelve regular infantry divisions and much of the
First Army meant that the Turkish Army would have to focus in the near term
on unit reconstitution rather than on training and preparation for war. This
obviated any future mobilization that supported war plans aimed at early
offensive operations. And although there was certainly some tactical benefit to a
 Table 2.5
Disposition of Turkish Forces, July 1913

EUROPEAN THRACE CAUCASIA

(^atalca Army Third Army
BALKANS I Corps: 2, 28, Fatih Inf. Div. IX Corps: 33 Inf. Div.
(All units lost II Corps: 3, 5, 12 Inf. Div. XI Corps: 34 Inf. Div.
in the spring III Corps; 7, 8, 9 Inf. Div.
of 1913) IV Corps: 29, Aydin, Eregli, Kayseri Inf. Div. RECONSTITUTION IN
Army Reserve: 51, Yozgat, Ankara, CENTRAL ANATOLIA
Selimiye, Amasya, Asiret Inf. Div. Vardar Army headquarters (Second Army)
Gallipoli Army V Corps headquarters
X Corps: 4, 31, Aziz Inf. Div. VI Corps: 16 Inf. Div.
I Fort Corps: 30, 32, Murettep Inf. Div. VII Corps: 21 Inf. Div.
II Fort Corps: 27, Samsun, Afyon Inf. Div.
III Fort Corps: (^anakkale, Edrimet Inf. Div. SYRIA
VIII Corps: 25, 26 Inf. Div.

Note: Units in boldface type indicate new formations. MESOPOTAMIA

35, 36 Inf. Div.
 Plans 25

seasoning of the army in the brutal school of combat, much of the surviving
force was composed of older reservists, and as such, the army was tired out and
worn down. Unlike her northern neighbors, Turkey did not enter the First World
War to cheering crowds and garlanded regiments marching to the line of
departure.
In the days following the assassination of Archduke Ferdinand in Sarajevo on
June 28, 1914, Europe spiraled towards war. Diplomacy failed as ultimatums
were followed by partial and then by full military mobilizations of the Triple
Alliance (Germany and Austria-Hungary, but absent Italy) and by the entente
cordiale (France, Great Britain, and Russia). War finally broke out on August 1
with Germany's declaration of war on Russia. Turkey, exhausted and recovering
from the Balkan Wars, remained aloof from the running course of these events.
The major European powers alternately attempted to either threaten or to
encourage Turkey to enter the war or to remain neutral. There were mixed
opinions in all camps about the military value of a friendly, a neutral, or a
hostile Turkey. However, Germany had the greatest success in influencing
events in the summer of 1914 and by late July had concluded a working
understanding with Enver Pa§a, the Ottoman minister of war. This
understanding matured into a full blown but "secret" military treaty between
Germany and the Ottoman Empire.
Much has been made of the Secret Treaty of Alliance between Germany and
the Ottoman Empire, signed in Constantinople on August 2, 1914. This treaty
was concluded in response to overtures made by the Ottomans to Kaiser
Wilhelm in mid-July 1914. Detailed conversations, including the idea of
keeping the treaty secret, were held on July 27. German Ambassador Hans von
Wangenheim, the chief of the German Military Mission General Liman von
Sanders, and the Ottoman Minister of War Enver Pasa met on August 1, 1914,
to discuss the implementation of such a treaty. They reached an agreement that
Turkey would stand on the defensive on the Caucasian Frontier and assemble an
army in Thrace for operations against Russia, but with Bulgarian and Rumanian
neutrality uncertain, alternatively against Greece.11 The treaty itself was rather
poorly worded and was vague in its meaning, or perhaps it was carefully crafted
to serve other purposes. A careful reading of the Secret Alliance reveals it to be
limited scope treaty similar to the Dual Alliance between Germany and Austria-
Hungary in 1879. In reality, the Secret Treaty of Alliance was a very weak
document with no operative power of enforcement and it was written only for
the situational context of the ongoing Balkan crisis of July 1914. Under a strict
interpretation of the terms of the Secret Alliance, Turkey was obligated to enter
the war only under specific conditions. The treaty was, quite simply, overcome
by events (having been drafted July 24) because it became activated only in the
case of Russian intervention with active military measures against Austria-
Hungary. In fact, Russia had only mobilized and had not intervened, when
Germany declared war on her first. Wangenheim knew this before he signed the
treaty for the Kaiser. Therefore, when Germany declared war on Russia on
26 Ordered to Die

August 1, 1914, the Secret Treaty of Alliance (which was signed the very next
day) was in effect invalid on signature. By early morning on August 2, the
Turks knew of Germany's declaration of war on Russia but went ahead and
signed the treaty between 4 and 5 P.M. that day.12 Although the treaty did not
bring Turkey immediately into the war as an active participant, the real value of
the document to Germany at this time was in the fact that the treaty was secret.
The Secret Treaty of Alliance was reminiscent of Bismarckian diplomacy in
which the very existence of treaties themselves became tools for leverage or
were used to force other secondary actions. The Allies soon learned of the
treaty's existence and consequently speculation began in London, Paris, and
above all in St. Petersburg, concerning what exactly was in the treaty and which
countries it was operative against. Many observers thought that the treaty was
inherently offensive. The most prevalent allied thinking was that Turkey had
been promised the recovery of parts of Bulgaria and Greece in return for
entering the war against the entente.13 By its very existence the treaty threatened
the entente and created leverage for Germany over the Turks.
The treaty had only eight clauses. The parties (Germany and the Ottoman
Empire) pledged to remain neutral in the conflict between Serbia and Austria-
Hungary. Germany promised to leave its Military Mission in place in the event
of war and in return the Turks agreed to let the Military Mission exercise
general control over their army. Germany promised to defend Ottoman territory.
There were ratification and expiration clauses and the final clause pledged both
parties to maintain the secrecy of the treaty itself. The second clause was the
operative clause which obligated Turkey to act in certain circumstances. A
German version of this clause by Carl Muhlmann in Deutschland und die
Turkei, 1913-1914 appears as: "In the event that Russia should intervene with
active military measures and thus should create a casus foederis with respect to
Austria-Hungary, this casus foederis would also come into force for Turkey." M
There were different interpretations of what the second clause really meant.
The treaty was written in French (the Ottoman diplomatic language of choice)
for Germans and Turks to sign. That there would be varied interpretations was
probably inevitable. A Turkish variant from Dr. Ahmed Emin Yalman contains
a slightly different wording of this key clause: "If Russia intervenes and takes
active military measures, and the necessity arises for Germany to carry out her
pledges of alliance to Austria, Turkey is under obligation in such a case, to carry
out her pledges made to Germany."15 The original French text of this key clause
was slightly different yet: "Dans le cas ou'nla Russie interviendrait par des
mesures militaires actives et creerait par la' pour l'Allemagne le casus foederis
vis-a-vis de l'Autriche-Hongrie, ce casus foederis entrerait egalement en
vigueur pour la Turquie."16
In any event, Sait Halim, the grand vizier, was somewhat distressed to find
the extent of the negotiations that Enver had carried on in the name of his
government. Sait Halim was an Ottoman prince but more important was prime
minister and foreign minister as well as grand vizier. He was not known to
 Plans 27

support Turkish involvement in the alliance process but was thought to lean
toward the entente. It is almost certain that he did not want war. After it became
clear that Germany had, indeed, declared war on the Russians first, Sait Halim
had second thoughts about the alliance with Germany and belatedly exercised
his prerogatives as prime minister and foreign minister. Furthermore, moving
rapidly, Enver too was already attempting to negotiate a new less threatening
agreement with the Russians by telling them that the ongoing Turkish
mobilization was not directed against them.17 Sait Halim resisted Wangenheim's
insistent demands that Turkey immediately honor her treaty obligations. On
August 6, 1914, Sait Halim pressed Wangenheim in a letter with six proposals
for further German concessions in return for Turkey's activation of the Secret
Alliance.18 In the absence of a clear foreign policy or coherent military war
plans, these six proposals probably come as close to defining Turkey's war aims
prior to hostilities than any other document. Wangenheim, reluctant to endanger
the proposed safe haven for the inbound squadron of Rear Admiral Souchon
immediately agreed to Sait Halim's conditions. The six proposals were (1)
Germany promises its help in the abolition of the capitulations; (2) Germany
agrees to lend its support to understandings with Rumania and Bulgaria, and it
will see to it that Turkey secures a fair agreement with Bulgaria with reference
to possible spoils of war; (3) Germany will not conclude peace unless (all)
Turkish territories, which may be occupied by its enemies in the course of the
war, are evacuated; (4) Should Greece enter the war and be defeated by Turkey,
Germany will see to it that the (Aegean) islands are returned (to the Turks); (5)
Germany will secure for Turkey a small correction of her eastern border, which
shall place Turkey into direct contact with the Muslims of Russia; (6) Germany
will see to it that Turkey receives an appropriate war indemnity.19
It is immediately clear that the Turkish government was primarily interested
in economic succor, notably the abolition of the capitulations, a fair share of the
spoils of war, and also a war indemnity. The capitulations were favorable
trading measures which relieved certain nations from the burden of Ottoman
import tariffs, guaranteed trading rights, and granted legal extraterritoriality to
that nation's citizens. The capitulations had been a crippling economic millstone
and an emotional sore spot for the Turks for many years. They were widely
regarded by Turkish nationalists as a significant obstacle to modernization. It is
important to note that there was no mention of the recovery of any part of the
Balkans lost in 1912 and 1913, or of the Armenian vilayets lost in 1877. It is
also important to note that Turkey was not hostile to either Bulgaria or to
Rumania.
Over the course of the next several days, the Germans pressed the Turks for
guarantees of safe haven for the battlecruiser SMS Goeben and her consort, the
light cruiser, SMS Breslau. The Germans also renewed pressing for an
immediate Ottoman declaration of war against Russia. Sait Halim continued to
harbor hesitancy toward what he increasingly believed was an ill-advised and
mismanaged treaty with Germany. There was also strong opposition to active
28 Ordered to Die

involvement supporting the Germans from influential military and naval

officers; among them were Mustafa Kemal and Rauf Bey. In a meeting on
August 9, 1914, with Enver Pa§a, Cavid Bey, Cemal Pa§a, and Talat Pa§a, Sait
Halim made it clear that he did not believe that the treaty imposed an obligation
to enter the war to support Germany.20 Later that same day, Sait Halim's
thoughts coalesced and he directed the government to undertake a contradictory
course correction in Ottoman foreign policy. In this directive, Sait Halim
sought to overcome the forces that were pushing the empire toward war. He
wanted the text of the treaty with Germany examined from a legal point of view.
He sought to conclude alliances with Bulgaria and Rumania and to convince the
entente that Turkey meant to remain neutral. He directed that a special
commission be formed to monitor food supplies. To mediate the uneasiness in
the army, Sait Halim sought to gain time until the outcome of the war became
clear. Importantly, he directed that the German ambassador not interfere with
military affairs, or the German commander, General Liman von Sanders, with
politics. He desired that under no circumstances would Turkey enter the war on
any side, before concluding negotiations with Rumania, Bulgaria, and Greece.
Finally, he directed that negotiations be reopened with the French and Russian
ambassadors.21
This directive was important since it vividly demonstrated Sait Halim's
unhappiness with the very existence of the secret treaty with Germany. There
was absolutely no point for a legal review of the Secret Treaty of Alliance
unless Turkey intended to abrogate all or part of the document and needed a
legal reason to do so. Clearly, Sait Halim intended that Turkey would remain
neutral for the near future and would not allow the Germans to tamper with
Turkish political-military affairs. Sait Halim intended to buy time for Turkey
and up to a point he was successful. This policy directive effectively
marginalized Liman von Sanders, and to some extent Wangenheim as well.
However, on August 11, 1914, a new player arrived on the field, Vice Admiral
Wilhelm Souchon, whose presence and ships destabilized, in a very short order,
Sait Halim's control over events.
One thing that Constantinople did not lack in the summer and fall of 1914
was an abundance of powerful personalities. Ulrich Trumpener and Frank
Weber offer vivid portraits of the key players in the Ottoman diplomatic arena
during those times. In particular, Weber's portrayal of Hans Freiherr von
Wangenheim as a proactive and relentless advocate of German dominance in
Ottoman affairs is compelling. With single-minded determination, Wangenheim
maneuvered the reluctant and shifting Turks into an alliance, and when they
balked he worked tirelessly to set up conditions which would bring them into
the war. In retrospect, the Turkish entry into the First World War seems almost
inconceivable with this pivotal individual.
A. J. P. Taylor paints a picture in which Liman von Sanders played a crucial
role ("Sanders and his staff had a firm grip on the Turkish Army").22 In
actuality, the temperamental von Sanders was sidelined in early August 1914
 Plans 29

after Enver Pasa reassigned him as the commanding general of the Turkish First
Army, an important command, but one that took Liman von Sanders out of the
critical high-level decision cycle. Von Sanders's memoirs reflect his frustration
at the abysmal condition of his command and his inability to affect the course of
events. He was completely surprised when his attache relayed the news of the
fleet actions of October 29, 1914, clearly showing how far from the nexus of
power he really was.23 Von Sanders himself had just arrived in Constantinople
in December 1913 and the total strength of his Military Mission was only about
seventy men altogether. With the exception of Colonel Friedrich (Fritz) Bronsart
von Schellendorff (chief of staff of the German Military Mission), who also
functioned in his capacity as the first assistant chief of the Turkish General Staff
as a cross between the secretary of the Turkish General Staff and the chief of
plans, no German officer actually exercised direct or indirect control over the
strategic deployment of the land forces of the Ottoman Empire. Liman von
Sanders was so unhappy with his role that in the middle of August 1914, he
formally requested permission to dissolve his mission and to be allowed to
return to Germany with his men.
Rear Admiral Wilhelm Souchon, Commander of the Imperial German Navy's
Mediterranean Squadron, was a latecomer to the intrigues of Constantinople. He
and his squadron arrived at the Dardanelles on August 11, 1914, and in his
escape from the Royal Navy, Souchon had proven himself to be a resourceful
commander. In a diplomatic charade, his ships were reflagged into the Turkish
Navy (famously the Germans crews were given the Turkish fez to wear) and on
September 24, 1914, Souchon was commissioned as a vice admiral in the
Ottoman Navy. Souchon fell under the aegis of Ambassador Wangenheim, and
unlike von Sanders, Souchon retained direct command of an instrument of war
which Germany could wield independently.
The Turkish government was composed of a mixed bag of conservative,
liberal, and ambitious men loosely known as The Young Turks. The most
powerful among them, Mahmut §evket Pasa, had been assassinated a few short
months before the Sarajevo crisis. This inevitably led to a leadership crisis and
internal power struggle as Enver, Cemal, and Sait Halim maneuvered for
control. The death of §evket Pa§a left a vacuum in the power structure of the
CUP, which seemed to set the committee at cross-purposes.
The most visible figure in Ottoman politics to the outside world at this time
was Sait Halim. In most works, he is referred to as the grand vizier. This
Imperial Ottoman title was a holdover from the Sublime Porte and was not
reflective of his real position of power as prime minister and head of the CUP.
Sait Halim also retained the portfolio of the Foreign Ministry. As the Ottoman
foreign minister, ostensibly, all major diplomatic, military, and policy decisions
were either made by him or with his concurrence. It is debatable whether he was
intellectually up to the challenges imposed by these parallel cabinet
responsibilities as Turkey spiraled towards war. He was considered to be anti-
interventionist (pro-neutral) and slightly in favor of the entente, although Enver
30 Ordered to Die

portrayed him as pro-German to Wangenheim. The events of August through

November 1914 proved him to be hesitant and unable to control his own
cabinet.
The most power hungry, volatile, and youngest member of the cabinet was
Enver Pa§a, who served as the minister of war. Enver had been served in
Germany, spoke German well, and had close personal relations with
Wangenheim. He was considered to be pro-German, although Trumpener
considers his reputation as "the Kaiser's man" to be not altogether correct.
Enver also functioned as the acting commander of the Ottoman Empire's armed
forces. In this capacity, he exercised control over his own Ministry of War and
the Cemal Pasa's Ministry of the Marine which further complicated matters. In
1914, Enver was riding a wave of public popularity and prestige from his
reconquest of Adrianople.
The minister of the marine (navy minister) was Ahmet Cemal Pasa. After the
war he was one of two Ottoman leader to write memoirs. Cemal Pasa was
initially anti-interventionist and had personal connections to the chief of the
British Naval Mission to the empire, Rear Admiral Sir Arthur H. Limpus.
Limpus's mission was fundamentally dissimilar to that of von Sanders, and
provided only administrative assistance as opposed to technical and tactical
advice. However, the British Naval Mission would have matured into a full-
blown assistance group when two battleships then being built for the Turks in
British yards were completed and delivered. Instead, the seizure of the nearly
completed Turkish battleships in August 1914 by the Royal Navy served to
enrage the Turkish public, which had paid for them by popular subscription.
Talat Pasa was the very powerful minister of the interior and controlled the
Jandarma (Gendarmerie). He was also responsible for all internal security
functions and the police forces, as well. Considered somewhat pro-German, the
cabinet chose Talat to pursue closer relations with Russia in the early summer of
1914. The minister of finance was Cavit Bey, who was anti-interventionist and
definitely leaned in favor the entente. There were several other important Young
Turks, including Mustafa Kemal, Kazim, and Fehti, however, these men had
been marginalized in the power struggle and had been sent to remote postings.
True to Ottoman political styles of diplomacy, much of the work of
conducting international dialogue was compartmentalized within the CUP. In
his capacity as foreign minister, Sait Halim maintained direct contact with all of
the major ambassadors in Constantinople. However, the Young Turks did not
orchestrate foreign policy through a professionally staffed foreign ministry or
foreign office, preferring instead diplomacy personally conducted by inner
circle cabinet members. The period July through September 1914 was
characterized by a series of Ottoman diplomatic initiatives which appear
contradictory and confused. The central figure in this process was, of course,
Sait Halim, who maintained ties to every important figure in Constantinople,
except for von Sanders and Souchon (however, the pivotal player remained
Enver Pa§a who forged important links with the Germans). It is arguable that
 Plans 31

because of the Young Turks' propensity to conduct diplomacy (and their affairs
in general) in isolation, that at any given time between August and November
1914, no single individual within the Turkish government (including either Sait
Halim or Enver Pa§a) had a global awareness of the entire diplomatic situation
affecting the empire. This compartmentalization of awareness destroyed any
chance of rational checks and balances which might have prevented war.
On the diplomatic front, under a mantle of tight security in Sofia on August 6,
1914, Talat Pasa and Ambassador Radoslavov concluded another secret treaty
between the Ottoman Empire and Bulgaria. It should be noted that Talat Pasa
was the minister of the interior and was not affiliated with the Foreign Ministry.
This treaty was kept secret from the Germans until December 17, 1914. This
treaty was a mutual defense pact that came into effect if either party was
attacked by another Balkan power. It was also something of a nonaggression
pact, as both parties pledged not to attack other Balkan countries without
consultation with each other. In the absence of such consultation, the parties
pledged benevolent neutrality in such a conflict. Furthermore, the treaty
guaranteed Bulgaria that a bilateral or joint Turkish-Bulgarian agreement for
Romanian neutrality would be negotiated. Bulgaria additionally agreed to notify
Turkey of any impending military mobilization. The treaty would remain in
effect for the duration of the war. Finally, both parties agreed that "the existence
and tenor of the present treaty shall be guarded in the deepest secrecy."24
This treaty of alliance between Bulgaria and the Ottoman Empire was indeed
a deep secret as evidenced by Sait Halim's instructions to his own government
on August 9, 1914. It is interesting to compare the specificity of this treaty,
negotiated by Talat Pasa, with that of the German treaty negotiated by Enver
Pasa. Very clearly, Talat's treaty with the Bulgarians is much more finely drawn
and functionally specific, and the weak wording in the German treaty was not to
be found. Of interest is Article IV, which allowed Ottoman forces to cross
Bulgaria to attack another power (perhaps Serbia or Greece) and Article V,
which spoke to the mutual desire to avoid confrontation with Romania.
In early August the Austro-Hungarian Ambassador, Pallavicini, also began to
press Sait Halim for a declaration of war against Russia. He had nothing to offer
the Ottomans and pressed his case on the premise that history had presented the
Turks with a favorable opportunity to rectify past injustices. Sait Halim and
Pallavicini maintained a continuous dialogue until Turkey's actual entry into the
war. At the same time, Enver Pasa opened renewed dialogue with Russian
Ambassador Giers and on August 9, 1914, proposed an Ottoman-Russian
alliance.25 Trumpener, Weber, and Albertini all believe that Enver's proposal
was a deliberate Ottoman ploy to draw attention away from the Secret Treaty of
Alliance with Germany. However, Enver's actions were consistent with Sait
Halim's policy decision of August 9, 1914. It is apparent through these
initiatives that the Ottoman leadership, as a whole, was not absolutely
committed to war and that the Turks were attempting to retain as many options
available as possible.
32 Ordered to Die

Thus, immediately after the signing of the Secret Treaty of Alliance with
Germany, the Ottoman leadership took several important diplomatic decisions,
the most important of which were the decisions of August 6 and August 9,
which established the direction of Ottoman foreign policy. Meanwhile, in the
military arena, Enver Pasa, having appointed himself as the chief of the Turkish
General Staff, ordered mobilization on August 2, 1914. The important point
about this fact was that instead of ordering a limited mobilization, which
supported the diplomatic framework envisioned by Sait Halim, Enver Pasa
ordered general mobilization. This measure was widely misinterpreted by the
entente as overtly hostile to allied interests.
Unlike the twelve complicated mobilization plans of 1912, the war weary and
over taxed Turkish General Staff had but one mobilization plan in the summer
of 1914. Bronsart von Schellendorff approved the staffing of this single plan on
June 7, 1914.26 The plan recognized the supreme strategic importance of the
Turkish Straits and Constantinople and brought the bulk of the regular army into
European Turkish Thrace. Out of twelve regular army corps in the Ottoman
Army, six deployed to either Thrace or the Marmara region. A further corps
went to Symrna. Three corps deployed against the Russians, and the remainder
went to Syria and Arabia. None of the corps received offensive missions and
like the 1912 plans, all were ordered only to defend Ottoman territory. Even
though the weight of the army appeared to threaten Bulgaria, the Turkish
General Staff had no plans for cross-border operations or offensive operations
oriented toward the west. This mystified the entente attaches in Constantinople
who had observed the mobilization of 1912 and thus confused reports emanated
from the allied embassies throughout the Balkans. The British thought that the
Turks were preparing to attack Russia on the Asiatic frontier, while trying to
ally themselves with Bulgaria for an attack on Serbia.27 However, as stated by
Allen and Muratoff, the Turks were no longer focused on the restoration of a
larger Turkey-in-Europe.
Because of their disastrous experiences with the mobilization plan of 1912,
the Turkish General Staff realized that the underdeveloped railroads and lines of
communications could not support timetable-based deployment schemes. As a
result, completion of mobilization schedules became very problematic. It made
no sense, for example, to plan on the VI Corps (which deployed from Aleppo to
San Stefano) being ready to assume an operational role at the thirtieth day of
mobilization if substantial elements on the corps were still on the road.
Therefore the Turks now viewed mobilization an event driven affair. Units were
not assumed to arrive at the scheduled times and were only counted in the line
when physically reported as being ready. Bronsart von Schellendorff simply had
no real idea of exactly when Turkish units would deploy from their peacetime
mobilization stations to their wartime operational positions. As a result, the
military began to push the diplomats for breathing time during which the slowly
evolving mobilization plan could sort itself out.
 Plans 33

Compounding these problems was the fact that the Turkish Army was
engaged in a large unit reconstitution program, which was rebuilding the twelve
divisions and the three corps headquarters lost during the First and Second
Balkan Wars. This was further reason to delay the entry into the war for as long
as possible. Because of all of these difficulties, mobilization proceeded slowly
and was not complete until well into early November 1914. Even when
completed, the mobilization plan of the Turkish Army resulted in the least
concentrated deployment scheme of any of the major combatants.
Within the entente capitols, there were mixed feelings about the direction in
which Turkey was headed. The British felt that the alliance with Germany and
the presence of Admiral Souchon's squadron made dialogue with Turkey
impossible. The Russians also believed that Turkey was not serious about a
renewal of constructive dialogue. France almost ignored the Ottoman question
and concentrated her efforts on bringing Greece into the war on the side of the
allies. Winston Churchill felt that of all the intelligence pouring into Whitehall,
the British were the most uninformed about the situation in Turkey.28
As the months progressed, Bronsart von Schellendorff received minor
instructions to fine-tune the developing mobilization plan. On September 4,
1914, he was ordered to adjust the mobilization and deployment plan to
accommodate a potentially hostile Greece.29 Additionally, mobilization for
many Turkish Army corps was delayed up to twenty-five to forty days beyond
projections making detailed planning difficult. By the middle of October 1914,
Bronsart von Schellendorf received further instructions to begin planning for a
strategic attack aimed at seizing the Suez Canal. Unfortunately, the single-use
mobilization plan of June 1914 had delivered the most proficient fighting
divisions of the army to European Turkish Thrace.
In retrospect, the military deployment and concentration of forces available to
the Ottoman Empire did not align well with the overall diplomatic situation, nor
was the defensive nature of the empire's mobilization clearly understood by the
allies. Thus, as either a useful tool for the diplomats or as an unsheathed sword
for the generals, the Turkish Army's mobilization failed to meet the needs of the
empire.
Probably the single most important ingredient in the mix of factors and forces
involved in the Ottoman Empire's entry into the First World War was the
presence of the Imperial German Navy's Mediterranean Squadron at
Constantinople. U.S. Ambassador Henry Morgenthau thought that the passage
of the SMS Goeben and the SMS Breslau through the Dardanelles created
inevitable conditions that moved Turkey toward war.30 Although the ships
themselves were certainly an instrument of German diplomatic and military
leverage over the Ottoman Empire, the powerful personality of Rear Admiral
Wilhelm Souchon must be given equal weight in the diplomatic and strategic
equation. Souchon was formally named as commander of the Ottoman Fleet on
the day he handed over his ships to the Turks (August 16, 1914). However, this
was a titular designation and Souchon was not at this time in actuality the
34 Ordered to Die

commander of the Ottoman fleet, much in the same manner that the ships
themselves were not Turkish (until 1918). Whatever Souchon's real title, it is
clear that he reported directly to Wangenheim, had little to do with Liman von
Sanders, and less to do with Ottoman Minister of the Marine Cemal Pasa. This
point is not explained in any of the extant literature describing this period. It is
unclear why, on September 14, 1914, Enver Pa§a, rather than Cemal Pasa,
authorized Souchon to take his ships into the Black Sea and attack Russian
shipping.31 Evidently there was a very strong informal link between Souchon
and Enver Pasa (presumably exercising his authority as the acting commander in
chief of the Ottoman forces), which seemingly bypassed Cemal Pa§a, the
minister of the marine. However, the intercession of Sait Halim aborted the
proposed naval strike before Souchon could raise steam. With Wangenheim's
approval, Souchon complained directly to the Ottoman government, requesting
freedom of action to conduct training cruises. Sait Halim was very
uncomfortable with this arrangement, despite the reassurances of
Wangenheim.32 Subsequently, discussions with Souchon were held on
September 18, 1914, and the Germans were forbidden to exercise in the Black
Sea. To achieve this understanding, the Ottomans proposed that Souchon
receive a one-year appointment in the Ottoman service with the rank of vice
admiral and furthermore that he take over the role of the Naval Mission, now
vacant with the departure of Rear Admiral Limpus. In principle, this alleviated
Sait Halim's fears because it brought Souchon and his ships directly under
Ottoman control. The Germans approved this arrangement and on September
24, 1914, Souchon ostensibly reported for duty to Cemal Pa§a.
The means for Turkey's entry into the war now lay with the weak and
ineffective command relationship between Souchon and the Turks. Cemal
Pa§a's memoirs, published after the war, are very unclear about exactly which
authorities he retained over the Ottoman Fleet and which authorities he
delegated down to Souchon. In fact, Cemal's memoirs conveniently pause on
October 12, 1914, and restart on October 30, 1914 (the day after Souchon's
naval raid).
Throughout early October 1914, Sait Halim continued to press for Ottoman
neutrality, and for a time Talat seemed to be with him. Enver, operating almost
unsupported, secured several million Turkish pounds in gold from Berlin and
continued to plan the opening move designed to force Turkey into the war.33
This money probably went to buy the support of government officials wavering
between war and peace. At a cabinet meeting on October 12, 1914, Cemal Pa§a
related that the inner cabinet felt that Turkey was faced with but two options, the
first was immediate intervention and the second was to send Halil Bey and
several others to Berlin to convince the Germans of the necessity of maintaining
Turkish neutrality for another six months.34 By late October 1914, however,
Talat had swung back to Enver's interventionist clique.35 In spite of the agreed
on prohibitions, Souchon took his heavily flagged and bedecked ships out into
the Black Sea again. Unfortunately for the empire, Sait Halim failed to act
 Plans 35

decisively to put an end to such excursions. Seizing this chance to overturn the
prohibition, Enver issued instructions on October 25 to Vice Admiral Souchon
authorizing him to conduct maneuvers in the Black Sea and to attack the
Russian fleet "if a suitable opportunity presented itself."36 The authority with
which Enver did this, bypassing of the normal chain of command through
Cemal's Ministry, is unclear today. At the same time, Cemal Pasa transmitted a
secret instruction to senior Ottoman naval officers that Vice Admiral Souchon
was entitled to issue orders to the fleet. Cemal's memoirs fail to address this key
point. Importantly, Enver's orders called for an incident at sea and were based
on the assumption that the Russians would rise to the bait of German ships
steaming in the Black Sea. It is likely that Enver probably imagined a meeting
engagement in the Black Sea between Germans and Russians that would result
in shots being fired.37 In any case, this abrogation of authority to Vice Admiral
Souchon was the proximate cause of the Black Sea raids, which brought Turkey
directly into the war.
At this time, there were still many men within the War Ministry and within
the General Staff who were unconvinced that rapid entry into the war was in the
empire's best interests. Many felt that time was on the side of the Turks and that
the best course of action was to wait out developments. To counter this
opposition, the number two and the number three officers from the Turkish
General Staff, Bronsart von Schellendorf and Hafiz Hakki Bey were ordered to
Belin for consultations on October 24.
On October 26, 1914, the Ottoman Navy received orders directing
preparations for a reconnaissance exercise and was also provided with sealed
orders from Souchon.38 The fleet weighed anchor and departed Hyderpasa the
next day for its concentration areas. On October 28, 1914, the Ottoman fleet
reorganized for combat by splitting itself into four task forces steaming for
separate targets along the Russian coast. Vice Admiral Souchon with the
Goeben and several Turkish destroyers opened fire on shore batteries at
Sevastapol at 6:30 A.M. on October 29, 1914. The cruiser Hamidiye arrived at
Feodosia at 6:30 A.M., and chose to inform the local authorities that hostilities
would begin in two hours. The Hamidiye began shelling at 9 A.M. for an hour
before proceeding to Yalta where she sank several small Russian vessels. Two
Turkish destroyers attacked Odessa at 6:30 A.M., sinking two Russian gunboats
and destroying several granaries. The cruiser Breslau and an accompanying
destroyer arrived at Novorossiysk, and as at Feodosia, warned the locals. At
10:50 A.M., these ships opened fire on shore batteries and laid sixty mines.
Seven ships in port were damaged and one was sunk.39 As a result of these
attacks, the Allies severed relations with Turkey and delivered ultimatums.
Enver was quick to praise the returning fleet and wrote a congratulatory letter at
5:50 P.M. on October 29. In this letter he congratulated the fleet on its fine work
and compared the action to the heady days of Ottoman naval supremacy under
the Sultans. By his immediate action, Enver clearly knew of the scope and the
36 Ordered to Die

objectives of the attack.40 Several days later, on November 2, 1914, Russia

declared war on the Ottoman Empire.
At the after action naval conference in Constantinople on November 1,
German naval officers expressed disappointment at the limited success of the
raids and were critical of Ottoman naval performance. However, it should be
noted that while Souchon and the Goeben sank no ships, and the Breslau one
ship, the Ottoman cruisers and destroyers bagged two gunboats and five
merchant vessels. Any objective assessment of the raids might question the
basic mission itself as one which had no viable strategic objective. The dispersal
of the Turco-German fleet could lead to only one result and that was simply that
at least some portion of the fleet would engage and deliver shellfire on the
Russians. That the Turkish Fleet was never concentrated for a single decisive
blow such as Togo's attack on Port Arthur or Nelson's attack on Copenhagen
speaks to the nonstrategic nature of the mission. Unquestionably the weak and
dispersed naval raids of October 29, 1914, could only have been seen as a
political provocation, rather than as a serious naval operation. The Germans
hoped that it would be enough to incite the Entente to act against the Turks. In
that sense, the mission was a success.
The attacks provoked an immediate crisis with the Ottoman leadership, with
Sait Halim and Cavit registering protests to Enver. This was followed by a
firestorm of activity over the next two days, during which Sait Halim and
several others offered resignations. Talat told Wangenheim that the entire
cabinet, less Enver, opposed the naval action.41
This split finally resolved itself when Enver swayed Talat and Halil over to a
pro-interventionist stance. Outfoxed by Enver and facing an aroused entente,
Sait Halim was overcome by events as Russia, Britain, and France, in turn,
declared war against the Ottoman Empire.
Thus, in the course of a three-month period, the Ottoman Empire drifted from
a position of neutrality to that of full-fledged belligerence. With the exception of
its partially mobilized armies, the empire was no more prepared to wage modern
war than it was when the archduke was gunned down in Sarajevo. In a case
unique among the major powers, the Turks had no definite or finely tuned war
aims which reflected national policy objectives. The Ottomans did not covet the
return of lost provinces (with the minor exception of some small Greek islands),
nor did they expect to receive new lands. While they hoped for some financial
remuneration and relief, this was not, of itself, a rational justification for going
to war. The Turks simply tried to walk a neutral path for as long as they could.
A. J. P. Taylor was wrong when he portrayed the Turks as willing to risk all or
nothing to resolve regional issues. With the exception of Enver Pasa, Turkey
went unwillingly to war and, absent the relentless determination of Ambassador
Wangenheim and the accidental presence of Vice Admiral Souchon, might have
successfully avoided involvement. Overall, maneuvering Turkey into the war
was possibly the best strategic move that Germany made in the first two years of
 Plans 37

war, costing them almost nothing, while at the same time creating a strategic
problem for the entente of enormous consequence.

WAR PLANS

On April 7, 1914, Bronsart von Schellendorf completed the staff work on the
Primary Campaign Plan for the Turkish Army.42 This plan was prepared prior to
the events of the summer of 1914, and reflected the then-current strategic
situation. The Turkish General Staff estimated that Turkey would
simultaneously oppose both a renewed Balkan coalition of Bulgaria and Greece,
and Russia. The mobilization plans subsequently developed supported this
intelligence estimate. The Primary Campaign Plan specified that three basic
tasks were to be initially accomplished by the military: (1) the army had to
secure key terrain along the frontiers, (2) the army had to bring a majority of
forces to decisive points, and (3) the army had to ensure that enough time was
available to complete mobilization and concentration. The plan specifically
forbade units being committed piecemeal.
According to Bronsart von Schellendorf s plan, the Turks would field an
army of observation on the Greek and Bulgarian frontiers. Although this army
was prepared to fight, it would not act provocatively, nor would it engage in
offensive operations. In the east against Russia, the Turks would attempt to gain
the tactical initiative by conducting limited attacks should favorable operational
conditions exist in Caucasia. The plan recognized the supreme strategic
importance of Constantinople and the Turkish Straits by prioritizing the
establishment of the £atalca Fortified Zone, covered by the Fortress City of
Adrianople and the army of observation. Additional forces from Syria and
Mesopotamia were earmarked for transfer to the Turkish Thrace to support this
deployment. The principal weaknesses of the plan were perennial shortfalls in
artillery and technical units. To increase combat potential against the Russians,
the Turks increased their Jandarma strength in the east, and additionally planned
to mobilize their entire reserve cavalry force of four divisions there as well.43
Enver Pa§a wrote to Bronsart von Schellendorf, "I see we are together in
thought!"44 and immediately forwarded the plan to the naval staff for concurrent
action.
After the calamitous events of July 1914, Turkey found itself bound to
Germany in a Secret Treaty signed on August 2, 1914. She then found herself
tied to neighboring Bulgaria in a second secret treaty. These two treaties
essentially negated the strategic principles which Bronsart von Schellendorf had
formulated in the spring by eliminating Bulgaria and potentially adding the
entente powers as opponents. In the meantime the army, as shown in Table 2.6,
was well along in its reconstitution efforts, and had reestablished itself in
garrison cantonments throughout the empire.
 Table 2.6
Disposition of Turkish Forces, August 1914
EUROPEAN THRACE CAUCASIA
First Army Third Army
I Corps. 1, 2, 3 Inf. Div. IX Corps: 17, 28, 29 Inf Div.,
II Corps: 4, 5, 6 Inf. Div. 9 Cav. Bde.
III Corps: 7, 8, 9 Inf. Div. ANATOLIA X Corps: 30, 31, 32 Inf. Div.
1 Cav. Bde. V Corps: 13,14, 15 Inf. Div. XI Corps: 18, 33, 34 Inf Div.
11 Cav. Bde., Van Cav.Bde.
SYMRNA
IV Corps: 10, 11, \2 Inf. Div.
SYRIA MESOPOTAMIA
Second Army Sixth Army
VI Corps: ]6, 26 Inf Div. XII Corps: 35, 36 Inf. Div.
VIII Corps: 25, 27 Inf. Div. XIII Corps: 37 Inf. Div.

Note: Units in boldface type indicate new formations, ARABIA-YEMEN

units underlined indicate units redeployed since 1913. VII Corps: 21_, 22, 39,40 Inf. Div.
 Plans 39

Responding to these rapidly changing conditions, Bronsart von Schellendorf

began to adapt the Primary Campaign Plan on August 20, 1914. The possibility
of a direct attack on Turkish Thrace had receded with the signing of a Secret
Treaty of Alliance with Bulgaria. Turkish forces would continue to concentrate
in Thrace, but with an eye towards conducting possible operations with the
Bulgarians against either the Romanians or the Serbs. Although Russia
maintained strong forces on the Caucasian Front, the Turks thought that they
would not be inclined to attack, since Russia was already heavily engaged
against Germany and Austria-Hungary. As a result, the idea of a large scale
Turkish offensive using the Turkish Third Army in Caucasia began to be seen as
a viable option, in spite of the deplorable logistical and communications
difficulties involved. Since eventual hostilities against Great Britain were likely,
the Turks also began to consider the possibility of an offensive against Egypt
and the Suez Canal. With the continuing security of a friendly Bulgaria and with
the increasing likelihood of a neutral Greece, staff work and estimates continued
supporting these twin offensives.
On September 6, 1914, the Primary Campaign Plan was formally and
significantly changed. In Syria, the Fourth Army was ordered to plan an attack
on Egypt with forces from the VIII and the XII Corps. In the absence of a
Russian attack, the Third Army was ordered to plan for offensive operations
toward Ardahan and Batum. Furthermore, it was decided that a wing of the
Third Army would maneuver from a base formed by the Fortress City of
Erzurum and crush Russian forces in the area of Sarikamis.
As previously stated, there was an opposing point of view concerning overall
Turkish strategy from the second assistant chief of staff, Turkish Colonel Hafiz
Hakki Bey. On September 4, 1914, Hakki Bey revealed his own version of the
Turkish Campaign Plan. This was an overly ambitious plan predicated on the
Russian defeat at Tannenberg and the stalemate on the Marne. Hakki Bey
thought that these events would paralyze both the Russians and the Anglo-
French, thereby making large scale Turkish offensives possible. His plan
involved deploying the I Corps and the V Corps from Istanbul, and the III Corps
from Tekirdag, by sea to Samsun and Giresun. From these locations, this army-
sized force would attack toward Batum and Tiflis. In a supporting attack, the
Third Army would attack to seize Ardahan, and reinforced by the XIII Corps
from Mesopotamia, the Third Army would use the Van Jandarma Division and
the four reserve cavalry divisions to attack into Azerbaijan.
Turkish forces remaining in Mesopotamia would guard Basra and would
"menace" Afghanistan and India. In addition to the planned attack on Egypt, the
VII Corps in Yemen would observe and threaten Aden.
This plan immediately ran into difficulty and it was shelved after the staff
assessed that it would take until the late spring of 1915 to deploy the forces
necessary for Hakki Bey's plan to be implemented. This did not deter the
Colonel, and on October 4, 1914, Hakki Bey produced his Second Campaign
Plan. In this plan, he retained strong forces in Thrace to watch Greece and he
40 Ordered to Die

now planned to assist Romania and Bulgaria against Serbia in the spring. Hakki
Bey also envisioned an attack on the Suez Canal and in addition advocated an
offensive operation against Persia. As creative as these plans were, the Turkish
General Staff (as a whole) felt that the inherent weakness of the Turkish Army
was an insurmountable obstacle to the success of Hakki Bey's plans and his
ideas were consigned to the dustbin.
Although Turkey was not immediately a belligerent in the First World War,
the events of late July and early August 1914 were sufficient to cause Turkey to
mobilize. By August 1, 1914, all major European powers and several minor
powers were mobilizing their forces. Turkey followed suit by issuing partial
mobilization instructions to the I Corps, in Thrace, and to the VII Corps, in
Arabia. On Friday afternoon, August 2, 1914, the Turkish General Staff ordered
general mobilization effective from 9:00 A.M. that day. For planning purposes,
the following day, August 3, would be the first "numbered" day in the
mobilization schedule. In theory, the army could be mobilized in about twenty-
two days; however, the Turkish General Staff expected that delays and
mismanagement would extend the mobilization window to about forty to forty-
five days.45 In addition to the missing regiments, battalions, and companies in
Turkish divisions, the peacetime army had significant shortfalls in cavalry,
communications, field bakery, and combat engineer detachments. Turkish
divisions had no munitions reserves or depots. At corps level, severe shortages
existed in animal depots, bakery detachments, telegraph detachments, and field
hospitals. Only one corps had its allotted howitzer battalion, only one corps had
a full strength telegraph battalion, and only one corps had its assigned cavalry
regiment.46 Crippling shortages of all kinds characterized the logistical
capability of the Turkish Army to carry out mobilization. Thus, instead of
delivering capable forces with timetable precision to battle positions on the
frontier, the Turks simply lurched forward trying only to assemble major forces
in army areas. The offensives sought by Bronsart von Schellendorf and Hafiz
Hakki Bey were delayed indefinitely until the major commanders in the field
reported their readiness.
By the middle of September, or over forty-five days into mobilization, the
army was still not prepared for war. The I Corps reported that it was not ready
and had severe shortages of artillery horses and transport. In addition, the
reserve manpower the corps had received would not be ready "for a long time."
The II Corps was short two thousand cavalry and had never received its infantry
depot battalion. The III Corps was short uniforms, did not have enough soldiers
and officers, and also had never received its infantry depot battalion. The IV
Corps had similar shortages.47 These four army corps were stationed in the
western and most highly developed parts of the empire.
The Third Army's three army corps, located in eastern Turkey and unserviced
by railroads, were in even worse shape. The IX Corps was missing officers and
mountain equipment. It was also missing 1,823 horses, 1,324 oxen, uniforms
and equipment. The X Corps was missing 229 horses and 130 wagons, 1,552
 Plans 41

oxen and 779 oxcarts, and 448 camels. The Fortified Zone of Erzurum was short
150 infantry, 157 artillery, and 31 combat engineer officers. The fortress was
short 9,000 rifles and for its 80 mm Krupp artillery, it was short 2,896 fuses and
14,728 shrapnel shells. The situation for its critical 120 mm artillery was in a
similar state and fuse and shrapnel shortages were 444 and 8,700 respectively.
The fortress was short 28,000 uniforms.48 This was the army that would go over
to the winter offensive in December 1914.
Critical shortages were even worse in units that were farther away from the
Anatolian heartland, and the units in Mesopotamia, Syria, and Arabia suffered
accordingly. Although the Turkish General Staff received reports outlining these
shortages, there was little it could do to alleviate the problem. There were
simply no war reserves, beyond limited munitions stocks, available to fall back
on. In fighting the Balkan Wars of 1912 and 1913 Turkey had used up what
little reserves it possessed, and in the intervening year, the nearly bankrupt
empire was unable even to partially restock its war reserve of military
equipment.
In due time, the army reported itself mobilized. The actual time required to
mobilize the corps exceeded even the most pessimistic predictions. The actual
number of days needed to mobilize the Turkish corps compared to the number
of days required by the mobilization plan are shown in Table 2.7.

Table 2.7
Days Required to Mobilize Turkish Corps versus Days Required by the
Mobilization Plan

Corps Days Required Actual Days to Mobilize

I 19 64
II 15 40
III 22 22
IV 27 27
V 20 36
VI Not available
VII Not available
VIII 26 36
IX 33 55
X 29 42
XI 30 42
XII 23 31
XIII Not available

Source: Cemal Akbay, Em.Tugg, Birinci Diinya Harbinde Turk Harbi, lnci Cilt,
Osmanli Imparatorlugu 'nun Siyasi ve Askeri Hazirliklari ve Harbi Girisi (Ankara:
Genelkurmay Basimevi, 1991), 175,176.
42 Ordered to Die

CONCENTRATION OF FORCES

To support the Primary Campaign Plan, the Turkish General Staff had a
Concentration Plan. It is important to distinguish this plan from the Mobilization
Plan, which dealt with force generation and force readiness. The purpose of the
Concentration Plan was to task organize the command and control of the
Turkish Army and to position it to execute the Primary Campaign Plan.49 In the
planning endeavors of the more sophisticated armies of the major powers, these
plans tended to merge into one nearly simultaneous effort. However, in the
poorly developed Ottoman Empire, these plans were three distinct procedures
separated in time, scope, and intent.
The Concentration Plan shifted major forces to European Turkish Thrace for
the protection of the Turkish Straits, to Caucasia for the Third Army's winter
offensive, and to Palestine for the attack on the Suez Canal. The Second Army
headquarters deployed with the VI Corps to Constantinople and assumed
responsibility for the defense of the Qatalca Fortified Zone and the Bosporus
Straits. The V Corps was also deployed north from Symrna and was reassigned
to the Second Army as well. The XIII Corps was slated to reinforce the Third
Army and deployed northward from Mesopotamia. All of the reserve cavalry
divisions and the Van Jandarma Division were also assigned to the Third Army.
For the offensive into Egypt, a new Fourth Army Headquarters was formed in
Damascus on September 6, 1914 and the XII Corps transferred to it from
Baghdad for the attack. As economy of force measures to support these
deployments, both Mesopotamia and the Symrna region were literally stripped
of regular corps and divisions and were converted into area commands. The
Concentration Plan put a severe strain on the already overtaxed railway system
and like the Mobilization Plan, huge delays unavoidably afflicted the execution
of the Concentration Plan. In particular, the XIII Corps, travelling by barge up
the Tigris and Euphrates Rivers and then foot marching into the Anatolian
hinterland, failed to arrive in the Third Army area in time to participate in the
winter offensive. The Concentration Plan, illustrated by Table 2.8, reflected
obsolete strategic priorities, and in his haste to enter the war Enver accelerated
its execution. Thus, army units were moving to concentration areas before actual
war plans were finalized. Although the Turkish General Staff successfully
attempted to achieve some minor corrections, the plan failed to deliver the right
combination of trained formations to the decisive points identified by the final
versions of the Campaign Plan.
Presaging the events to come, the Turkish Mobilization and Concentration
Plans provided several key indicators of future battlefield effectiveness, which
are clearly evident in hindsight. In the winter offensive against Russia, the
transportation and equipment shortages in the IX, X, and XI Corps proved to be
 Table 2.8
Disposition of Turkish Forces,
November 1914-ConcentrationPlan
CAUCASIA
THRACE
Third Army
First Army
IX Corps: 17, 28, 29 Inf. Div.
I Corps: 1,2, 3 Inf. Div.
X Corps: 30, 31, 32 Inf. Div.
II Corps: 4, 5, 6 Inf. Div.
XI Corps: 18, 33, 34 Inf. Div
III Corps: 7, 8, 9 Inf. Div.
MOVING TO THIRD ARMY Reserve Cavalry Corps: 1, 2, 3, 4 Reserve
IV Corps: 10, 1 12 Inf. Div.
XIII Corps: 37Inf. Div. Cav. Div
19, 20 Inf. Div.
Van Jandarma (Inf.) Div.
1 Cav. Bde.
2 Cav. Div.
Second Army
Van Cav. Bde.
V Corps: 13,14, 15 Inf. Div.
SYRIA
VI Corps: 16,24,26 Inf. Div.
Fourth Army MESOPOTAMIA
VIII Corps: 23, 25, 27 Inf. Div. Irak Area Command
XII Corps: 35,36 Inf. Div. 38 Inf. Div.
SYMRNA
Fortified Area Command
ARABIA-YEMEN
VII Corps: 21, 22, 39, 40 Inf. Div.
Note: Units in boldface type indicate new formations,
units underlined indicate units redeployed since August 1914.
44 Ordered to Die

disastrous when the Third Army was unable to logistically sustain itself at the
Battle of Sarikamis in January 1915. Additionally, the excessive number of days
required for the newly reconstituted infantry divisions of these corps to mobilize
also provides insight into their military proficiency and effectiveness. In January
1915, the inexperienced troops of these divisions were badly handled by the
Russians in the Caucasian Mountains. The mismanaged offensive into Egypt
was coordinated and commanded by the brand-new Fourth Army headquarters.
Instead of leaving the Second Army and the VI Corps in place to conduct this
logistically difficult offensive, the Turks chose to attack with a new and untested
headquarters and the XII Corps redeployed from Mesopotamia. It is no surprise
that the British beat the offensive back at small cost.
Singularly, it is worthwhile to point out that the III Corps met its "days
required to mobilize" target of twenty-two days. The fact that the corps not only
mobilized on time, but beat its nearest competitor (the VI Corps) by 6 days,
attests to the efficiency of the III Corps. As previously noted, the III Corps was
the only Turkish corps to survive the Balkan Wars with its original organic
divisions intact. Mobilization was the first test of the Turkish Army in the First
World War and the III Corps passed with flying colors. The British would meet
the divisions of the III Corps on the Gallipoli Peninsula in April 1915.
Could the Turkish General Staff have done better? The simple answer is
probably not. It is clear that the wildly ambitious ideas of Colonel Hakki Bey
were not considered in serious contention to the solid staff work of Colonel
Bronsart von Schellendorf. It would be all too easy to state that the best, and
perhaps the only way, that Turkey might have increased the effectiveness of its
General Staff would have been to import more Germans. However, the Turks
were sensitive to the growing influence of the German mission, and the issue of
adding Germans, who would have inevitably replaced Turkish officers would
surely have caused ill feelings. It is very likely that additional German assistance
in the form of more staff officers would have destabilized a relatively
harmonious working relationship.
How realistic and how effective were the Turkish plans and the subsequent
execution of those plans? The Turkish General Staff only had a single year to
adapt itself to the loss of Turkey-in-Europe and to a reconfigured, and possibly
more threatening, strategic situation. The former plans of 1912, a dozen in all,
were hopelessly outdated and were replaced by a single mobilization plan.
Although this did not speed up mobilization, it certainly streamlined the
planning parameters and made subsequent staff work all the easier. This would
seem to have been a sound decision.
Any further assessment of the effectiveness of the Turkish Mobilization and
Concentration Plans must return to the Campaign Plan, since that document was
the engine of the deployment scheme. Bronsart von Schellendorf s Campaign
Plan delivered the preponderance of Turkish fighting strength to Thrace. Given
the uncertainties of the Balkan situation in April 1914, in August 1914, and even
as late as November 1914, this was a prudent strategic decision. It must be
 Plans 45

remembered that the loss of Adrianople, and the near loss of the Qatalca Line
and Constantinople in 1913 was branded into the minds of the Turkish officer
corps. It is probable that there were reserve officers on duty in 1914 who still
remembered the near loss of Thrace because of the Treaty of San Stefano in
1878. This legacy and burden drove all strategic decisions for the Turkish
General Staff in 1914.50 While Turkey could trade space for time in all other
theaters, she had no strategic margin for retreat in Thrace. Any possible
campaign plan had to address this imperative before considering anything else.
Although the deployment of the finest six out of thirteen active corps to sit idle
in Thrace seems conservative beyond belief, it reflects the absolute necessity to
defend, at all costs, the strategic center of gravity of Turkey.51 What could be
criticized in Bronsart von Schellendorf s final variant of the Campaign Plan was
the decision to conduct simultaneous offensives on widely separated fronts. For
the opening offensives, only three Turkish corps attacked in Caucasia and only a
single corps attacked in the Sinai. Neither Germany, France, nor Russia
contemplated conducting such weak offensives. The only major power
attempting such operations as its opening campaign strategy was Austria-
Hungary, which suffered similar disasters at the hands of the Serbs and the
Russians. It is questionable whether Turkey possessed the military resources to
conduct a single offensive in late 1914, and it is beyond doubt that Turkey could
not reasonably expect success from two offensives. Surely the highly trained
German General Staff Officer Bronsart von Schellendorf must have known this.
It must be remembered here that both Bronsart von Schellendorf and Hafiz
Hakki Bey journeyed to Berlin for consultation in late October 1914. Therefore,
it may be considered as a reasonable speculation that the Germans intentionally
encouraged the Turks to become actively involved against both the Russians and
the British regardless of the overall possibilities of success. That some
influential officers within the Turkish General Staff, notably no less an authority
than the second assistant chief of staff, were ready to conduct even more wildly
ambitious offensives indicates that Bronsart von Schellendorf did not really
need to do very much encouraging at all. However, the endorsement of the
offensive by the professional and admired Germans surely helped Enver Pa§a
and Colonel Hafiz Hakki Bey crush whatever advocates of a defensive strategic
stance remained on the Turkish General Staff in the fall of 1914.
A single strategic offensive, either in the Caucasus or in the Sinai might not
have succeeded, but more importantly, might not have resulted in the defeats
which actually occurred. Overall, given Turkey's overall readiness posture to
wage a multi-front war in the wake of the Balkan Wars, the most realistic
campaign strategy may have been simply to sit tight on its borders, perhaps
conducting corps-sized local offensive to seize key terrain or defensible ground.
Turkey in 1914, of all the major participants in the First World War, knew the
inherent strength of the modern defense and the fundamental weakness of the
unweighted offensive. That Enver Pa§a chose to disregard the evidence of the
sieges of Plevna, of Erzurum, of Adrianople, and of the defense of the Qatalca
46 Ordered to Die

Lines speaks volumes about his junior officer background and his inexperience
in strategic matters.
The Concentration Plan itself seemed to be fairly simple in transferring the
centrally positioned corps, which were located in the interior of Anatolia, in
Syria, and in upper Mesopotamia, to concentration positions on the frontiers.
However, again movements were delayed and the plan proved slower to execute
than expected. The IV, V, and VI Corps traveled over separate routes to Thrace
but were still arriving in December 1914. The routes taken by the XII Corps
actually overlapped and conflicted with the routes taken by the XIII Corps. This
undoubtedly affected the deployment of the XIII Corps and delayed its
deployment to the Caucasus for the Third Army's winter offensive. These slow
movements presaged future problems with Turkey's inadequate infrastructure
and weak transportation system.
Becoming convinced that the Turks would enter the war sooner or later
against them, the British and the Russians used the time generated by the slow
Turkish concentration to prepare measures against them. Both allied countries
prepared to take the offensive immediately upon commencement of hostilities
and both countries proved more capable than the Turks in their ability to
position and to direct forces for immediate use. On October 31, 1914, several
days prior to the official start of hostilities, Russian army units began cross
border operations near Dogubeyazit and on the same day, Russian Ambassador
Giers departed Constantinople. British operations began the following day in the
Persian Gulf with the landing of troops near Fao and in the Mediterranean with
a Royal Navy bombardment of Gaza.
A major Russian attack on the Third Army's defensive lines at Koprukoy
began on November 5, and on November 7 major British forces landed at Basra.
By November 19, the Turks had lost Basra in Mesopotamia and the Russians
began larger operations aimed against Saray and Van. Obviously the allies had
considered a hostile Turkey to be a likely outcome of the complex maneuvering
of the fall of 1914 and had prepared accordingly.
Thus, the time gained by delaying the entry of the Ottoman Empire into the
war still had not been sufficient to insure that Turkey would gain the initiative.
As late as December 5, Enver was sending his final attack order to the Third
Army and on the next day, he offered command of that army to Liman von
Sanders. Liman von Sanders, a trained General Staff officer himself, wisely
refused, thereby rendering his informal opinion on the ultimate success of
Enver's offensive plans in Caucasia. Instead of remaining in the capital to direct
the overall coordination of Turkey's widely scattered war fronts (now three in
all), Enver Pasa decided to travel to the Third Army's area of operations to
personally supervise operations there. He took both Hafiz Hakki Bey and
Bronsart von Schellendorf with him. Fortunately for the remainder of the
Turkish General Staff, German Field Marshal Colmar von der Goltz arrived in
Constantinople on December 12, 1914, to carry some of the staff load caused by
the exodus of senior leadership.
 Plans 47

In any case, by mid-December 1914, enough forces with which to begin

offensive operations were in position in the Caucasus. Longer distances and the
change in Turkish headquarters from the Second Army to the Fourth Army in
Syria delayed the Sinai offensive for another two weeks. Turkey was now
poised for attack.

NOTES

1. The World Almanac and Encyclopedia, 1914 (New York: Press Publishing, 1913),
250.
2. Ahmed Emin Yalman, Turkey in the World War (New Haven, Conn.: Yale
University Press, 1930), 93.
3. Ibid., 86.
4. Feroz, Ahmed, "The Late Ottoman Empire" in The Great Powers and the End of
the Ottoman Empire, ed. Marian Kent (London: Allen & Unwin, 1984), 25. The Balkan
Wars, in this statement, inclusively means the period from 1877 through 1913.
5. W. E. D. Allen and Paul Muratoff, Caucasian Battlefields: A History of the Wars on
the Turco-Caucasian Border, 1828-1921 (Cambridge: Cambridge University Press,
1953), 229.
6. Turkish General Staff, Balkan Harbi (1912-1913) (Ankara: Genelkurmay Basimevi,
1993), 185-190.
7. Turkish General Staff, Turk Silahli Kuvvetleri Tarihi, Balkan Harbi (1912-1913),
III Cilt, Garp Ordusu Vardar Ordusu ve Ustruma Kolordusu (Ankara: Genelkurmay
Basimevi, 1993), 59-132.
8. Turkish General Staff, Turk Silahli Kuvvetleri Tarihi, Balkan Harbi (1912-1913), II
Cilt, Edirne Kalesi Etrafindaki Muharebeler (Ankara: Genelkurmay Basimevi, 1993),
45-71.
9. Ibid., Chart 12.
10. Ibid., Map 40.
11. Ulrich Trumpener, Germany and the Ottoman Empire, 1914-1918 (Princeton, N.J.:
Princeton University Press, 1968), 23.
12. Turkish General Staff, Birinci Diinya Harbinde Turk Harbi, Inci Cilt, Osmanli
Imparatorlugu 'nun Siyasi ve Askeri Hazirliklari ve Harbe Girisi. (Ankara: GK Basim
Evi, 1970), 49.
13. G. P. Gooch and Harold Temperley, eds. British Documents on the Origins of the
War, 1898-1914, vol. 11, (London: HMSO, 1926), 311; Beaumont to Sir Edward Grey,
August 3, 1914.
14. J. C. Hurewitz, Diplomacy in the Near and Middle East: A Documentary Record:
1914-1956, vol. 2 (Princeton, N.J.: Van Nostrand, 1956), 1-2.
15. Yalman, Turkey in the World War, 67-68. Dr. Yalman also noted that the treaty
negotiations were never discussed during meetings of the Ottoman cabinet. Furthermore
he noted that only five men in the government knew of its existence.
16. Commandant M. Larcher, La Guerre Turque Dans La Guerre Mondiale (Paris:
Chiron & Berger-Levrault, 1926), 608-609.
48 Ordered to Die

17. Trumpener, Germany and the Ottoman Empire, 24.

18. Ibid., 25-26.
19. TGS, Hazirliklari ve Girisi, 54-55; Yalman, Turkey in the World War, 72.
20. Yalman, Turkey in the World War, 72.
21. Ibid., 72
22. A. J. P. Taylor, The Struggle for Mastery in Europe, 1848-1918 (Oxford: Oxford
University Press, 1971), 534.
23. Otto Liman von Sanders, Five Years in Turkey (London: Bailliere, Tindall & Cox,
1928), 31.
24. Luigi Albertini, The Origins of the War 1914., vol. 3 (Oxford: Oxford University
Press, 1952), 616-617.
25. Ibid., 619-620.
26. Cemal Akbay, Birinci Diinya Harbinde Turk Harbe, Inci Cilt, Osmanli
Imparatorlugu 'nun Siyasi ve Askeri Hazirliklari ve Harbi Girisi (Ankara: Genelkurmay
Basimevi, 1991), 157-162.
27. Gooch and Temperley, British Documents on the Origins of the War, 306; Sir G.
Barclay to Sir Edward Grey, August 4, 1914.
28. Winston S. Churchill, The World Crisis (New York: Charles Scribners, Sons,
1931), 280.
29. Akbay, Hazirliklari ve Harbi Girisi, 162-176.
30. Albertini, Origins of the War, 621.
31. Trumpener, Germany and the Ottoman Empire, 39.
32. Ibid., 40.
33. Geoffrey Miller, Straits: British Policy towards the Ottoman Empire and the
origins of the Dardanelles Campaign (Hull, UK: University of Hull Press, 1997), 314-
317.
34. Djemal Pasha, Memories of a Turkish Statesman, 1913-1919 (London:
Hutchinson, n.d.), 128-130.
35. Trumpener, Germany and the Ottoman Empire, 54.
36. Ibid., 54.
37. For the best presentation of Enver's machinations and the complete text of these
secret orders, readers should look to Geoffrey Miller's excellent Straits Policy (Chapter
21, The Private War).
38. Bernd Langensiepen and Ahmet Guleryuz, The Ottoman Steam Navy (Annapolis,
MD.: Naval Institute Press, 1995), 44.
39. Ibid., 44-45.
40. Miller, Straits Policy, 323. Miller notes that news of the attack was already
common knowledge on the streets of Constantinople by the afternoon of October 29,
1914.
41. Trumpener, Germany and the Ottoman Empire, 58-61.
42. Akbay, Birinci Diinya Harbinde, 157.
43. These ill-trained and poorly equipped forces would be used in an economy of
force mission on the southern flank of the Third Army's disastrous winter offensive in
1914.
44. Akbay, Birinci Diinya Harbinde, 158.
45. Ibid., 167.
46. Ibid., 171.
47. Ibid., 173.
 Plans 49

48. Ibid., 174.

49. Ibid., 176-178.
50. The lack of strategic space in Thrace still affects the modern day Turkish General
Staff, which in 2000 still stations four out of nine active corps in the area of the Turkish
Straits and Istanbul.
51. In fact, the 1912 and 1913 defense of Thrace had involved ultimately five active
army corps and four reserve corps of the Ottoman Army.
This page intentionally left blank
 3
The Early Offensives,
November 1914-March 1915

1914 AND EARLY 1915

In 1914 the Turks attempted to seize the strategic initiative with offensives in
the Caucasus and in the Sinai with the limited forces in place under an outdated
campaign plan. In their initial attacks, the Turks used nine infantry divisions in
the Caucasus and parts of three infantry divisions in the Sinai, thereby
committing only twelve of their thirty-six infantry divisions to combat.
Additionally, many of these were newly raised infantry divisions with very
limited experience. This was serious mistake but one which was not easily
overcome given the realities of the Concentration Plan.
Like every other belligerent power's initial offensives, the Turkish offensives
had also ended in failure. Although the Third Army suffered crippling losses in
the Caucasian winter offensive at Sarikamis, the front was stabilized and
reinforcements were enroute to the Third Army. In Mesopotamia, Basra and
Qurna were lost, but the British did not seem to be in any hurry to advance up
river on Baghdad, and Turkish reinforcements were en route to Mesopotamia.
The Fourth Army's ill-conceived Sinai attack on the Suez Canal failed, but
losses were extremely light. The overall Turkish strategic situation in the late
winter of 1915 was serious but not critical. On the positive side of the ledger, a
Turkish expeditionary force had taken Tabriz in Persia. Taken as a percentage
of available strength, the Turkish losses in the first four months of war were
quite moderate when compared to the horrific losses suffered by the French, the
Germans, the Austro-Hungarians, and the Russians.
Probably the most preventable and serious mistake that the Turks made in the
early days of the war was the failure to provide an adequate defensive force in
Mesopotamia. The decision to leave the Shatt-al-Arab poorly guarded opened
52 Ordered to Die

the door for a British presence in Mesopotamia, which lasted the entire war.
Although the British ultimately sent almost double the number of men that the
Turks had in that theater, this was a dangerous situation that created competing
strategic priorities for the empire for the rest of the war.
Although there remained a huge force of Turkish divisions in Thrace, there
was a growing body of reports from Egypt that the British were bent on seizing
the Dardanelles. Therefore, the First and Second Armies were maintained at
nearly full strength and were retained in the vicinity of Constantinople. This
decision would prove to be fortuitous in the coming spring of 1915.
Minister of War Enver Pasa and Minister of the Marine Cemal Pasa displayed
a propensity to take leave of their administrative duties in Constantinople for
more active roles as combat commanders. They also tended to bring their
capable German advisors with them. In doing so they gutted the leadership of
the Turkish High Command at a critical period. Of particular note, no
exceptional leaders had emerged from the early offensives. Reciprocally, no
leaders were identified as particularly deficient in military operations, and thus
no major Turkish commanders were relieved of their duties.
Within the Turkish Army itself, regular Turkish infantry divisions, which had
been afforded the time and opportunity to train for war, proved steady and
capable of sustained combat effectiveness. Although logistical shortages
continued to plague the army, the basic corps and divisional command structure
of the Turkish Army appeared sound.
In assessing the operational effectiveness of the early Turkish offensives, the
dispersion of Turkish strength appeared as the most critical determinant of
failure. In attempting to conduct simultaneous offensives on widely separated
fronts, the Turkish General Staff failed to achieve a decisive concentration of
strength in any single theater. The poor condition of the Turkish lines of
communications further complicated this dispersion and the Turks were unable
to take full advantage of their favorable geographic interior position. As a result,
the Turkish General Staff was left with inconclusive results on three active
fronts.

SARIKAMIS

From a military standpoint, the geography in the Turkish Third Army's Area
of Operations was rugged in the extreme. Physically, the mountains rose to
heights of well over 3,000 meters and the land itself was barren and dry. There
was little cover and concealment for troops. The narrow river valleys tended to
channel operations along narrow axes of advance and the supporting road
network was primitive. In the winter, the temperatures could plummet and
remain at - 50°C and snow as deep as three to four meters could accumulate.
The local population of about five million people consisted of mostly hardy
Anatolian Turks and a sizable minority of Armenians—about seven hundred
thousand. There were even several hundred thousand Greeks still living in the
region.1 These people lived mainly in the cities and villages that clung to life
 Early Offensives 53

along the valleys. The inhabitants were poor, even by the standards of the
Ottoman Empire.
Any military appreciation of the terrain in the Third Army's area would
classify it as ideal for the conduct of defensive operations. The restrictive
valleys became choke points hindering any advance and the barren ground was
ideal for establishing defensive fields of fire. Operations in the surrounding
mountains required elite mountain troops specially trained and equipped to deal
with the unique physical and tactical problems. In an era of seasonal
campaigning, the onset of winter imposed a set of additional problems as well.
Units participating in winter operations in such an area required special clothing,
extra food rations and fuel, and, above all, dynamic leadership at the tactical
level.
Overall, the Third Army's area was totally unsuited for offensive operations,
whether at the strategic, operational, or tactical level, yet it was here that Turkey
struck its opening blow against the Russians. Because of the unfavorable
geography, the question of intent or objective must be addressed. A case can be
made that the provinces lost in 1878 made such an offensive in the east an
emotional necessity and certainly an offensive in this area supported the greater
political objectives of Pan-Turanism.2 Whether either of these larger purposes
was the true driving force behind the Turkish offensive in the winter of 1914 are
unclear from Turkish records today. Speculatively, the operation's political
objective was probably the restoration of the 1878 frontier, since the operation
itself was portrayed as neither a crusade nor as a rallying symbol for Pan-
Turanism. The attacking Third Army's geographic objectives were initially the
key cities that lay about fifty kilometers across the border, and then as secondary
objectives the former Turkish cities lying a further one hundred and ten
kilometers beyond. Indeed, the primary purpose of the operation was simply to
kill off a large part of the opposing Russian Army. It must also be considered
that simply engaging the Russians with major forces in an outer theater was, for
the Germans at least, a viable objective in and of itself.
The Turkish Third Army was commanded by Hasan Izzet Pasa and had a
German officer, Lieutenant Colonel Guse, as its chief of staff. Brigadier General
Ahmet Fevzi commanded the IX Corps, Mirliva (an old Ottoman term for
brigadier general) Ziya Pa§a commanded the X Corps. This corps also had a
German chief of staff, Major Lange, and Mirliva Galip Pa§a commanded the XI
Corps. Colonels commanded the regular divisions in these corps. The unique
Van Jandarma Division consisting of the Van Jandarma Regiment, seven
regional Jandarma battalions, the Bitlis Jandarma Regiment (Independent) and
the Diyarbakir Jandarma Regiment (Independent) was commanded by Major
Ferit. The corps-sized Erzurum Fortress garrison of seven fortress infantry
regiments, two heavy artillery regiments, and supporting arms detachments was
commanded by Colonel Alaaddin. The effects of Enver Papa's purge of older
officers are immediately apparent—corps are normally commanded by lieutenant
generals and divisions by major generals.3 Although the retention of younger,
and possibly more politically reliable, officers in high positions may have lent
some greater degree of vigor to Turkish Army operations, the hemorrhage of
54 Ordered to Die

experienced senior officers certainly must have had an offsetting deleterious and
demoralizing effect.
Hostilities officially began on November 2, 1914, with the Russian
declaration of war on the Ottoman Empire; however, the Russian offensive
actually began the preceding day. The thin Turkish cavalry screen along the
frontier came under heavy attack and fought delaying actions. The main Russian
attack came along the Erzurum-Sarikamis road, with a strong supporting attack
from Oltu. Supplementary attacks were aimed at Karakose and Beyazit. Within
a week, the Russians had advanced halfway from the frontier to Erzurum, where
they were halted by determined defensive counterattacks from the XI Corps'
18th, 33rd, and 34th Infantry Divisions and the reserve cavalry divisions. By
November 12, the IX Corps reinforced the XI Corps on its left flank and
together with the cavalry the Turks began slowly to push the Russians back. By
the end of November, the front had stabilized with the Russians clinging to a
salient twenty-five kilometers deep in Turkish territory along the Erzurum-
Sarikamis axis. Losses were moderate.4 The Russians had greater success along
the southern shoulders of the Third Army and had taken and held both Karakose
and Dogubayazit. Armenian formations fighting with the Russian Army were
particularly visible in the seizure of Dogubayazit.
On December 8, 1914, the Turkish cruiser Mecidiye brought Colonel Hafiz
Hakki Bey to Trabzon. The second assistant chief of staff had been sent to
energize the offensive spirit of the Third Army. The colonel personally gave
Third Army Chief of Staff Guse (who was a German Lieutenant Colonel)
instructions immediately to begin planning an offensive. The instructions
reaffirmed the intent of the Turkish General Staff to deliver a crushing blow
against the Russians. Guse was directed to prepare a plan that used one corps
operating from the Erzurum Fortress to fix the strong Russian forces on the front
lines. He was further directed to throw a wing of two corps around the left flank
and behind the enemy.5 Once this was accomplished, the Russians would
collapse in a battle of annihilation.6 The Third Army Commander, when briefed
about this directive, felt that the operation would be very difficult to carry out.7
The commander of the IX Corps also expressed misgivings about the feasibility
of the plan. The weather notwithstanding, the Third Army had suffered serious
personnel losses, which had not been replaced, especially in the reserve cavalry
divisions.
On the basis of a German report that Hindenburg had sent to Berlin about the
weakness of Russian headquarters, Enver Pasa and Colonel Hakki Bey were
convinced that the Russians would collapse when encircled. The report, based
on the Battle of Tannenberg (fought in late August 1914), noted that Russian
headquarters were useless when surrounded and that, inevitably, command and
control broke down. Both Enver Pasa and Colonel Hakki Bey wanted to
duplicate Tannenberg and deliver another resounding defeat to the Russians at
Sarikami§. Furthermore, after winning this victory, they wanted to drive on
Ardahan and the Fortress of Kars and destroy the Russian forces there as well.
Planning began in earnest. To reinforce the offensive, the Turkish General Staff
formed a special detachment from the 3 rd Infantry Division, stationed in Thrace,
 Early Offensives 55

consisting of two battalions of the 8* Infantry Regiment and two artillery

batteries, which would deploy to the vicinity of Qoruh. The purpose of this
detachment was to pin down the Russians on the coast near Batum. These troops
came by sea, since at this early point in the war, it was still relatively easy for
the Turks to move small transports along the Black Sea coast. This would allow
the X Corps to relinquish its defensive coastal responsibilities and concentrate
for offensive operations. The command of this detachment was placed in the
hands of a German major named Stange (later lieutenant colonel), then assigned
to the artillery command of the Erzurum Fortress. The detachment became
known as the §tanke Bey Mufrezesi. On December 12, 1914, Enver Pasa
himself arrived in Erzurum and began to participate in the planning effort. He
immediately began tinkering with the plan. After having decided to conduct
large-scale offensive operations, Enver Pa§a was now concerned about the large,
and increasing, number of casualties sustained by the Third Army, which could
not easily be replaced. He was also concerned about the wide frontage held by
the Third Army, reaching from the Black Sea to Lake Van, which made
concentration difficult. To compensate for these problems, Enver wanted
aggressive commanders whom he could trust to overcome such difficulties.
Later that month, Bronsart von Schellendorf and his chief of operations,
Lieutenant Colonel Feldman would also come to Erzurum. There was no dearth
of advice, or supervisory talent, for the unfortunate Third Army commander and
his staff.
Unhappy with the leadership in the Third Army, Enver Pa§a continued to
change his horses in midstream by summarily and involuntarily retiring IX
Corps commander Ahmet Fevzi Pasa. To replace him, Enver brought up the 34th
Infantry Division commander, Colonel Ihsan Pasa. The commander of the X
Corps, Ziya Pasa, was young, active, and intelligent. However, Ziya too, was out
of favor with Enver, possibly for his slowness in mobilizing and concentrating
his corps, or perhaps for his politics. In any case, the X Corps was chosen to
lead the critically decisive left wing of the projected encirclement and required a
commander who totally supported the plan. Consequently, Enver Pasa decided
to place Colonel Hafiz Hakki Bey, who was conveniently lingering in Erzurum,
in command of the X Corps replacing Ziya Pasa who was assigned to other
duties. At this time, the young Hakki Bey was thought to be decisive,
hardworking, intelligent, and hard driving.8 As a result of these changes, the two
Turkish Corps involved in the decisive left-wing encirclement against Sarikamis
had commanders who had little or no experience at the operational level of war.9
The Turkish Operations Plan was a single envelopment (Map 3-1) using two
groups of forces; a weak group consisting of the XI Corps and the 2nd Regular
Cavalry Division and a strong group consisting of the IX and X Corps (both of
which now had new and inexperienced commanders). The weaker group would
fix the Russian force in place while the stronger group would swing wide and
encircle the Russians from behind. Neither the strong group, located on the left
flank, nor the weak group located on the right flank received an overall wing or
flank commander to coordinate operations. The plan involved much risk. The
newly formed $tanke Bey Mufrezesi would conduct highly visible operations
56 Ordered to Die

Map 3.1
The Sarikami§ Encirclement Operation According to the Third Army Attack Plan
of December 19,1914

Sankami? Kusatma Harekati Icin 19 Aralik 1914 GUnU Vferilen

Taarruz Emrine GCre 3ncii OrcJunun Taarruz Plam

Source: Turkish General Staff, Birinci Diinya Harbinde Turk Kafkas Cephesi 3 ncii Ordu
Harekati Cilt II Birinci Kitap (Ankara: Genelkurmay Basim Evi, 1993), Kroki (Map) 19.

along the frontier to distract and pin Russian units. It was hoped that this activity
would make the X Corps' drive on Oltu easier. To assist the weaker group of
forces, the 2nd Cavalry Division was reinforced with four infantry battalions, a
mountain artillery battery, and a 120 mm heavy artillery detachment. The XI
Corps received additional artillery, as well. The forces were to be in position by
December 19 and were to be ready for action not later than the following day.
The operation was scheduled to begin on December 22, 1914.
The tempo of operations dramatically increased as all subordinate
commanders and staffs began hurried preparations for a major offensive
 Early Offensives 57

operation. Overall, the Third Army had about 150,000 men assigned to it in
December 1914. However, many of these soldiers were assigned to the Erzurum
Fortress and after a month of intensive combat, most maneuver battalions were
weakening and short on ammunition. To make up shortfalls, the XI Corps had
three border battalions and four Jandarma battalions assigned, and the X Corps
had the §tanke Bey Mufrezesi assigned to it. Six thousand replacements were
sent to the XI Corps as well. According to returns, the Third Army had 75,660
men, 73 machine guns, and 218 artillery pieces available for mobile offensive
operations (Table 3.1).10

Table 3.1
Available Offensive Strength-Third Army, December 22nd, 1914
Unit Battalions Riflemen Machine Guns Artillery

LEFT WING
X Corps 33 28,000 20 56
IX Corps 27 21,000 23 58

RIGHT WING
XI Corps 34 22,274 16 94
2d Cavalry Division 4,386 14 10

TOTAL 94 75,660 73 218

Other Combatants 37,000

Replacements available 6,000

THIRD ARMY TOTAL 118,660

Source: Turkish General Staff, Birinci Diinya Harbinde Turk Kafkas Cephesi 3 ncii Ordu
Harekati Cilt II Birinci Kitap (Ankara: Genelkurmay Basim Evi, 1993), 383-384.

It would appear that the average rifle strength of Turkish infantry divisions
involved in the Sarikamis offensive was about seven thousand riflemen per
division (out of an authorized strength of about ten thousand). Machine-gun
availability was notably weak in all corps, as was artillery in the critical IX and
X Corps (fifty-eight and fifty-six out of seventy-two guns authorized to be on
hand, respectively).
The Turks estimated that the opposing Russian force, which they hoped to
entrap and destroy, was in a similar condition. Their intelligence estimated that
the Russian Sarikamis. Group had a rifle strength of about sixty-five thousand
men, organized into eighty-four infantry battalions. The Turks estimated that the
Russians also had 36 cavalry squadrons and 172 artillery pieces available. If
these estimates were correct, the Turks had a small superiority in infantry and
artillery, which //properly employed could tip the tactical balance in their favor.
58 Ordered to Die

However, it was also estimated that the Russians could call in one hundred
thousand fresh reinforcements, if necessary.
The morning of December 22 began with auspiciously mild weather and little
fog or snow. The X Corps began its movement toward Oltu at 4 A.M. The XI
Corps attacked at 9 A.M., while the divisions of the IX Corps attacked between
6 and 8 A.M. Enver Pasa went forward to view the action at 8 A.M. and arrived
at the front near Hahor at 3 P.M. It was a successful day and the evening reports
to the Third Army were extremely encouraging. The next day too went well and
by December 24, the Turkish left wing was beyond Oltu and still advancing.
The XI Corps and 2nd Cavalry Division were advancing as well. By Christmas,
the IX Corps reached the outskirts of Sarikami§ and the X Corps had reached the
point where it would pivot toward the southeast to outflank and envelop
Sarikami§. Thus far, the offensive was an astounding success, with the X Corps
marching a hard seventy-five kilometers in just over three days. In a night attack
on December 25 and 26, the 29th Infantry Division entered the town of Old
Sarikamis. By December 28 the X Corps had seized blocking positions at Selim,
on the road from Sarikami§ to Kars. The weather conditions were now turning
for the worse, the X Corps reported one and a half meters of snow and
temperatures of- 26°C.
Unfortunately, the XI Corps attacks were not pressed hard enough and the
corps failed in its basic mission to pin the Russians in their forward positions.
The Russians were quick to take advantage of this and thinned the lines in front
of Erzurum to send a force of several regiments of infantry and cavalry back to
Sarikami§ before the Turks arrived. These forces arrived in the nick of time and
were able to hold the city in the face of repeated Turkish attacks. Unlike their ill-
fated First and Second Army counterparts in the forests of East Prussia, the
Russian army and corps headquarters maintained a solid grip on the situation,
bleak as it was, and retained effective command and control over their forces.
Russian reinforcements were also arriving quickly at Benli Ahmet to block any
further advance of the X Corps.
December 29 saw the high-water mark of the Third Army. Enver Pa§a had
accompanied the army forward and had assumed direct command of the
operation. From his field headquarters to the north of £erkez koyii, Enver
ordered a renewed all-out effort to complete the envelopment. However, the
Turkish attacks seemed to be getting nowhere and, worse yet, the Russians did
not seem to be in danger of collapse, as had happened at Tannenberg during the
previous summer. By the next day, it was apparent that the Russians were
bringing up fresh relief forces from Kars and from the southeast. Additionally,
attrition and casualties were weakening the Turkish divisions, the troops were
exhausted, and the weather was worsening.
As the forces weathered the new year and 1915 began, the operational and
tactical initiative changed. Large Russian forces had been brought to bear along
the flanks of the X Corps and in front of the IX Corps. On January 2, 1915, the
Russians launched an offensive of their own. This was trap within a trap, and the
enveloping IX and X Corps now became the object of a crushing Russian
encirclement. The situation for the Turks declined overnight and became
 Early Offensives 59

desperate. Enver Pasa reacted by forming the IX and X Corps into a single
operational detachment called the "Left Wing" and he placed Hakki Bey in
command. Enver also promoted Hakki Bey to Brigadier General, so that he
would outrank Ali Ihsan Pa§a, the commander of the IX Corps. Evidently, Enver
now believed that centralized command in the rapidly forming Turkish cauldron
would help salvage the situation. To the south, the XI Corps continued to attack,
but it too was subjected to repeated Russian counterattacks. Enver still
maintained a sense of optimism and allowed the Dutch Attache Westenek and
Norwegian Army Major Hoff to visit the Third Army area on December 31 in
premature expectations of success.
By January 4, the Turkish situation verged on total catastrophe, as the Russian
attacks steadily pressed the IX and X Corps into a smaller and smaller area. It
was apparent that the Turks must retreat or be annihilated and Enver Pasa
approved a withdrawal. The IX and X Corps began immediate withdrawals
under severe Russian pressure. Fighting a desperate rear guard action, the IX
Corps was now literally destroyed as a fighting unit. Surrounded by the
Russians, the remnants of the 17th, 28th, and 29th Infantry Divisions, as well as
the IX Corps headquarters itself, were cut off and forced to surrender. Ali Insan
Pa§a, his chief of staff Lieutenant Colonel §erfi, and his aides were captured.
Hafiz Hakki noted that there was ''one road out of the Turnagel Woods (the
scene of the IX Corps disaster) that night and only the X Corps returned—the IX
Corps did not return. " l l It was a major disaster for the Third Army as fully one-
third of its combat power was eliminated almost overnight. January 7 saw the
Turks in full retreat. Losses due to combat and weather were horrendous. On
that day, the strength of the X Corps was worn down to a pitiful twenty-five
hundred riflemen and sixteen artillery pieces, of which one thousand to twelve
hundred rifles were to be found in the 32nd Infantry Division.
Enver Pasa departed the Third Army on January 8, 1915. His farewell message
to the army began encouragingly with "Friends!" and noted that the army had
fought the weather and the terrain, as well as the enemy. Enver congratulated
the army on its performance, which he claimed, rivaled the glorious days of the
early Ottoman Empire. He told them that he was returning to Constantinople. He
wished the army Allah's blessings and much success in beating the Russians.
Enver ended his message by reminding the troops not to forget that Allah's help
was with them at all times. Before leaving, Enver placed Hafiz Hakki Bey in
command of the Third Army and placed cavalry colonel Yusuf Izzet in
command of the X Corps. When Enver departed for Constantinople at 7 A.M. on
January 9, 1915, he brought Bronsart von Schellendorf back with him. Returns
indicated that on that day, the Third Army could field about ten thousand
riflemen.
The operation had been incredibly costly and harsh. In the high mountains,
especially in the IX and X Corps zones, the temperature had dropped to - 40°C
and there were 50 to 60 centimeters of snow. The most commonly used western
figures for Turkish casualties seem to come from Commandant Larcher's 1926
history and historians often use the same figures today-90,000 dead and 40,000
to 50,000 captured, leaving a total remaining of 12,400 men. However, the
60 Ordered to Die

operational returns compiled by the Third Army's chief of staff, Lieutenant

Colonel Guse, are quite different-thirty thousand dead and seven thousand
captured.12 This left twelve thousand men in the Fortress of Erzurum and forty-
two thousand in the vicinity. It is quite possible that Commandant Larcher's
numbers include killed, wounded, and missing (many of whom later showed up
as stragglers). Since the number of wounded soldiers generally outnumber the
dead, it is reasonable to assume that there were significant numbers of Turkish
wounded among the Third Army's survivors. The military hospitals in the
Erzurum area had nine hundred patients before the campaign, After the battle,
the hospitals were full to overflowing with fifteen thousand sick and wounded
men. The Turkish official history lists twenty-three thousand dead, ten thousand
died in hospital, seven thousand prisoners, and ten thousand wounded for a total
of some fifty thousand casualties.13 In any event, the casualties were huge in
proportion to the force engaged.
On February 14, 1915, the Third Army counted forty-two thousand effectives.
The army artillery force was in much better shape than the maneuver battalions
and counted about 170 assorted types of artillery. One hundred forty-one
artillery pieces had returned from the Sarikamis campaign (losses were twelve
field artillery pieces and fifty mountain artillery pieces).
In many respects the Turkish campaign to annihilate a major portion of the
Russian Army in the Sarikamis pocket was a remarkable accomplishment. In the
preliminary planning phases, the Turks concentrated three army corps for the
attack in a very short time, including reinforcements from as far away as
Constantinople. In concept, the Turkish plan was no less ambitious than the
French Plan XVII or the Austro-Hungarian offensive into Galicia or the Russian
offensive into East Prussia. The weather, terrain, and logistics involved come
under the general heading of "factors affecting the operation" and, while
relevant, did not appear to have fundamentally caused the plan to fail. A case
may certainly be made that the Turkish means were exceeded by these factors
affecting operations; however, the root miscarriage of the Turkish plan was
caused by flawed assumptions and planning parameters concerning Russian
command and control. Embedded in the assumptions of the Turkish plan was the
idea that Russian command and control would waver and fatally disable the
Russian ability to react to the changing situation. The Turkish plan went off as
scheduled and remained very much on track until December 28, 1914, when the
Russians managed to pull several infantry and cavalry regiments off the
Erzurum line in time to rush these units northwards to garrison the city of
Sarikami§. This timely Russian reaction was probably the most important reason
that the Turkish plan failed—absent strong Russian forces in and around
Sarikami§ on December 28, the city would have undoubtedly fallen to the
Turkish IX Corps. Faced with a Turkish corps astride its lines of
communications and with hard weather coming on, it is very likely that the
Russian will to fight would have, indeed, collapsed. The fact that the Turkish
envelopment came within a hair's breadth of snapping shut as planned validates
their basic operational concept.
 Early Offensives 61

The Turkish plan certainly involved much risk. The decision to conduct
economy of force missions along the Black Sea coast with the §tanke Bey
Mufrezesi, and along the southern shoulder of the offensive with the 2nd Cavalry
Division was in itself inherently fraught with risk. The choice of a deep
objective, rather than a closer objective, was a risk—the more time it took to
reach Sarikamis and beyond, the more time the Russians had to react. The force
ratio was less a risk, because with the element of surprise in the Turk's favor,
the small disparity in overall force levels became less significant, since the
Turks could pick their ground for larger local tactical superiority. However, that
must be tempered with the nature of the Turkish force itself, which was, in the
main, a hastily assembled melange of newly formed divisions. Finally, the Turks
depended on the Russians to react in a predetermined way based on German
reports from Tannenberg. This was an exceedingly dangerous gamble and there
was ample evidence available from the recent Russian successes against the
Austro-Hungarians, that the Russian Army remained capable of decisive action.
Did the risks outweigh the real chances for success? Again, the relevant
indicator is that the Turkish operation almost succeeded and this serves to
validate the Turkish staff estimate.
Could the Turks have done better? The short answer is probably not-it would
be hard to exceed the overall Turkish performance. The approach marches of the
IX and the X Corps, under arduous conditions, were superb examples of what
the Turkish soldier was capable of achieving. Turkish command authority, in the
persons of Enver Pasa and Hafiz Hakki Bey, was "on the spot" and exercised
immediate and decisive tactical influence over the operation. However, the
absence of strong coordination at the operational level between the three Turkish
corps meant that these formations fought widely separated battles rather than
mutually supporting engagements. Nevertheless, the Turkish commanders
rapidly brought the majority of their forces to the right places and that is hard to
improve on. To criticize the Turkish Army itself for its inherent logistical and
material weaknesses is fruitless because those problems were largely unsolvable
and could only be remedied by compensatory factors such as leadership and
surprise. Beyond their faulty estimate of how the encircled Russians would
react, if the Turks could be criticized, it would be for not maintaining an
operational reserve. A reserve force might have favorably tilted the tactical
balance on Christmas Day 1914 in favor of the Third Army. Perhaps the Turks
could also be criticized for not taking most of their field artillery forward
beyond Oltu (almost all of the artillery pieces lost in the retreat were mountain
howitzers,14 indicating the absence of field artillery with the forward elements).
Whether bringing the field artillery over the mountains southeast of Oltu was
physically possible is questionable, but having only short range, smaller caliber
artillery forward at Sarikamis. and on the road to Kars, certainly hurt the Turkish
offensive capacity at that critical point.
The Turkish campaign to envelop the Russians between Erzurum and
Sarikamis. was a remarkable achievement in every sense. As a campaign, it bears
a close similarity to Chancellorsville, which was fought during the American
Civil War in May of 1863. Joseph Hooker, the Union commanding general
62 Ordered to Die

envisioned a wide flanking movement with his army which would envelop
Robert E. Lee's Army of Northern Virginia and crush it against the anvil of
Sedgewick's Corps on the Rappahannock. Although Hooker got off to a fine
start and initially gained the element of surprise, Lee's quick reactions saved his
army. Hooker was caught in a trap within a trap and was barely able to extract
his army. What is notably different, and what further highlights the Turkish
accomplishment, is the fact that Hooker enjoyed both huge material resources
and numerical superiority over Lee—and it was the warm month of May in
Virginia. Yet Hooker also failed.
In the wake of the Third Army's disaster, the Turkish staff fully expected the
Russians to exploit their success and launch an all out attack on Erzurum. Hafiz
Hakki Bey began immediate and energetic measures to reconstitute the shattered
Third Army. This proved very difficult because there were no local reserves
available. Additionally, the Fortress of Erzurum had been stripped of all
available resources to support the offensive. Fortunately for the Third Army, the
Russians were exhausted too, and operations ground to a halt. To compound
Hakki Bey's difficulties, the Armenian population grew restless and acts of
violence in the Third Army's area began to increase, possibly as a result of
Russian subversion and possibly encouraged by the Sarikami§ disaster. Turkish
intelligence tracked the rise of large numbers of smuggled weapons into the area
and the Turks feared an armed uprising behind their wafer-thin lines.
The most immediate problem confronting the Turkish General Staff in late
February 1915 was the outbreak of a spotted typhus epidemic in the Third Army
area. The aggressive, charismatic, and newly promoted Third Army commander,
Brigadier Hafiz Hakki Bey, died in this epidemic on February 12, 1915.15 Liman
von Sanders again was offered his post as commanding general of the Turkish
Third Army but again declined. The problems with the Armenians continued
and on February 24, 1915, the Turks were forced to send the Harput, Diyarbakir,
and Bitlis Jandarma Battalions to the city of Van, where a revolt appeared
imminent.16 There were also terrorist bombings in the rear at Kayseri.
Further reinforcements for the Third Army were enroute from Thrace. The
First Army commander had been ordered on December 3, 1914, to prepare a
reinforcement force to be dispatched to the east-destined for upper
Mesopotamia, where it would advance toward Tabriz.17 This force was put
together from assets belonging to the IV and V Corps, and was enhanced by
freshly trained and well-disciplined reservists. It comprised of the 37 t h , 40th, and
43 rd Infantry Regiments, three cavalry battalions, two machine-gun detachments,
a mountain howitzer battalion, three artillery batteries, a field hospital, a
telegraph detachment, two hundred camels, and the twenty-eight-man musical
band from the Turkish War Academy. The force was designated as the Halil Bey
Division and was under the command of Constantinople Area Commander
Lieutenant Colonel Halil Bey (later Halil Pasa). The division departed from the
Haydarpasa train station on December 11, 1914 bound for the east. From his
forward headquarters in Kopriikoyo on December 15 Enver Pa§a sent the force
an order exhorting it to drive on Tabriz and then drive on Azerbaijan! Enroute,
on December 26, 1914, the division was redesignated the 5th Expeditionary
 Early Offensives 63

Force and ordered to the vicinity of Diyarbakir and Bitlis. In early January 1915,
the force had reached the city of Akcakale and on January 11, it was assigned by
Enver Pa§a to reinforce the battered Third Army. Since the units were already
routed east on Turkey's abysmal railroad system, it took time to reroute them
northward, and even further movement problems were encountered marching on
the winter storm afflicted roads. Finally, on February 2, 1915, the tired and cold
units of the 5th Expeditionary Force began to arrive in Erzurum, many of the
soldiers showing the first signs of typhus. Halil Bey and his staff arrived on
February 8. The following day the force began moving to its assembly area
south of Erzurum, where it concentrated on February 20 and began field training
on February 23. On paper, the 5th Expeditionary Force had a strength of 248
officers, 10,920 soldiers, 6 machine-guns, and 12 mountain howitzers (of which
8 were quick firing guns). The Third Army also sent a column of 700 camels to
increase the mobility of the force. However, on the difficult journey from
Constantinople, the 5th Expeditionary Force had lost 102 men dead from
sickness and injuries, was missing 1,041 deserters, and had left 1,040 men
behind in hospitals along the route. Additionally, there were 2,708 men who
were sick but remained with their units. The 5th Expeditionary Force was present
in theater, but was clearly not combat ready.
Enver Pasa had ordered the formation of a second provisional force on
December 11, 1914.18 This second force was formed from the II Corps in
Adrianople as the Kazim Bey Division, under II Corps Chief of Intelligence
Lieutenant Colonel Kazim Bey (later Lieutenant General Kazim Karabekir).
This force was composed of the 7th and 9th Infantry Regiments (from the 3 rd
Infantry Division), a cavalry detachment, a field hospital, a transportation unit,
and an intelligence section. From II Corps assets, it also took with it a mountain
howitzer battalion of two batteries, a telegraph section, a field bakery, and a
uniform and equipment repair battalion. From the I Corps, the force received a
replacement depot and transportation assets. Although it had less infantry than
the 5th Expeditionary Force, the Kazim Bey Division was structurally more self
sufficient and capable of independent operations. The division received a
variable mission to be prepared to go to either upper Mesopotamia for
operations against Tehran, lower Mesopotamia for operations at Basra, or to the
east for operations against Tabriz. The force departed Constantinople on
December 19 by train and was bound for Aleppo. On December 25, 1914, the
division was redesignated the 1st Expeditionary Force.
Due to the gaps in the Turkish railway system, the 1st Expeditionary Force
had to march by foot through the Taurus Mountains and through the Osmaniye
Gap (see Chapter 1). While marching near the sea at Iskendurun, the force was
bombarded by the British Royal Navy, with the 9th Infantry Regiment suffering
its first war casualties. While in Aleppo, on January 10, the force was alerted for
an assignment to the Third Army in Erzurum; however, since the 5th
Expeditionary Force was tying up all available rail transport, the Turkish
General Staff informed the 1st Expeditionary Force that it probably would not
move until mid-April 1915. However, on January 19, Enver Pasa, who had
returned to Constantinople, sent the 1st Expeditionary Force an order titled "The
64 Ordered to Die

Primary Mission Continues" and on January 22, the force found itself enroute to
Erzurum by way of Mosul (in Mesopotamia). It was expected that the force
would make its way, by a roundabout route to Akcakale, where it would
rendezvous with the 5th Expeditionary Force. Enroute, it was hoped that
additional strength could be garnered as the force passed through the Mosul
Vilayet. It was March 13, 1915, by the time the 1st Expeditionary Force was able
to reach and depart from Mosul, and with its final destination once again
redesignated, it finally arrived in the vicinity of the city of Van on March 23,
1915. While enroute, it had indeed garnered strength and added the 44th Infantry
Regiment, three thousand animals, and eight hundred camels to its rolls. It
continued to march towards its assembly area.
The returns of the Third Army on March 24, 1915, showed in increase in
fighting strength.19 Major combat unit strength is shown in Table 3.2.

Table 3.2
Third Army Strength, March 24,1915

Unit Officers Soldiers

IX Corps 261 7,806
X Corps 235 3,513
XI Corps 251 4,206
5th Expeditionary 113 8,944
Force
TOTAL 860 24,469

Source: TC Genelkurmay Ba§kanhgi, Birinci Diinya Harbinde Turk Kqfkas Cephesi 3

ncii Ordu Harekati Cilt II Birinci Kitap (Ankara: Genelkurmay Basim Evi, 1993), 567.

There were a further thirty-five to forty thousand personnel in the Erzurum

area assigned to the fortress garrison and to the lines of communications. The
battered cavalry forces were consolidated into two divisions—the 1st Reserve
Cavalry Division and the 2nd Reserve Cavalry Division. The total strength of
these divisions had been worn down to a total strength of only seventy officers
and two thousand men. Although the 1st Expeditionary Force was in theater, it
was still marching toward its assembly area and was therefore not yet counted as
an asset.
The story of the Third Army's winter offensive in 1914 and spring recovery
in early 1915 would not be complete without returning to the §tanke Bey
Mufrezesi and its operations during this time period. The detachment departed
from Haydarpasa on the battle cruiser Yavuz (ex-SMS Goeben), the cruisers
Mecidiye and Hamidiye, and other assorted ships on December 5, 1914, bound
for Trabzond. By the December 17 it was in contact with the enemy along the
Black Sea coastal front. In support of the Sarikamis offensive, the §tanke Bey
Mufrezesi conducted an active attack towards the east to take the pressure off
from the X Corps, then advancing towards Oltu in the south. With the 8th
 Early Offensives 65

Infantry Regiment in the lead, the hard-driving German commander exceeded

all expectations and actually seized the key city of Ardahan on December 27.
Unfortunately for the Turks, the detachment was simply too small to hold the
city, nor were there any reserves available to reinforce this brillant success. 20
Within days, three Russian infantry regiments and a cavalry regiment
counterattacked Ardahan, driving the detachment back. However, the
detachment continued to fight a strong delaying action, falling back on
successive lines. It delayed increasingly stronger Russian forces for almost two
months, finally arriving back at its start line on March 1, 1915. From March 7 to
March 16, the detachment was under heavy attack by the newly formed Russian
Nineteenth Turkistan Army, but it only yielded about ten kilometers of ground.
The §tanke Bey Mufrezesi had accomplished its mission and more.
The final chapter in the winter saga of the Turkish Third Army was the First
Invasion of Persia. While planning the Sarikamis, Battle, Enver Pa§a was also
scheming to launch his "Pan-Turanian" Invasion of Persia. Enver hoped to beat
the Russians into the key cities of Persia. From there, he would shift his forces
northward and, perhaps, invade Azerbaijan, all the while raising rebellion
among the oppressed Turkic peoples held in thrall by the Russians and Persians.
It was a wildly ambitious idea. Nevertheless, seeing a window of opportunity
open in December 1914, Enver ordered his forces forward into Persia.
Unfortunately, the only force then available, and even remotely near the Persian
frontier, was the Van Jandarma Division. This paramilitary formation was
lightly equipped with artillery and machineguns, and was only suited for internal
security functions, rather than for an invasion of a neighboring country.
However, by December 15, 1914, the Van Jandarma Division had crossed the
frontier and was holding the Persian town of Kotur. The division's lines of
communications fed back through the Turkish town of Saray and then back into
the city of Van. To the south, an ad hoc regiment-sized force under Cevat Bey
had occupied an additional corner of Persian territory. The Russians responded
very quickly by sending several divisions to occupy Tabriz and Tehran.
Enver planned to send the newly constituted 1st and 5th Expeditionary Forces
to reinforce the invasion force in Persia. Meanwhile, the Van Jandarma Division
pushed father east to Zori and began to dig in. Unfortunately, after the Sarikamis.
disaster, Enver rerouted the 5th Expeditionary Force, which had reached
Diyarbakir on January 10, 1915, north to the Third Army. The 1st Expeditionary
Force soon followed. These forces had been projected to attack Tabriz, via the
Van Jandarma Division's bridgehead at Kotur. However, without their presence,
the proposed invasion plan collapsed. The Jandarma troops remained at Kotur
for several months, until they were attacked by greatly superior Russian forces
on March 7. They were gradually pushed back beyond the Turco-Persian
frontier, as was the Cevad Bey detachment. By April 18, 1915, all Ottoman
forces had been pushed back out of Persia. Enver's First Invasion of Persia had
failed. He would try again.
66 Ordered to Die

MESOPOTAMIA

The operational area of the Mesopotamian campaigns in the First World War
was composed of the ancient and fertile lands watered by the Tigris and the
Euphrates Rivers. Beset by seasonal flooding, malaria and pestilential swamp
fevers, and terrible summer heat and humidity, it was a difficult area in which to
conduct military operations. Agricultural irrigation networks and swamps made
travel near the rivers difficult and where the irrigation ended, the desert began.
The inhabitants, although Muslim, were predominately Marsh Arabs rather than
Turks, and there was a sizable sprinkling of Kurds, Armenians, Syrians, Jews,
and Arabs as well. The Ottomans had conquered the region in the early 1500s
and had divided the area into three vilayets, centered on Mosul, Baghdad, and
Basra. The area was famous for the quality of its agricultural produce and also
for the inefficiency with which the Turks administered the region.21 In the wake
of the Balkan Wars, the Turkish General Staff garrisoned Mesopotamia with the
XII Corps at Mosul and the XIII Corps at Baghdad. The divisions of these corps
were distributed along the river cities for ease of administration and also for
internal security missions. Along with the remote Turkish garrisons in Arabia,
the Mesopotamian theater was a sleepy backwater for the troops of the Turkish
Army.
In the intelligence estimates of the Turkish General Staff, the possibility of
war with Great Britain was assessed as unlikely. The Mesopotamian theater,
therefore, was judged to be a secure rear area from which the Turkish Army
could draw reserves for more active roles. In fact, the Turkish Campaign Plan
and the Mobilization Plan did just that, and stripped Mesopotamia of most its
prewar Turkish garrisons. By November 1914, The entire XII Corps was
redeployed to Syria and the XIII Corps and its 37th Infantry Division were both
enroute to the Third Army. The Sixth Army headquarters, under the command
of Cevit Pa§a, itself was scaled down and became the Irak Area Command with
the new 38th Infantry Division forming under its command.
The newly formed 38th Infantry Division relied heavily on locally raised Arab
levies to fill its ranks and by the beginning of hostilities had only six of its
normal complement of nine infantry battalions. The Irak (Iraq) Area Command
also had one independent battalion of the 26th Infantry Regiment, eight
battalions of frontier guards, and nine battalions of Jandarmes. Although the
total Turkish strength in the area was over twenty-three thousand men, actual
mobile strength in the region was only about sixty-five hundred riflemen, three
old machine guns, and thirty-three artillery pieces.22 Equally important in the
equation of the Irak Area Command's low fighting potential was the poor
discipline and questionable loyalty of the force that was made worse by
inadequate levels of equipment.
By early fall in 1914, it was very apparent to the Turkish General Staff that
the empire would soon be at war with Great Britain, as well as with Russia and
France. Therefore planning proceeded for an early Turkish attack on the Suez
Canal and for an aggressive offensive in the Caucasus Mountains of eastern
Turkey. The bulk of the remaining army concentrated in Thrace to await
 Early Offensives 67

uncertain developments in the Balkans. Since the Turkish General Staff thought
that Great Britain lacked the resources to concentrate its scarce land forces in
France and Egypt, while simultaneously conducting offensive operations against
Turkey, Mesopotamia continued to rank low in the order of military priorities
facing the empire. Belatedly, in November 1914, the Turkish General Staff
became aware of the plans of the Indian Army to land troops in the Shatt al Arab
to protect British Persian Gulf oil interests. In fact, preliminary British plans
envisioned only the early seizure of Abadan Island, where the Anglo-Persian Oil
Works were located, and Basra by a reinforced infantry brigade.23 However, it
soon became clear that the Indian Army could deploy, at the least, an entire
reinforced infantry division for operations in Mesopotamia (the 6* "Poona"
Division). The British estimated Turkish strength in the area at 10,000 rifles,
114 guns, and 6 machine guns (almost double the actual Turkish strength) and it
was thought that the Turks would concentrate most of this strength at Basra. 24
By late October, the British received intelligence confirming the departure of the
Turkish XII Corps and the XIII Corps. The British expedition convoyed to the
head of the Persian Gulf to await the outbreak of war.
In the meantime, the Turks, under the command of Suleyman Askeri Bey,
redeployed portions of the 38th Infantry Division to positions at the mouth of the
Shatt al Arab to await the expected British assault. The main Turkish defense
force, consisting of the 38th Infantry Division and a reinforced infantry regiment,
was stationed in the vicinity of Basra and fielded forty-seven hundred riflemen,
eighteen field guns, and three machine guns. The key to the Shatt al Arab was
the old Turkish fort at Fao and, inexplicably, here the Turks stationed only 350
men and four 87 mm cannon. A second detachment of 160 men was stationed on
nearby Abadan Island. A Turkish Major named Muhammad Amin, later wrote
that the flawed Turkish dispositions were the result of a decision to maintain
strength against the Russians and the Persians, thereby dispersing Turkish
strength.25 The remainder of the Turkish force was deployed to oppose a
potential overland thrust from Kuwait.
The British commander, General Delamain, received orders to commence
hostilities against Turkey on October 31, 1914, and began combat operations
shortly thereafter. The British naval force bombarded the old fort at Fao and
landed troops on November 6, which took the fort later that day. The Turkish
battalion withdrew safely up river. After destroying the guns and the installation,
the small landing force withdrew on November 7. Larger forces followed and by
the middle of November, about half of the 6th "Poona" Division was ashore and
the remainder were en route to the Shatt al Arab as well. The Turks established a
regiment-sized blocking position between Basra and the sea but the British
brushed it aside on November 14, 1914. Encouraged by their early success, the
British decided to seize Basra, which fell on November 20, with a Turkish loss
of twelve hundred prisoners and three guns. As a result of this unexpected and
easy success, the India Office began to propose further advances up river to
Qurna. The military secretary at the India Office felt that this would afford the
oil works additional protection, have a moral affect on the Arabs, and offer
strategically valuable ground to the British.26 Approval followed quickly, and
68 Ordered to Die

plans were put in train to deploy more Indian Army units to Mesopotamia and
by early December the British were advancing on Qurna. Several regimental
scale battles were fought, with the Turks partially successful in each but
gradually being pushed back inside the town. Qurna fell on December 9, 1914,
with the surrender of a further forty-five officers and one thousand men, and the
loss of six cannons.27 The Turkish 38th Infantry Division had been defeated in
detail and was soon reduced to shattered debris. The surviving Turkish forces
retired toward Amara.
Disturbed by the increasing problems in this theater, Enver Pa§a notified
Lieutenant Colonel Siileyman Askeri Bey to go by steamboat to the front. On
January 2, 1915, he took command of the Irak Area Command. Greatly alarmed
by these developments, the Turkish General Staff also reversed the deployment
orders of the 35th Infantry Division and ordered its return to Mesopotamia. This
division began to arrive in Mesopotamia in early January 1915 and its presence
enabled Siileyman Askeri Pa§a to reform his army into two wings for the
defense of the region. Additionally, the battered 38th Infantry Division was
reinforced and partially restored to effectiveness. These two divisions then
became the framework on which the Turks built two separate defensive
columns. The right wing guarded the Euphrates River and was composed of the
reconstituted 38th Infantry Division. This force defended the approaches to
Nasiriya and was directly under the command of Siileyman Askeri Pasa. The left
wing guarded the more important Tigris River, which led to Baghdad. This vital
route was entrusted to the fresh 35th Infantry Division under the command of
Mehmed Fazil Pasa, who also had irregular cavalry and Arab infantry battalions
under his command as well. 28With these forces in place, the Mesopotamian
front stabilized.

SINAI

After the tumultuous staff disputes between Bronsart von Schellendorf and
Hafiz Hakki Bay concerning overall Turkish strategic direction, Enver Pasa
approved the plan for offensive operations against the Suez Canal.
Unfortunately, the Turkish Second Army and the entire VI Corps were now
entrained and moving toward their war stations near Constantinople. This was
because the Turkish plans had never foreseen a multifront war, in which Great
Britain was an adversary. Syria, with its Sinai front, was seen as a reservoir in
the Turkish force pool, which could be safely drained to support other
requirements. However, with the Sinai front projected as the launching point for
a major offensive, there now existed a requirement for a controlling army-level
headquarters and additional troops with which to conduct the attack. While the
Turkish Second Army and the two division VI Corps were deploying northward
toward Thrace, a new army headquarters was formed in Syria and the two
division XII Corps was deployed to Syria from Mesopotamia. Additional
reinforcements, in the form of the first-class 8th Infantry Division from Rodosto
(Tekirdag) and the well-trained 10th Infantry Division from Symrna, were
 Early Offensives 69

ordered to Palestine. The 22 Infantry Division, from Hedjaz, was also put on
orders for Palestine. In the midst of this, a brand new infantry division, the 25th
Infantry, was formed in Palestine to add weight to the VIII Corps. Thus forces
from Syria went north and forces from the northwest went south to Syria
sometimes crisscrossing each other enroute. The carefully designed
Concentration Plan was coming apart at the seams.
The new Turkish Fourth Army was formed on September 6, 1914, and was
assigned the mission to begin planning and preparations for an attack on Egypt.
On November 18, 1914, Minister of the Marine Cemal Pasa arrived from
Constantinople to take command of the army for the offensive. With him came
Colonel von Frankenberg to act as his chief of staff for the new Fourth Army
and Lieutenant Colonel Freiherr von Kress to act as the chief of staff of the VIII
Corps. Planning went ahead for the offensive and the campaign plan envisioned
a single corps thrust across the Sinai Desert to cut the Suez Canal almost at its
midpoint of Ismailia. The remaining corps in the Fourth Army would garrison
Syria, Palestine, and guard the long and vulnerable Mediterranean coastline.29
The geography of the Sinai Peninsula was not conducive to either sustained
operations or to the movement of large forces across its breadth. There were
only two semi-improved roads leading from Palestine, one along the northern
coast, and the second along the ancient Route of the Patriarchs, in the arid and
desolate middle of the peninsula. The second route led to Ismailia on the canal.
The terrain was waterless and afforded no fodder for the draft animals, which
meant that everything that the army needed for survival had to be brought
forward. Water, in particular, consumed in large quantities by both men and
animals, posed a particular problem.
The mature Turkish plan for the attack on the Suez Canal envisioned a daring
coup-de-main seizure of Ismailia by a single infantry division, which would
force a passage over the canal itself. This division would immediately be
reinforced by a second infantry division, which in turn would be supported on
either flank by two additional divisions remaining on the east bank of the canal.
A further division would be available to reinforce the bridgehead on the West
Bank of the canal, if needed. The Turks hoped that by cutting the mid-point of
the canal that they could mediate the effects of the gunfire of Royal Navy
warships, which would inevitably assist any British counterattack. Furthermore,
they hoped that such an audacious maneuver would incite the Muslim
populations of Egypt to rise in revolt against the British.30 The plan was not
without risk. The British were rapidly bringing the Australian and New Zealand
Army Corps (Anzac) into Egypt, along with several brigades of the regular
Indian Army. This sizable British and Imperial force, combined with the
logistical difficulties involved with crossing the desolate Sinai Desert, meant
that the Turks might have to fight at a severe numerical disadvantage.
Nevertheless, planning for the attack went forward.
To cut down on unnecessary movement, as the VIII Corps deployed into
southern Palestine for the attack, the XII Corps, arriving from Mesopotamia,
took its place in Aleppo, Damascus, Horns, and along the coastline of Palestine.
At the disposal of the VIII Corps were the 8th, 10th, 23rd, 25th, and 27th Infantry
70 Ordered to Die

Divisions. Contingents of fellow Muslims were recruited to accompany the

expedition forward into Egypt, hopefully to raise revolt there in support of the
Turks. Among these contingents were Sinai Bedouins, Druses, Kurds,
Mohadjirs, Chercassians from Syria, and Arabs. Also accompanying the
expedition were military Imams (Muslim religious chaplains) and two thousand
refugees from Lybian Tripoli. The force numbered about fifty thousand men and
reportedly the morale was high.31 Because of the chronically poor Turkish
railroads and communications, the assembly of this force took considerably
longer than had been projected and preparations were not completed until mid-
January 1915. The VIII Corps concentrated at Beersheba for its movement
forward across the frontier.
As finally constituted, the VIII Corps assembled an first echelon of about
thirteen thousand men with which to force passage across the Suez Canal. The
heart of the force was the reinforced 25th Infantry Division, augmented by
volunteers from the 23rd and 27th Infantry Divisions, fifteen hundred Arabs, and
eight batteries of field artillery. Accompanying this force across the Sinai were
about one thousand horses, twelve thousand camels, and about three hundred
oxen. The second echelon comprised the 10th Infantry Division with twelve
thousand men. Flank guards were provided by the 23rd Infantry Division. Thus,
before it even began the projected five-division attack was scaled back to a mere
three, although somewhat stronger than normal, Turkish infantry divisions.
Movement forward began on January 14 and for the first week movement was
conducted in daylight. The Turks advanced with three columns abreast with the
main effort in the center. Huge water tanks and storage depots were moved
forward in an unprecedented and sophisticated logistical operation. Although the
British had received intelligence reports of Turkish movements and
reinforcements in Palestine, they remained unaware that a major attack was
imminent.32 Because of the danger of discovery by British reconnaissance
hydroplanes (seaplanes), the Turks decided to conduct the final approach march
under the cover of darkness. In a series of rapid night marches conducted over
the next seven days, the 25th Infantry Division (the main center column) reached
its planned assembly area, ten kilometers east of Ismailia, on January 31 1915.
There the force rested while the supporting engineers and trains brought forward
pontoons, boats, and bateaux, which had been requisitioned in Gaza and
laboriously transported across the desert from Beersheba. The Right and the Left
Wing columns, in regimental strength, also reached their flanking assembly
areas.
On the night of February 2, 1915, the 25th Infantry Division moved forward to
its assault positions on the east bank of the Suez Canal. There an assault force of
two infantry battalions brought forward boats and prepared to cross the canal
between the towns of Toussoum and Serapeum. The Turkish attack plan
envisioned a classic water crossing operation. In fact, the attack graphics
(military map symbols used for planning) were strangely reminiscent of more
recent amphibious operations such as Normandy or Iwo Jima and depicted a
very orderly and precise military operation.33 The eight batteries of field artillery
were also brought forward to support the attack. To the north, the flanking 23r
 Early Offensives 71

Infantry Division would conduct diversionary operations, which would appear to

threaten the town of Ismailia. The second echelon 10th Infantry Division lay in
reserve.
The Turks had achieved complete surprise at all levels, but upon entering the
water, the Turks disturbed a small British observation post, which immediately
opened fire. The soldiers of the 25th Infantry Division, almost completely
untrained in water crossing operations, panicked. Some of the men jumped out
of the boats and fled inland and some dropped their boats even before entering
the water. The carefully prepared attack plan disintegrated. In spite of these
difficulties, about two companies of Turkish soldiers actually reached the West
Bank of the Suez Canal. This drew an immediate and strong British reaction.
Despite these strong and repeated British counterattacks on the ground, and
under incessant naval gunfire from Royal Navy units in the Great Bitter Lake
and Lake Timsan, the Turks attempted to press the attack. The 10th Infantry
Division was brought forward in readiness to attempt to reinforce the tenuously
small bridgehead. Throughout the day of February 3, the Turks held their small
bridgehead against counterattacks from Indian and Sudanese troops. However,
by 4 P.M. that day, it became apparent that the British were rapidly gaining the
upper hand and that the Turkish bridgehead would eventually be wiped out by
superior forces. Cemal ordered the VIII Corps chief of staff, Colonel von Kress,
to begin withdrawal of the corps to its assembly area ten kilometers to the rear.
While the disengagement was conducted successfully, the bulk of the boats and
pontoons were abandoned, ending any hopes that the Turks might have had of
renewing the offensive. About three hundred Turkish soldiers were captured.
Turkish casualties were relatively light, with 192 dead, 381 wounded, and 727
missing or captured, for a total loss of about 1,300 men.34 After the action, the
British thought that they had simply countered a reconnaissance-in-force rather
than a major Turkish offensive aimed at severing the vital Suez Canal on which
Imperial communications depended. Cemal Pa§a decided to retreat back to an
advanced line to be established near El Arish-Magdaba and which would be
held by three infantry battalions and two batteries of field artillery. From there,
he hoped to be able to harass and interdict British shipping on the Suez Canal
with mobile columns. This was a prudent decision, taken in light of the fact that
due to the prolonged preparation time taken by the Turkish Fourth Army, the
British had greatly reinforced their Egyptian garrison. In fact, by January 1915,
the British had over 150,000 troops on hand from India, Australia, New Zealand,
and the United Kingdom assembling in Egypt. While many of these troops were
almost completely untrained, they were lavishly equipped and close to
permanent bases of supply. This gathering British host numbered far in excess
of the original Imperial garrison of about twenty thousand men that the Turkish
Fourth Army expected to confront in Egypt.
By the middle of February 1915, the VIII Corps was pulled back to Gaza and
the 10* Infantry Division was stationed at the end of a Turkish defensive line at
the ancient wells of Beersheba. The aggressive and ill-conceived Turkish attack
on the Suez Canal had ended in failure. Later in 1915, the Fourth Army itself
would be stripped of its trained combat divisions as the 8th, 10th, and 25th
72 Ordered to Die

Infantry Divisions were transferred to the critical Gallipoli front. In their place,
the Fourth Army would raise the new 41 s t , 43 r d , and 44 th Infantry Divisions.

NOTES

1. TC Genelkurmay Baskanhgi (Turkish General Staff), Birinci Diinya Harbinde Turk

Kafkas Cephesi 3 ncu Ordu Harekati Cilt II Birinci Kitap. (Ankara: Genelkurmay Basim
Evi, 1993), 31-32. This is the Turkish General Staff Study of the Third Army's
operations in the Caucaus Mountains..
2. Pan-Turanism expresses the idea of a larger Turkish ethnic identity including the
Turkic peoples residing in the Caucasian republics and the Trans-Caspian republics.
3. Turkish General Staff, 3 ncu Ordu Harekati, 39-53. Enver Pasa had involuntarily
forced 2 marshals, 3 lieutenant generals, 30 major generals, 95 brigadier generals, 184
colonels, 236 lieutenant colonels and majors, and some 800 captains and lieutenants into
retirement in the year prior to the outbreak of war.
4. Turkish General Staff, 3 ncu Ordu Harekati, losses for the Koprukoy battle were:
1,983 killed, 6,170 wounded, 3,070 prisoners, and 2,792 deserters (two of which were
Armenian officers). Of note, an estimated 10,000 men from the reserve cavalry divisions
deserted and returned to their villages, 322. Because of this, the Turks dissolved the
Reserve Cavalry Corps on November 21, 1914, 302.
5. The "Schulenburg legend" mentioned by W. E. D. Allen and Paul Muratoff,
Caucasian Batflefields: A History of the Wars on the Turco-Caucasian Border, 1828-
1921 (Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1953), 249-253, suggesting that the
German Count von der Schulenburg was partly responsible for the operational concept
and terrain analysis of the Sarakamis operation is not corroborated in the Turkish official
histories.
6. In Turkish, the phrase is biiyiik kusatma harekati, which translates to "large
envelopment operation. " The root word kus means "bird" and invokes a mental image of
two large wings enveloping the prey along the lines of a classic Cannae type of battle of
annihilation.
7. Turkish General Staff, 3 ncu Ordu Harekati, 348-349.
8. Ibid., 352.
9. At this time, most corps commanders in the German, French, and British armies
were experienced senior lieutenant's general, who were, on average, about fifty-five years
old.
10. Turkish General Staff, 3 ncu Ordu Harekati, 383-384.
11. Ibid., 512.
12. Ibid., 535-536.
13. General Fahri Belen, Birinci Cihan Harbinde Turk Harbi 1914 Yili Hareketleri
lncu Cilt (Ankara: GK Basimevi, 1967), 192.
14. I base this conclusion on the nature of the terrain between Oltu and Sarikamis,
which precluded bringing anything larger than mountain howitzers over the mountain
tracks. These guns were probably then left behind in the Turkish retreat, which would
explain why the loss ratio of field artillery compared to mountain artillery was so
lopsided.
15. Liman Von Sanders, Five Years in Turkey (London: Bailliere, Tindall & Cox,
1928), 49.
 Early Offensives 73

16. Turkish General Staff, 3 ncu Ordu Harekati, 565-566.

17. Ibid., 569-579.
18. Ibid., 575-582.
19. Ibid., 567.
20. Ibid., 601-605. On December 29, the strength of the detachment was 58 officers,
2,896 men, 398 animals, 3 howitzers, and 2 captured Russian machine guns—it was a
shoestring operation. To accomplish this, the cost to the detachment was 149 dead, 411
wounded, and 15 missing.
21. Brig. Gen. F. J. Moberly, The Campaign in Mesopotamia, 1914-1918, vol. 1.
(London: HMSO, 1923), 1-15. Brigadier Moberly quotes a Turkish General Staff report
stating that the Turks had seventeen thousand rifles and forty-four field guns in
Mesopotamia, but this obviously included Jandarma and frontier guards.
22. Commandant M. Larcher, La Guerre Turque Dans La Guerre Mondiale. (Paris:
Chiron & Berger-Levrault, 1926), 323-325.
23. Moberly, Campaign in Mesopotamia, 85-88.
24. Ibid., 100.
25. Ibid., 352- 55. Brigadier Moberly's Appendix 6, Summary of a pamphlet "The
Turco-British Campaign in Mesopotamia and our mistakes," by Staff Binbashi
Muhammad Amin, published by the Turkish General Staff, contains a comprehensive
analysis of the strategic, operational, and tactical options available to the Turkish
command in Mesopotamia in 1914 and 1915.
26. Ibid., 136.
27. Turkish General Staff, Birinci Diinya Harbinde Turk Harbi Irak-Iran (Ankara, GK
Basimevi, 1970), 107.
28. Larcher, La Guerre Turque, 326-327.
29. Ibid. 248-250.
30. Ibid., 251.
31. Ibid., 251.
32. Otto Liman Von Sanders, Five Years in Turkey, 44.
33. Fahri Belen, Birinci Diinya Harbinde Turk Harbi 1915 Yili Hareketleri 2ncu Cilt
(Ankara: GK Basimevi, 1967), Diagram 1.
34. Larcher, La Guerre Turque, 254.
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 4
Under Attack, April 1915-January 1916

1915

1915 was characterized by the loss of the strategic initiative to the allies as the
Turks were forced to respond to their incursions and attacks. Overall, 1915 was
a brutal year for the Turkish Army, in which it weathered major offensives by
the British and French at Gallipoli, by the Russians at Erzurum and Malazgirt,
and by the British and Indians in Mesopotamia. Almost 100 percent of the
Turkish Army was committed to combat in 1915 and the total losses of killed,
seriously wounded, and missing sustained from all theaters probably exceeded
500,000 men. The Turks had little to show for these losses and lost significant
amounts of terrain in the Caucasus and in Mesopotamia. However, Gallipoli was
reclaimed as empire territory, but at a terrible cost and effort.
At the operational level, the Turkish Army was savaged by a year of brutal
and costly combat. Although the number of active Turkish infantry divisions had
reached a total of fifty,1 many of these formations were worn down to the size of
regiments. However, the Turkish Army, although badly knocked about, was still
a force to reckoned with and still retained its combat effectiveness. At the
strategic level, the Germans and the Austro-Hungarians defeated Serbia and
persuaded Bulgaria to join the Central Powers. These two events allowed the
establishment of a continuous landline of communications from Central Europe
to Turkey. Much was expected by the Turkish General Staff from this
development.
Importantly, the Turks were learning that they could stand in the line toe to
toe with the allies and win. They were also learning the fine art of high
command at corps and army level. Assisted by able German staff officers, the
Turks were becoming adept at organizing ad hoc groupings of forces to address
crisis situations. This capability would continue to mature as the war continued.
Turkish commanders of ability were emerging through the hard school of
combat. Gallipoli veterans, in particular, would prove extremely able and would
move up to important command responsibilities later in the war.
76 Ordered to Die

GALLIPOLI

For the Turks, the Qanakkale Savas or the Gallipoli campaign, evokes the
same kinds of memories as Gettysburg, the Somme, Verdun, or Leningrad do
for the Americans, British, French, and Russians, respectively. It was a victory
of huge physical and psychological importance and it is vividly remembered in
Turkey today. When discussing the subject of the First World War with almost
any Turk, invariably, the first subject to arise is Qanakkale. The campaign is also
similarly embedded in the psyche of the people of Australia and New Zealand
who continue to celebrate Anzac Day. For all three nations the battle represented
a coming of age of a people about to test themselves against the currents of the
twentieth century.
The straits of the Dardanelles are approximately forty miles in length and are
dominated on the west side by the commanding heights of the Gallipoli
Peninsula. To the east, the low rolling hills of Asia provide enough cover and
concealment to hide an army. On the peninsula itself, the high hills in the center
provide the dominant terrain. To the north and behind these hills, the peninsula
narrows to a tiny waist only a little over a mile in width before merging into the
plains of Thrace. The Dardanelles themselves are only fifteen hundred meters
wide at the narrows of Qanakkale. Although the ground seems ideal for defense,
the long coastline provides a naval adversary with many opportunities for
flanking attacks and makes resupply and communications difficult. Finally, the
possession of the high ground in the middle of the peninsula negates the military
value of the low ground along the interior of the straits. It is not easy ground to
defend.2
In peacetime, the defense of the Dardanelles was in the hands of the
commander of the (^anakkale Fortified Area Command. This was a fortress
command, which had control over a string of elderly forts and over a brigade of
three heavy and medium artillery regiments. The forts and guns were generally
clustered at the mouth of the Dardanelles and at the narrows and, in times of
peace, were manned at very low levels. Just to the north of the peninsula, the
Turkish III Corps lay in the garrison city of Tekirdag, on the Sea of Marmara.
The III Corps had the 7th, 8th, and 9th Infantry Divisions assigned to its rolls, and
also the 9th Field Artillery Regiment, the 3 rd Cavalry Brigade, and a corps
support command. This corps was the only corps in the Turkish Army to emerge
intact from the Balkan Wars of 1912 to 1913.
Neither of these major units was ready for war in early August 1914.
Following the July crisis in the summer of 1914, the Turkish General Staff
decided to conduct military mobilization as a precautionary measure, even
though Turkey was not yet at war. The Turkish General Staff sent mobilization
orders to the Commander of the III Corps, in Tekirdag, at 1 A.M., on August 2,
1914. The commander was Esat Pasa who roused himself out of bed and read
the orders at 0245 hours in the morning, which offers a glimpse of that officer's
professionalism and concern for his mission. He began immediate preparations
for war. The following day, which was the first numbered day of mobilization
(August 3), the III Corps began to mobilize. However, its initial strength returns
 Under Attack 77

reflected the low condition of peacetime readiness that the Turkish Army
operated under (Table 4.1).3

Table 4.1
III Corps Strength, August 2,1914
Unit Officers Soldiers Animals
7th InfantrTDivision 200 5,021 724
8th Infantry Division 173 5,622 508
9th Infantry Division 138 3,427 913

Source: Turkish General Staff, Birinci Dunya Harbinde Turk Harbi, Vncu Cilt,
Qanakkale Cephesi Hareketi, Inci Kitap (Haziran 1914 - 25 Nisan 1915), ("Ankara:
Genelkurmay Basim Evi ,1993), 54.

Upon mobilization, the 9th Infantry Division was attached to the ^anakkale
Fortified Area Command to act as mobile reserve. Technically, it still reported
to the III Corps, but for all intents and purposes, fell under the command of the
fortress commander. The divisions of the III Corps were the only units in the
Turkish Army that met their mobilization timetables.4 By August 21, 1914, the
III Corps strength had swelled to 28,945 men and 7,402 animals. The 7th
Infantry Division reported 12,937 personnel and 2,540 animals on hand, and the
8th Infantry Division reported 13,061 men and 2,354 animals, respectively.5 The
Qanakkale Fortified Area Command had a more difficult time with its
mobilization, in particular having difficulty with filling the required number of
specialized personnel and with animals. However, by August 17, the command
reported that its all-important heavy artillery regiments were at war
establishment strength. On August 27, the commander of the 9th Infantry
Division began conversations with the commander of the Fortress concerning
the deployment of his division to the Gallipoli Peninsula and by mid September
1914, the division was moving towards the peninsula. The 7th Infantry Division
followed on October 29 and the III Corps headquarters moved from Tekirdag to
the town of Gallipoli itself on November 4. The 8th Infantry Division was alerted
for service on the Sinai front and began preparations for departure. In its place
the III Corps was given the new 19th Infantry Division, then forming in
Tekirdag.
In spite of these preparations, the defense of the Dardanelles remained weak
due to the poor condition of the fortifications, the antiquity of many of the
cannons, the scarcity of ammunition and supplies, and the lack of good
coordination between the fortress command and the corps headquarters. To
rectify these deficiencies, the Germans dispatched Vice Admiral von Usedom,
who was an expert in seacoast defenses. Accompanying the admiral were about
five hundred Germans who were specialists in coast artillery, communications,
and mines. German Army engineer and defensive specialist Colonel Weber was
also assigned to assist the commander of the (Janakkale Fortified Area
78 Ordered to Die

Command. The Germans likewise dispatched limited quanities of war material

to Turkey through the neutral countries of Romania and Bulgaria. On November
3, the Royal Navy briefly bombarded the Turkish forts at the entrance of the
Dardanelles. This attack achieved no objective of military value, and indeed,
only served notice on the Turks concerning the vulnerability of the straits. In
effect, the British attack thoroughly alarmed the Turkish General Staff, and
provided them with good reason to accelerate the program of fortification and
defensive improvements.
Defense planning and training, particularly anti-invasion drills, now began in
earnest, and the troops began to improve the seaward defenses and also to
construct roads and interior communications. By February 1915 the fortress
command had (including the 9th Infantry Division) over 34,500 soldiers, armed
with 25,000 rifles, 8 machine guns, and 263 cannons, on the peninsula. The
mobile III Corps (now including only the 7th Infantry Division) had 15,000
soldiers in position, armed with 9,448 rifles, 8 machine guns, and 50 cannons.
The 19th Infantry Division remained in the Tekirdag garrison where it was
undergoing intensive training under its new commander, the young and
aggressive Lieutenant Colonel Mustafa Kemal Bey.6
At the onset of mobilization the fortifications of the Dardanelles consisted of
the outer defenses, the intermediate defenses, and the inner defenses. The outer
defenses were two very old forts at Kum Kale on the Asiatic side and
Seddelbahir on the peninsula. These forts had a total of thirteen heavy guns and
seven medium guns, which were mostly obsolete. The intermediate defenses
were positioned to protect the interior minefields, and fielded four medium guns,
and sixteen lighter quick-firing guns. The purpose of these intermediate defenses
was to prevent enemy minesweeping activities within the straits. Most of these
guns were positioned on the north face of small hills, which screened them from
enemy ships coming up from the south. The final inner defenses were very
powerful and comprised seventy heavy and six medium guns; however, like the
outer defenses, many were antiquated and ammunition was scarce. After the
November 3 bombardment of the outer defenses, it was very apparent to the
fortress commander, Major General Cevat Pa§a, that his fortifications required
augmentation.
Throughout the winter of 1914 and 1915, many much needed Turkish
reinforcements poured into the area. By mid-February 1915, the British
confronted a significantly more powerful defensive force. In particular, the 8th
Artillery Regiment commanded by German Colonel Wehrle, which was
equipped with 150 mm howitzers, was deployed to reinforce the defenses. The
howitzers of this regiment were capable of firing from behind protective terrain
and delivering plunging fires on the weakly armored decks of enemy ships. As
such, they were almost invulnerable to naval gunfire and were themselves,
deadly to ships caught within the narrow confines of the straits. The 1st Battalion
of the regiment, with twelve guns, was positioned on the peninsula, and the
remaining 2nd and 3 rd battalions, with a further twenty guns, were positioned on
the Asiatic shore, between the outer and the intermediate defenses. The Turks
had also been busy over the winter and had laid additional minefields, one of
 Under Attack 79

which was laid inshore on the Asiatic side and parallel to the coastline near
Erenkoy (as well as parallel to the direction of the enemy fleet's advance). Nine
previously laid belts of mines were laid across the channel at its narrowest
points. The unorthodox parallel line of mines at Erenkoy lay directly under the
guns of the 8th Artillery Regiment.7
On February 19, 1915, the Royal Navy began its attack and on February 25
landed troops at the Kum Kale and Seddelbahir forts, which had been
abandoned by the Turks under the heavy British fire. The guns in these old forts
were destroyed, and the British withdrew. Again, this action provided the Turks
with further worry and only provoked them to work harder in preparing their
defenses. Additional guns were brought in from as far away as the fortresses of
Erzurum and Adrianople. There were now three cornerstones to the Turkish
naval defensive concept. First, groups of mobile howitzers would deliver
plunging fire on the fleet entering the Dardanelles. Hopefully, this would
damage or sink some of the ships, and would keep the enemy from deploying
their unarmored and vulnerable minesweepers ahead of the oncoming fleet.
Second, underwater mines and antisubmarine nets were laid in successive belts
within the constricted narrows and were heavily covered by quick-firing guns.
Finally, the inner defenses, comprising heavy coast defense guns would deal
with any ships that managed to break through the mine belts. Altogether, the
Turks had 82 guns operational in the fixed fortress defenses, and additional 230
guns operational with artillery units posted along the shores. Ammunition
availability remained a problem for the Turks. The 150 mm howitzers of the 8th
Artillery Regiment were organized into three operational Howitzer Groups,
under Major Rifat on the north shore, and Captain Ali and Major Halit on the
south shore. Major Rifat received an additional six 120 mm howitzers. A fourth
group of eight 120 mm howitzers, under Major Haspi, was also positioned on
the Asiatic side. These howitzer groups divided the area between the entrance of
the straits and the narrows into sectors and registered pre-planned concentrations
of fire into the area.
On March 18, 1915, the Allies made a concerted attempt to break through the
Dardanelles into the Sea of Marmara. A combined Anglo-French fleet, under the
command of Admiral de Robeck, attempted to force the straits using
minesweepers to clear lanes through the mine belts through which the larger
battleships might pass. After a running battle lasting most of the morning, the
Anglo-French warships had silenced most of the Turkish forts; however,
plunging fire from the 150 mm howitzers of the 8th Artillery Regiment remained
heavy. As the battleships turned to starboard to allow the minesweepers access
to the mine belts, disaster struck the Allied force. In quick succession, three
Allied battleships struck the unexpected mines of the new perpendicular
minefield and sank within minutes. Three other battleships suffered severe
damage from both mines and artillery fire. Essentially, the Turks had ambushed
the Allied ships by the unorthodox positioning of the new minefield.
Encouraged, the Turks from the fixed fortifications returned to their guns and
renewed fire. Reluctantly, the Allies called off the attack and concluded that the
navy could not carry the Dardanelles alone. Turkish casualties had been
80 Ordered to Die

relatively light in comparison to the Allied losses: fifty-eight killed and seventy-
four wounded. Additionally, the Turks had lost nine artillery pieces and had one
artillery redoubt destroyed against the severe naval losses suffered by the Allied
fleet. The Turkish ammunition situation was of some concern since the Turks
had expended about a sixth of their available shells during the daylong battle.8
The distribution of the remaining shells especially was a problem with some of
the guns, particularly those on the higher elevations, having only three shells
remaining and others, at lower locations, having as many as eighteen to fifty
shells remaining. The variety of types and calibers of the Turkish artillery
inventory was also making itself felt, and the spare parts inventory was dropping
because the intensity of firing had caused mechanical difficulties for some guns
that required repair parts. Eight of the underwater mines had also been
detonated. Not knowing if the Allies would press the attack, the Turks went to
work to redistribute ammunition and to repair what damage they could. The
Allies now began serious preparations for an amphibious landing intended to
seize and hold the Gallipoli Peninsula, which, with its high ground, would
dominate and make untenable the Turkish fortifications below.
During this period, the Turkish General Staff, in Constantinople, was awash
in bad news from the active fronts. The Third Army's winter offensive had
collapsed with crippling losses, as had the Fourth Army's attack on the Suez
Canal (although with very few casualties), and the British had taken Basra and
Qurna in Mesopotamia. The Armenian population in eastern Anatolia was also
thought to be preparing to rise in rebellion. Amid this background of competing
misfortunes, it became apparent both from Allied activities in the northern
Aegean Sea, and from intelligence agents in Egypt, that the Allies were
preparing a major amphibious invasion to seize the Dardanelles. To counter this,
on February 20, 1915, Enver Pa§a ordered a restructuring of the Turkish armies
guarding Thrace and Constantinople. Enver ordered that the First Army defend
the northern coast and the west side of the Turkish Straits and the Second Army
to defend the south coast and the east side of the Turkish Straits. In the words of
Liman von Sanders, "it was the feeblest imaginable defensive measure."9 This
plan split the Turkish Straits through the center on a north-south axis, and
violated the principle of unity of command. Liman von Sanders protested
vigorously to Enver, arguing for a single command which would be responsible
for repelling an expected Russian assault near Constantinople, and another
command, which would be responsible for repelling the Anglo-French at the
Dardanelles. Enver failed to agree with Liman von Sanders's recommendations,
and on March 1 made further adjustments to the Turkish dispositions. Enver
withdrew the II Corps from Adrianople to £atalca and the IV Corps from
Bandirma to the Gulf of Izmit (positioning them closer to Constantinople to
repel an expected Russian amphibious invasion from the Black Sea). Liman von
Sanders again protested, because these troops were the closest reserves to the
Dardanelles and felt that they would be needed to assist in fighting off the
allies.10 However, in the wake of the Allied attempt to force the Dardanelles on
March 18, Enver changed his mind and decided to form a new army
headquarters, which would be directly responsible for the defense of the
 Under Attack 81

southern straits. On March 24, 1915, the Turkish General Staff activated the
Turkish Fifth Army. Enver asked General Liman von Sanders to relinquish
command of the First Army and take command of the new Turkish Fifth Army,
which he did on March 25. Liman von Sanders departed Constantinople, taking
a small part of the First Army Staff with him, among whom were Lieutenant
Colonel Kiazim Bey as his chief of staff and his two German aides-Captains
Muhlmann and Prigge. Field Marshal Freiherr von der Goltz took over
command of both the German Military Mission and the Turkish First Army in
Constantinople. Liman von Sanders arrived by sea at the port of Gallipoli on
March 26 and established himself in the headquarters of Esat Papa's III Corps.
The new Fifth Army was a powerful force and had as its main components the
III Corps, the XV Corps, the 5th Infantry Division, and an independent cavalry
brigade. The III Corps retained its 7th, 9th, and 19th Infantry Divisions, and the
XV Corps commanded the 3 rd and 11th Infantry Divisions. Both the 5th Infantry
Division and the cavalry brigade were kept as army reserves. The £anakkale
Fortified Area Command continued as a separate operational command. Under
this command arrangement, the III Corps defended the Gallipoli Peninsula itself,
with the 7th and 9th Infantry Divisions watching the beaches and the 19th Infantry
Division held in corps reserve near Eceabat. The XV Corps held the Asiatic
coast with the 3 rd and 11th Infantry Division defending the vulnerable flat
beaches. The XV Corps headquarters, with two infantry regiments as the corps
reserve, was located at Calvert's Farm near Ciplak, the site of Heinreich
Schliemann's archaeological excavations of Homer's Troy.11 Farther north, the
5th Infantry Division guarded the critical and narrow isthmus of Bulair, and the
independent Cavalry Brigade screened the long beaches of the Gulf of Saros.
The headquarters of the new Fifth Army remained in the town of Gallipoli.
Cevat Bey's Fortress Command continued to command the forts and most of the
artillery. The March attack had alerted the Turks to the extreme dangers of an
Allied attack and, over a four-week period, Liman von Sanders worked tirelessly
to improve the tactical situation in his new army area. He concentrated on
realistic preparations which were within Turkish capabilities, such as improving
the road network, camouflaging troop concentrations and artillery batteries, and
improving the fortifications along the likely landing beaches. He commandeered
tools and barbed wire fences from the local farmers in order to fortify even more
areas.12 He worked to improve the existing hospital situation so that by mid-
March 1915, there were a total of 1,050 beds available to treat casualties.13 In
between the grueling periods of building fortifications, at night, and in inclement
weather, the troops were endlessly subjected to anti-invasion alarms and drills.
Although ammunition for some of the larger calibers of artillery was in short
supply, morale in the Fifth Army and in the fortress was high. Given the
resources at hand, Liman von Sanders and his subordinate Turkish commanders
used their time well in preparing the force to meet the Allies.
Liman von Sanders judged that there were three areas of particular danger to
his command, these were the Isthmus of Bulair and the Gulf of Saros, the coast
of Asia near Kum Kale, and southern tip of the Gallipoli Peninsula. He therefore
broke his command into three operational groups, which would defend these
82 Ordered to Die

three key areas. Apparently uncomfortable with some of the senior Turkish
commanders, Liman von Sanders placed highly trained German officers in
tactical command of several of these groups. Colonel von Sodenstern with the
5th Infantry Division and the independent cavalry brigade was assigned the Gulf
of Saros sector. Colonel Weber was given the XV Corps, composed of the 3 r
and the 11th Infantry Division to defend Kum Kale and the Asiatic shore. The
Gallipoli Peninsula itself remained under the operational command of Major
General Esat Papa's III Corps. This corps deployed the 7th Infantry Division
along the vulnerable isthmus of Bulair, the 9th Infantry Division along the
southern tip of the peninsula and maintained the new but well-trained 19th
Infantry Division as a reserve.
One of the prevalent myths of the campaign is the idea that Liman von
Sanders was instrumental in rationalizing and solidifying the defensive
arrangements of the Gallipoli Peninsula in his short first month of command.
His own memoirs and most histories credit him with an exaggerated role in this
sense, and it is generally unknown that the Turks had established defensive
plans for the peninsula in 1912 and 1913 during the Balkan Wars. As the
Bulgarians isolated the Gallipoli Peninsula during their advance on the Qatalca
lines in November 1912, the Turks began defensive preparations to guard the
straits against an amphibious assault by the Greeks. Elaborate plans evolved
employing four reserve infantry divisions guarding the vulnerable beaches of the
peninsula and the Asiatic shore as well.14 Two reserve infantry divisions,
employing a system of mutually supporting company and battalion strong
points, guarded the two areas later famously known as Cape Helles and Anzac.
Regimental reserves were positioned in covered ground for immediate
counterattacks. A third reserve infantry division guarded the Asian shore at Kum
Kale. Behind them on the peninsula at Ecabet, the fourth reserve infantry
division lay in general reserve (a position later occupied by the 19th Infantry
Division in 1915). In total, the three reserve infantry divisions of the 1912-1913
peninsula defense contained approximately the same combat strength as the later
9X and 19* Infantry Divisions that performed the same missions in 1915 (the
Kum Kale position was greatly reinforced in 1915). Although these plans were
never actively exercised they were retained and improved on as the empire went
to war in 1914. A comparison of the dispositions between 1912-1913 and the
final Fifth Army dispositions of April 1915 reveals very close similarities in unit
deployment and combat strength.15 It is noteworthy to mention that these plans
were completely the products of Ottoman commanders and General Staff
officers.
At the strategic level, the Fifth Army knew that the allies had embarked and
were about to launch a large multidivisional Anglo-French expeditionary force
somewhere either in European Thrace or in the Asian Troad. However, Liman
von Sanders did not know exactly where the main effort would be and the
dispositions of the Fifth Army reflected this weakness in intelligence at the
operational level. Nevertheless by mid- to late April 1915, an almost continuous
series of alarms and invasion scares had raised Turkish troop readiness to a very
high level.
 Under Attack 83

Tactically, the Fifth Army deployed a light infantry screen in outposts sited
on the dominating terrain overlooking potential landing beaches. These forces
were usually in platoon strength and were well dug in with wire and prepared
trenches. The Turks did not intend to stop the allies on the beaches with these
troops. Instead, regiment-sized forces were positioned three to five kilometers
behind the beaches in protected ground. As the outposts slowed the enemy
landing and channeled their advance, these larger forces would counterattack the
enemy. It was hoped that these counterattacks, conducted immediately or as
soon as possible, would throw the unwary invaders back into the sea. At all
levels the Turkish commanders rehearsed these counterattacks in detail. The
Fifth Army was ready to receive the enemy.
In the early hours of April 25, the allies conducted landings at six separate
locations on the Gallipoli Peninsula and at Kum Kale on the Asiatic shore.
Furthermore, a highly visible and creative deception was staged in the Gulf of
Saros. The invading Allied troops were heavily supported by intense naval
gunfire. Reports and alarms poured into the Fifth Army headquarters; however,
Liman von Sanders could not yet pinpoint the main enemy attack. Reports from
the III Corps indicated that the 9th Infantry Division was holding its ground but
that the situation was dangerous. Liman von Sanders ordered Esat Pa§a to go
forward to Seddelbahir at the southern tip of the peninsula and to take direct
command of the battles raging there. Arriving there, Esat found that Colonel
Sami, the 9th Infantry Division commander, had put all of his reserves into the
fight, and so Esat urgently requested reinforcements. At Ariburnu, the Anzac
came ashore and made contact with the Turkish coastal defenders. This brought
an immediate and strong reaction. In a famous incident, which propelled
Lieutenant Colonel Mustafa Kemal into the limelight, the 19th Infantry Division
was alerted and deployed to halt the Anzac attack that threatened the critical
high ground dominating the narrows. In what would later prove to be the
decisive maneuver for the Turks on the first day of the campaign, Mustafa
Kemal intuitively sensed the strength of the Anzac attack and, seizing the
initiative, committed his division to battle without waiting for orders. He led his
division forward into the fight and personally commanded the 57th Infantry
Regiment at the critical point in the battle. It was here that he issued his famous
order, "I do not expect you to attack, I order you to die! In the time which passes
until we die, other troops and commanders can take our place!" It was inspired
and heroic leadership and the final result of the battle probably rested on this
single dramatic action. The Anzac's failed to reach their objectives. Kemal
would later note that the 57th Infantry Regiment was, "a famous regiment this,
because it was completely wiped out."16
Meanwhile, at the very tip of the peninsula another tale of heroism was
playing itself out. Notably absent from the official Turkish histories of the First
World War are the mention of any participants below the rank of captain, and
especially absent are the rank and file. One notable exception; however, is the
story of Yahya Qavus or Sergeant Yahya, who was assigned to the 12th
Company of the 2nd Battalion of the Turkish 26th Infantry Regiment defending
the heights named Ay Tepe and Gozcubaba Tepe. These small and adjacent hills
84 Ordered to Die

overlooked the infamous and deadly V Beach and had been heavily entrenched
and defensively wired into a single strongpoint. Towards the early evening (5:40
P.M.) of April 25, Irish troops began a strong attack on these positions. Sergeant
Yahya found himself with five squads of infantry, and his position on
Gozcubaba under assault by a large column of enemy infantry. With his officer
down, the mission to defend the position fell on the shoulders of Sergeant
Yahya. The sergeant was described as "intelligent and heroic" and was also an
instinctive fighter.17 He beat back several determined attacks on his hilltop
position until the enemy finally quit. Later the British broke into the adjacent
Ay Tepe position and tried to outflank and surround Yahya's Gozcubaba
position. Reacting immediately, Yahya personally led a bayonet attack, which
restored the situation. He survived to tell the story and his name is inscribed on a
contemporary memorial at the site. Eventually that evening the Turks lost the
Ay Tepe/Gozcubaba Tepe position when the British were able to bring heavy
enfilading machine gun fire on the hills. Nevertheless, the Turks remember the
singularly heroic exploits of Sergeant Yahya in their histories of the battle.
Liman von Sanders personally rode to the threatened northern sector to gauge
for himself the strength of the Allied effort. By late afternoon, the situation
became clearer and he was now almost convinced that the Allied presence in the
Gulf of Saros was merely a diversion. He ordered the 7th Infantry Division, then
deploying to the heights overlooking Bulair, to halt and turn toward the south in
response to Esat's plea for reinforcements. Additionally, he ordered the 5th
Infantry Division to send a regiment south, as well. Incoming reports from
Colonel Weber in Asia indicated that the situation there was well in hand and
that he required no major assistance.
As darkness closed in on the Fifth Army on the night of April 25, the tactical
situation appeared threatening but favorable. The British landings had been
contained to five very small beachheads and the Turks held commanding
positions over them. Turkish reserves were deploying to reinforce the thin
defensive lines holding the invaders. In Asia, the French landing had been
contained at Kum Kale. Although Liman von Sanders did not know it, not a
single Allied objective had been reached.
The next morning, even more convinced that he had correctly anticipated the
Allied assaults, the Fifth Army Commander dispatched regiments of the 5th and
7th Infantry Divisions to the Seddelbahir front. He also ordered an uncommitted
regiment from the 11th Infantry Division in Asia to be brought to the Anzac
beachhead. The reinforcements sent earlier were now on hand and were
immediately pressed into the fight by Esat Pasa. Liman von Sanders himself
went forward to Esat's camp at Maltepe (only four and one-half kilometers from
the front lines) to better understand the battle. In Asia, the situation had
stabilized, with German Lieutenant Colonel Nicolai's 3 rd Infantry Division
inflicting heavy loses on the French and completely driving them off by April
29. This success enabled the Turks to bring another regiment of the 11th Infantry
Division and two regiments of the 3 rd Infantry Division across the narrows in
successive detachments to further reinforce the main battle.
 Under Attack 85

According to Liman von Sanders memoirs, the confusion of the first several
days of battle forced him to feed reinforcements into the fight without regard to
formal command arrangements.18 Regiments from the 5th and the 11th Infantry
Divisions were fighting with the 19th Infantry Division and regiments from the
3rd, 5th, 7th, and 11th were fighting in the 9th Infantry Division sector. This meant
that, potentially, the III Corps was in danger of losing control of the battle. The
safest way to keep this from happening was to form new operational groups
under trusted commanders, who would control the battle on the spot. On May 1,
1915, Liman von Sanders created corps-level group headquarters to weld
together these disparate formations into ad hoc but coherent combat groups. He
placed Colonel von Sodenstern in command on the Seddelbahir front (Cape
Helles) and placed Esat in command on the Ari Burnu front (Anzac beachhead).
Thus, a combination of prompt reactions by subordinate Turkish commanders
at lower levels and carefully weighed decisions by the senior Turkish and
German commanders enabled the Fifth Army to accomplish much in the
decisive initial phase of what would become known as the £anakkale Savas
(Gallipoli campaign). Despite overwhelming odds and heavy naval gunfire
support, the well-drilled Turkish askers had stopped the British cold at the
landing sites. Correctly anticipating Allied attacks, Turkish and German
divisional commanders boldly committed their reserves to halt Allied progress.
Lieutenant Colonel Mustafa Kemal and Colonel Nicolai fall into this category of
audacious combat leaders without whose presence a Turkish victory is
questionable. At the highest levels, the almost immediate reaction of Liman von
Sanders and Esat in diverting and committing reserve divisions proved decisive
in stopping Allied attacks on the second day of the battle. By the end that second
day, the Fifth Army had five of its six infantry divisions in contact with the
enemy. On the third day of battle, every Turkish infantry division had regiments
in action. By the end of the fourth day, only two infantry regiments remained in
Asia and two infantry regiments remained at Bulair and on the isthmus narrows.
Taken as a whole, it is hard to imagine a better performance by the Fifth Army.
The first major breakout attempt by the allies occurred at the Cape Helles
beachhead (at the southern tip of the peninsula) and was aimed at the capture of
the village of Krithia on April 28. This attack failed in the face of a dogged
Turkish defense by the 9th Infantry Division and both sides suffered heavy
losses. Several days later, with the arrival of regiments of the 3 rd , 7th, and 11th
Infantry Divisions, Colonel von Sodenstern launched a two-division night attack
on the British lines. Because of the scarcity of artillery ammunition, a very brief
preparatory barrage lasting only a few minutes preceded this attack, which
merely succeeded in waking up the British in their trenches. The attack was
repulsed with heavy loss to the Turkish divisions.
Faced with allied landings at the Dardanelles, Enver Pa§a was forced to make
hard choices with the with the fourteen divisions of the unengaged Turkish First
and Second Armies (Table 4.2). These armies had been withheld in the
Constantinople area to protect the capital from either a Russian amphibious
assault from the Black Sea or from a possible invasion from the Christian
Balkan states in Thrace. Another possible deployment for these forces was to
 Table 4.2
Disposition of Turkish Forces, Late April 1915
THRACE
CAUCASIA
First Army
Third Army
I Corps: 1,2 Inf. Div.
IX Corps: 17, 28, 29 Inf. Div.
II Corps: 4, 5, 6 Inf. Div.
X Corps: 30, 31, 32 Inf. Div.
IV Corps: 10, 12 Inf. Div.
XI Corps: 18, 33, 34 Inf. Div
20 Inf. Div., 1 Cav. Bde.
36 Inf. Div.
Second Army
2 Cav. Div.
V Corps: 13, 14, 15 Inf. Div.
MOVING TO THIRD ARMY 3 Reserve Cav. Div.
VI Corps: 16, 24, 26 Inf. Div.
37 Inf. Div. Van Reserve Cav. Bde.
Van Jandarma (Inf) Div.
GALLIPOLI
1 st Expeditionary Force
Fifth Army
SYRIA 5th Expeditionary Force
III Corps: 7, 9, 19 Inf. Div.
XV Corps: 3, 11 Inf. Div. Fourth Army
VIII Corps: 8, 10,23, 25, 27 Inf. Div. MESOPOTAMIA
5 Inf. Div.
XII Corps: 38 Inf. Div. Sixth Army
Independent Cav. Bde.
35 Inf. Div.
Note: Units in boldface type indicate new formations; units Provisional Inf. Div.
underlined indicate units redeployed since December 1914; ARABIA-YEMEN
units in bold italic indicate seriously understrength units. VII Corps: 21, 22, 39, 40 Inf. Div.
 Under Attack 87

counter an expected attack on Symrna. Since none of these possibilities seemed

to match the danger posed by the Fifth Army's ongoing battle, Enver had little
choice but to reinforce Liman von Sanders. At the end of April, the Turkish V
Corps, with the 13th, 15th, and 16th Infantry Divisions was ordered to Gallipoli.
The 4th Infantry Division was ordered to join the Fifth Army, as well. At the
same time, the Turco-German fleet sent two sections of twenty-four machine
guns to join in the defense of the peninsula. The Turkish General Staff also
scrapped the bottom of the barrel to locate and deploy more howitzers to support
Liman von Sanders. The divisional pool in Thrace, so carefully assembled by
the Concentration Plan, was slowly being emptied.
The 11th and the 15th Divisions were thrown immediately into costly assaults
upon their arrival at the front as the Turks attempted to drive the invaders back
into the sea. Although these attacks also failed, the Turks continued to attack
throughout the first week of May 1915.
The British decided to try once again to seize Krithia and on May 6 launched
a second assault on the Turkish lines. This assault too failed and became known
as the Second Battle of Krithia. The British official history notes this battle as
the end of the first phase of the Gallipoli campaign.
On May 10 the 2nd Infantry Division was brought forward from its garrison in
Constantinople. This division was regarded by the Turks as a very well trained
division and was placed in tactical reserve behind the Anzac front. During the
night of the May 18 to 19 the 2nd Infantry Division and the 3 rd Infantry Division,
now entirely having been brought over from Asia, launched a major attack on
the Anzac beachhead. Esat Pasa commanded this attack, and he was extremely
confident of success because he had numerical superiority at the point of attack
using two fresh and highly regarded Turkish infantry divisions. However, the
Australians and the New Zealanders had been warned by aerial reconnaissance
and by observing preparations in the front-line Turkish trenches. The Turkish
attack began at 3 A.M. in the morning and was concluded by dawn. Not only
had the attack failed, but the Turks had taken over thirteen thousand casualties,
of which over three thousand lay dead in front of the Anzac trenches. The 2nd
Infantry Division alone had lost over nine thousand men killed, wounded, or
missing.19 For the first and only time in the Gallipoli Campaign, the local British
commander asked for and received permission for a Red Cross-supervised truce
in which to bury the dead. Liman von Sanders agreed and on May 23, both sides
suspended hostilities to bury the mounds of dead.
On June 4, 1915, the British again took the offensive in the Third Battle of
Krithia, sending several divisions to attack the 9th and 12th Infantry Divisions
holding the Turkish lines. That morning the Turkish trenches came under a
naval bombardment beginning at 8 A.M. By 11:45, the 12th Infantry Division
reported that its entire front was under fire from three battleships and that an
enemy attack was imminently expected.20 The British attacks began at 12:10.
Most of the attacks penetrated 200 to 450 meters into the Turkish defenses. The
farthest went about a kilometer and the 12th Division reported that its soldier's
morale was "shaken."21 All attacks were finally repulsed and the front stabilized
about 8 P.M. The Turks estimated that the British suffered forty-five hundred
88 Ordered to Die

casualties and the French another two thousand on that day. Expecting the
British attacks to continue, the 5th and the 11th Infantry Divisions moved into
staging areas behind the lines to be ready for a massive counterattack in the
event of an Allied breakthrough. Fortunately, the Allies quit, leaving the front
relatively unchanged. The Turks lost three officers; forty-nine men were killed
and sixty-two officers and 4,903 men were wounded.
On June 9, 1915, Liman von Sanders requested fresh forces from the Turkish
General Staff. Enver replied by telegraph on June 12 saying that because of the
political situation it was not possible to send fresh forces to the Fifth Army.
There had been continuous bombardments by the Russian Navy of the Turkish
Black Sea ports throughout the months of April, May, and June and many in the
government were worried about the possibility of a Russian amphibious
invasion on the Black Sea coastline. Enver promised to send instead individual
reinforcements and reservists (private soldiers). Further, he suggested that the
Fifth Army consider rotating the divisions in Asia and at Saros into the battle
area, especially the 3 rd Infantry Division which had sent to Asia to recover after
the costly May battles. Enver also offered to exchange regiments of the Fifth
Army's divisions with the uncommitted II Corps on a one-for-one basis.22
The fighting during the first weeks of the Gallipoli campaign was fierce. The
Turkish defenses had depended largely on manpower and rifles rather than on
machine guns and artillery. In particular artillery ammunition had to be carefully
husbanded because of limited quantities on hand. On June 22, 1915, Liman von
Sanders reported to Enver Pasa that he now had now had enough troops on hand
but was experiencing difficulty with artillery ammunition availability, especially
for his field howitzers.23 A Fifth Army report to the Turkish General Staff on
June 23 highlighted the problem (Table 4.3).

Table 4.3
Fifth Army Ammunition Expenditures Report, May 8-June 8, 1915
Type Shells Expended Shells On Hand
Field artillery guns 29,462 19,500
Mortar 1,868 788
Mountain howitzer 2,446 unknown
120 mm gun 1,548 72
150 mm quickfire 765 97
120 mm howitzer 486 173
150 mm howitzer 446 259
105 mm mortar 4,142 1,169
210 mm mortar 165 26

Note: Field artillery guns and mortars were not listed by type or caliber in this report.

Source: Turkish General Staff Archives (ATASE), Fifth Army Report to Turkish
General Staff, June 23, 1915. Archive 4/8749, Class 3474, Folder H-l 1, File 7-8.
 Under Attack 89

A careful examination of this report reveals several severe problems with

ammunition availability. The apparent mountain of field artillery ammunition
was for guns with low or flat trajectories, which were not particularly useful in
fighting trench warfare. The most useful artillery types in trench warfare were
howitzers and mortars, which had high-arcing trajectories. In most of these
critical categories, the Turks had very small inventories of shells on hand and of
these most useful types fewer than ten thousand shells had been fired in the
thirty-day period shown. During this period the strength of the Fifth Army had
swollen to ten infantry divisions. Given this density of Turkish forces fighting
on the peninsula, the total number of Turkish shells expended (roughly eighteen
thousand) from early May through early June is actually quite small. To
alleviate the growing scarcity of shells the £anakkale fortress sent 105 150 mm
howitzer shells, 1,320 150 mm gun shells, and 750 210 mm shells to the Fifth
Army.24
A major and costly French attack at Seddelbahair on June 21 and 22 also
failed. Later in the month (28-29 June), the British attempted an offensive from
the Anzac beachhead. Turkish losses were about one thousand and Liman von
Sanders happily reported the repulse of the Anzac attack. He attributed this
defensive success to two Turkish officers, Faik Pa§a and Albay (Colonel) Refet,
both in the 11th Infantry Division.25 This attempt to break the deadlock failed.
Heartened by their defensive success, the Turks counterattacked the Anzac
beachhead but were bloodily repulsed. Between June 28 and July 5, the Fifth
Army lost sixteen thousand men, about fourteen thousand of whom were lost in
the Anzac sector. Concerned over these huge losses, the Turkish General Staff
dispatched the 13th Infantry Division to assist the Fifth Army. Enver Pasa was
beginning to register concern as well about the way in which the defense of the
peninsula was being handled. On July 4, 1915, Enver sent a telegraph cipher to
Liman von Sanders suggesting that due to the tired condition of the Fifth Army
that it would be a prudent measure to turn over the peaceful Saros Bay sector to
the uncommitted Second Army.26 Liman von Sanders promptly registered his
strong disagreement and reconfirmed his belief that the peninsula was best
defended by a single commander. Another British offensive followed at Cape
Helles on July 12, which failed with very heavy casualties. Turkish strength at
the Cape Helles was then five full infantry divisions backed by seventy-two field
artillery pieces and twenty-two mountain howitzers.
Neither side made any progress during these costly summer battles, as the
European experience with World War I trench warfare asserted itself in the
Mediterranean. In spite of their local superiority of 150,000 effectives, backed
by powerful naval forces, against the Turkish total of about 120,000 effectives,27
the allies were unable to break the deadlock at the tactical level. In
Constantinople, Enver continued to repeat his call for continued Turkish
offensives against the small allied beachheads. Many of the Fifth Army's
infantry divisions were depleted by months of continuous combat to regimental
strength. As a result, the Turkish Second Army sent a steady stream of
replacements to the front and, in July, also sent its chief of staff, Vehip Pa§a, to
relieve Colonel Weber at the Cape Helles front. Vehip was the energetic
90 Ordered to Die

younger brother of Esat Pasa and this relationship fostered better coordination
between the two operational groups in contact with the British. Vehip
immediately began to visit his divisions and to send inspirational messages to
his soldiers. The continuing battles were absorbing a large quantity of available
Turkish resources and Liman von Sanders now commanded a total of seventeen
Turkish infantry divisions. In addition to the original six Fifth Army infantry
divisions, the 2nd, 12th, 15th, and 16th Infantry Divisions had arrived in May, the
1st, 4th, and 6th Infantry Divisions had arrived in June, and in July the entire staff
of the Second Army, the V Corps with its 13th and 14th Infantry Divisions, and
the XIV Corps with its 8th and 10th Infantry Divisions had arrived. Upon its
arrival, the Second Army staff merged with the Southern Group staff which
greatly augmented and increased the group's capability. On July 28, 1915, the
Fifth Army had a total of 250,818 men and 69,167 animals under its command.
However, the beleaguered Fifth Army seemed to gain no respite and began to
hear rumors about a second allied invasion force assembling on the island of
Lemnos.
Concerned about their losses and their continuing inability to break through
the Turkish lines, and under considerable political pressure at home, the British
decided to attempt to force a solution at the operational level. The British had
come to the belated conclusion that the small size of the Cape Helles and the
Anzac beachheads negated the allied manpower and reinforcement superiority,
and therefore decided to conduct a second major amphibious operation in an
attempt to outflank the Fifth Army. Plans were set in motion to assemble a force
which would conduct an invasion at Suvla Bay, immediately to the northwest of
the Anzac positions. This force would flank Esat's defensive lines and thrust
across the peninsula to the narrows. The British felt confident because the Suvla
Bay area was known to be lightly held by the Turks. There, in fact, Bavarian
Major Willmer was in command of an extremely light Turkish screening force
guarding the Suvla beaches. Willmer commanded two understrength infantry
battalions and a Jandarma Regiment, and four artillery batteries, which was a
very small force for such a critical area. Apparently, Liman von Sanders
regarded the Gulf of Saros as a far more likely landing spot and stationed the
entire 7th and 12th Infantry Divisions in that location. Esat Pa§a, too, regarded the
Suvla site as an unlikely landing objective, although Mustafa Kemal had pointed
out its vulnerabilities to him during the midsummer.
On the evening of August 6, the British landed at Suvla Bay, with a force that
finally grew to fwt full divisions. Willmer's tiny force held the high ground but
could not effectively guard the long sandy beaches which were put under
observation by individual posts. The British came ashore in force very quickly,
but, inexplicably from the Turkish point of view, failed to seize rapidly the
thinly held dominant terrain of the Kucuk and Buyuk Anafarta ridgelines.28
Reacting with his typical sense of urgency, Liman von Sanders put the 7th and
the 12th Infantry Divisions of the XVI Corps on the road south by the end of the
day. The nearby 9th Infantry Division was ordered into action to assist Willmer's
troops. The following day, to the surprise of Liman von Sanders, the XVI Corps
Commander appeared early and reported that he had double marched his corps
 Under Attack 91

southwards and that he was ready to join the fight a day earlier than expected.
He was immediately ordered to bring his 7th and 12th Infantry Divisions into
line; however, due to the exhausted condition of his troops, he failed to execute
this order in a timely manner. Liman von Sanders now determined that he
needed to energize this critical sector and he gave command of the newly
formed Anafarta Group to Colonel Mustafa Kemal, in whom the German
commander had full confidence. The Anafarta Group controlled the XVI Corps,
the 9th Infantry Division, and the Willmer Group. By the morning of August 9,
the Turks had four infantry divisions in line against the British. Mustafa Kemal
launched immediate counterattacks, personally leading one himself on August
10, which pushed the British back to within one kilometer of the landing
beaches. Anzac and Seddulbahair seemed to be repeating themselves.
Supporting British attacks coming out of the Anzac beachhead were also beaten
back by East Pasa with great difficulty. However, the Suvla Bay forces
succeeded in establishing contact with the Anzacs. Although the Turks were
outnumbered in the new Anafarta sector, the British had committed every unit
they had available to the fight. This allowed Liman von Sanders to bring critical
reinforcements from the Asiatic side.
Strong British attacks followed on August 12 and again on August 15, The
final largescale British attack occurred on August 27. All failed to achieve
decisive results. In spite of these frequent largescale British attacks, Turkish
casualties in the Anafarta Group during this period were relatively light with a
total of 3,860 killed and wounded.
Both sides were now exhausted, both physically and psychologically.
Although hard fighting continued and attacks were maintained at the tactical
level, the fighting on the Gallipoli Peninsula slowly atrophied into a dogged
stalemate with no end in sight. The Fifth Army held the key terrain in every
sector, which compensated for its lack of artillery, artillery ammunition, and
machine guns. The everchanging Turkish command arrangements had now
solidified into four operational groups of various sizes, the Anafarta Group
under Colonel Mustafa Kemal, the Ari Burnu Group (Anzac sector) under Esat
Pasa, and the Seddelbahir (Cape Helles) Group under Vehip Pa§a, and the Asia
Group under Mehmet Ali Pasa. During August further Turkish reinforcements
had reached the peninsula, the I Corps headquarters commanded by Mirliva
Hilmi Pasa, the VI Corps with its 24th and 26th Infantry Divisions, the XVII
Corps with its 15th and 25 Infantry Divisions, and Field Marshal von der Goltz
with most the headquarters personnel of the First Army. At the end of August
1915, the Turks had twenty infantry divisions committed to the campaign (Map
4.1).
In September Bulgaria joined the Central Powers, thus opening the way for
German material assistance, especially for much needed artillery ammunition
and spare parts. On September 9, a battery of Austrian 240 mm howitzers, a
battery of German 150 mm howitzers, and a mortar battery arrived at the
western rail terminus of Uzunkopru. Along with this artillery, about five
hundred German and Austrian technical specialists arrived. The flow of highly
trained German General Staff officers, abruptly cut in the summer of 1914, was
Map 4.1
General Situation at Gallipoli, First and Fifth Army Forces, End of August 1915

Source: Turkish General Staff, Birinci Dunya Harbinde Turk Harbi Vnci Cilt Qanakkale
Cephesi 2ncu Kitap (Ankara: GK Basimevi, 1978), Kroki (Map ) 68.
 Under Attack 93

now restored with the arrival of three such officers (this was an extremely
important development). In the second half of September, the troops of the
Second Army began to be replaced by troops of the First Army. With these
troops departed Vehip Pasa and the Second Army staff, who were replaced by
Cavid Pasa and no staff. Although the tempo of the campaign appeared to be
slowing down, interest at the Turkish General Staff continued unabated. On
September 4, Enver informed the Fifth Army that substantial Italian forces were
massing to reinforce the Allies at ^anakkale. He noted that thirty-seven
thousand troops at Brindisi, twenty thousand at Naples, and a further twenty
thousand at Rhodes were preparing to embark for this attack. The source of his
information was not revealed to Liman von Sanders.29 The Turkish 20th Infantry
Division, stationed at Symrna, was sent to the peninsula and the Operations
Division of the Turkish General Staff alerted a cavalry brigade and two infantry
regiments to prepare for deployment to the battlefront. As late as September 29,
1915, Liman von Sanders thought that the greatest threat was a simultaneous
landing in Asia and at Saros Bay against which he would be unable to
concentrate his reserves.
The long awaited artillery ammunition began to arrive in November, along
with several batteries of heavy Austrian howitzers. Encouraged by these
reinforcements, Enver and the Turkish General Staff began to push for an all-out
offensive to push the allies back into the sea. Fortunately for the Mehmetciks,
who would have to carry these assaults to the enemy, the Allies decided in the
late fall of 1915 to withdraw their forces from the Gallipoli Peninsula.
In a brilliant series of withdrawals carried out under conditions of extreme
secrecy, the allies evacuated the Suvla Bay and Anzac beachheads during the
night of December 19-20. This evacuation was planned and executed right under
the noses of the Turks, and depended on both a great deal of luck and on a series
of detailed deception operations. At 4 A.M. on the morning of December 20,
Yuzbasi (Captain) Ali Remzi was notified by field telephone from his forward
outposts that the enemy trenches appeared empty. News was immediately
relayed to the Fifth Army Headquarters and the Yuzbasi was ordered to
investigate. He went forward and penetrated 150 meters into the British trench
system, finding it indeed empty and filled with dummy soldiers. At this point the
Fifth Army staff woke up Liman von Sanders and told him the news. The
Turkish official history simply notes that he replied "God be praised." 30 The
entire enemy force, and most of the artillery, was gotten away quite
successfully, but large quantities of stores and supplies fell into Turkish hands.
As the new year approached, it seemed certain that the Allies would evacuate
the Cape Helles beachhead also. Despite intense Turkish observation and
interest, the Allies repeated their successful withdrawal from this position on the
night of January 8-9, 1916. Again, large amounts of military supplies, horses,
tentage, and rations fell into Turkish hands. Liman von Sanders noted that it
took two years for the Turks to organize and carry away the material that they
captured. Thus ended one of the most original strategic conceptions of the First
World War with the Turks again in possession of the peninsula.
94 Ordered to Die

In a ciphered message from the Fifth Army to Enver Pasa, Liman von Sanders
reported that at 8:45 A.M., January 9, 1916, the Gallipoli Penhisula had been
cleared of the enemy/ 1 It did not take the Turks long to begin moving their
battered formations out of the combat area. Between January 9 and January 20,
eleven Turkish infantry divisions were moved out of the battle zone and north
into Thrace. Liman von Sanders himself left on January 15. As calm returned to
the Gallipoli peninsula, the Turkish General Staff reduced the strength of the
Fifth Army to a level below its preinvasion strength. By the end of January
1916, Mirliva Cevat Pasa commanded a smaller Fifth Army composed of the VI
Corps with the 24th and the 26th Infantry Divisions and the XIV Corps with the
25th and the 42nd Infantry Divisions. The strength of the fortress command
remained more or less the same. Later in the war, as these divisions recuperated
and were brought back up to full fighting strength, they were sent to more active
fronts and new divisions raised in their place.
The official British account of the campaign attributes two important factors
in the British failure to carry the Dardanelles.32 These factors were the dogged
defensive fighting qualities of the Turkish soldiers and the brilliant leadership in
the Turkish Fifth Army. This is certainly an accurate appraisal. The campaign
slipped away into the histories as one of the great "what ifs?" of the First World
War. In tallying the balance sheet, it appeared that the combatants lost nearly
equal numbers of casualties. The British lost a total of 205,000 men, of whom
43,000 were killed or missing. Of the seventy-nine thousand French engaged,
forty-seven thousand became casualties. British accounts of the battle note a
total Turkish casualty figure of 251,000 men, while Liman von Sanders
estimated 218,000 Turkish casualties, of whom 66,000 were killed. He also
noted that about forty-two thousand of the Turkish wounded returned to duty.
The official British campaign history of the battle speculates that because of
careless Turkish record keeping, that perhaps as many as 350,000 Turks became
casualties. However, Turkish record keeping was quite meticulous, and the final
count for the period of April 4, 1915, through December 19, 1915, was 595
officers and 56,048 men killed, 1,018 officers and 95,989 men wounded, and 27
officers and 11,151 men missing. ~ Fahri Belen's figures match these and he
adds that twenty-one thousand died in hospital and that a total of sixty-four
thousand became sick during the campaign.34 Therefore Liman von Sanders's
figures would appear to very close to the actual final Turkish casualty figures for
the Gallipoli campaign.
In terms of forces committed, the Allies sent 489,000 men to the
Dardanelles. ~ Most British, Australian, and American authors credit the Turks
with committing five hundred thousand men to the campaign over the nine-
month course of the battle. Given the deployment of the Turkish Army in 1915,
this figure is, perhaps, on the high side, and disguised the allied humiliation
suffered at the hands of the Turks. From the Turkish records and from Liman
von Sanders's account, it is doubtful that the Turks ever had equal numbers of
combat troops engaged (except for a brief period in the early summer of 1915).
Indeed, the opposite was probably the case: the Turks were outnumbered most
of the time. The highest strength that the Turks had on the peninsula occurred in
 Under Attack 95

October 1915 when a total of 5,500 officers and 310,000 men were listed on the
rolls of the Fifth Army.36
There were several outcomes from this campaign. The first and most well
known was that British never attempted another amphibious attack on Turkey
during the remainder of the war. A second was that it focused the British high
command on the idea of winning the war on the western front and those
advocating peripheral campaigns fell from power. Finally, the British came
away from the battle with a renewed respect for the Turkish Army. From the
Turkish perspective, there were several other important outcomes which were
generally ignored by the world at large. Probably the most significant result for
the Turkish Army was the emergence of a group of combat-tested commanders
with proven abilities. Many of these individuals would make important
contributions to the Turkish war effort later in the conflict. The second
important outcome for Turkey was that the Turkish leaders drew renewed
confidence in the continuance of the war and the ultimate victory of the Central
Powers. The deployments of the Turkish Army in 1916 would reflect this
increased optimism and commitment to victory. Finally, there emerged from the
Gallipoli battles a hard cadre of veteran Turkish infantry divisions that would
see tough action on other fronts and that would prove difficult to defeat in
subsequent campaigns.

ARMENIAN REBELLION

There is huge body of historical literature concerning the "Armenian

genocide" that maintains that the Young Turks, in particular Enver, Talat, and
Cemal, intentionally sought to exterminate the Armenian citizens of the
Ottoman Empire. This case against the Young Turks rests on the premise that
they intended to racially purify the empire by purging or exterminating its
minorities, particularly the troublesome Christian Armenians. Moreover, the
literature maintains that under the pretext of wartime emergencies and threats to
national security, the Young Turks took advantage of circumstances to conduct
genocide against the Armenians. Using a combination of methods ranging from
massacre to starvation, the Young Turks then deliberately and intentionally
caused the deaths of several million Armenians. Much of this literature is
emotionally charged and a large percentage of it is directly generated by the
descendents of the survivors of the events. The genocide itself has, over the past
eighty years, become a highly political issue in most western countries, as
Armenian descendants seek legislative condemnation of the modern Turkish
Republic. Because of this transgenerational campaign to establish that an
Ottoman genocide (defined as an intentional and systematic attempt to
exterminate a people or a race) against its Armenian subjects occurred, balanced
and objective discourse on this subject becomes difficult.
In many quarters of academia, debate has more or less settled on the
acknowledgment that the genocide occurred as a matter of historical fact.37
Without question, a large number of innocent Armenians, including women and
children, died during the First World War at the hands of the Turks.
96 Ordered to Die

Documentation on this point is incontrovertible and was witnessed by too many

neutral observers, many of whom wrote reliable and immediate narratives and
reports. Because of this, the Young Turks have been intellectually equated with
Adolf Hitler and the Holocaust, and secondarily, the Turkish Army with the
German SS. The Turkish position on the matter is that the Armenians were
actively engaged in terrorism and in outright insurrection beginning in April
1915.38 Military necessity therefore justified the deportation of the Armenians.
Both sides conducted unsanctioned massacres, but to this day the Turks deny
that the Ottoman government sought, with premeditated intent, to exterminate
the Armenian people.
It is beyond the scope of this book to assess or to comment on whether or not
there was a deliberate or systematic genocide of the Armenian people during the
First World War. This section focuses on the role and the responsibility of the
military in identifying and reacting to the Armenian Rebellion of 1915 and
1916. Only a fraction of the massive Turkish archival holdings are available to
researchers, and these are carefully controlled by the Turkish authorities. The
records available to researchers in the Turkish General Staffs archives describe
a rising pattern of civil unrest, followed by an armed rebellion. The available
records also show an escalating response by the military culminating in the
mass deportation of the Armenians.
As a prelude, there had been considerable recent conflict between the
Armenians and the Ottoman government in the immediate aftermath of the
revolutions of 1908 and 1909. During this turbulent period, Ottoman restrictions
against minorities first relaxed and then tightened. The hopes of the minorities,
especially the Armenians and the Greeks, who had thought that the ending of the
sultanate and the establishment of a modern constitutional structure would lead
to greater autonomy and political inclusion, were shattered when General
Mahmut §evket Pasa seized power. Disorder broke out throughout the empire
among minorities disappointed with this development and with increased taxes
and restrictions of civil rights. In particular, Armenians in Adana rose in revolt
on April 14, 1909, and the army and the Jandarma in quelling the uprising
subsequently killed many thousands.
The Armenian population of the Ottoman Empire in 1914 approached several
million and the Armenian population of the northeastern Ottoman vilayets was
probably about 1.3 million people.39 There had been numerous Armenian
uprisings beginning in the late 1700s and culminating in the 1890s in infamous
and widely reported massacres. While many of the Armenians were loyal and
law abiding citizens of the empire there had existed for many years subversive
Armenian societies dedicated to the establishment of an autonomous Armenia.
After 1909, internal dissent accelerated interest in these societies. In 1910, the
Da§naks (a revolutionary Armenian nationalist society) launched a campaign of
terror in eastern Anatolia.40 Both Armenians and Turks were killed in the
thousands, and the army again was called upon to help restore order. Similar
problems arose in Albania, Kosovo, and Macedonia as other minorities became
disaffected as well. The Balkan Wars of 1912 and 1913 brought an end to
Ottoman control of its European empire, thus eliminating a substantial part of its
 Under Attack 97

minority problem. However, the Armenians remained within the now truncated
empire. By 1914, nationalist/revolutionary Armenian societies were operating
openly in Europe and in Russia and were receiving support from many sources
that sought the dismemberment of the Ottoman Empire.
Within the empire itself, the Armenian community was increasingly alarmed
by a resurgent interest in Pan-Turanism, in particular, by the Turkish nationalist
theories of Ziya Gokalp, who advocated the imposition of the Turkish language
and culture on the empire. Certainly a case can be made that these ideas
appealed to some members of the CUP, especially Enver Pa§a. This cult of
Turkish nationalism and modernization found many adherents within the army
as well. Gokalp's supporters even made contact with non-Ottoman Turks
outside the empires boundaries. The Christian, linguistically and culturally
different, Armenians received the ideas of Gokalp with great foreboding.
Perhaps equally worrisome to the hard working and industrious Armenians was
Gokalp's advocacy of greater Turkish participation in the economy. In any case,
it was perhaps more than idle speculation by 1914, that the Turks intended to
consolidate their hold on the remaining empire in the Anatolian heartland, and
that they intended to impose some kind of cultural, linguistic, and economic
Pan-Turanic program on the empire's population. In the spring of 1914 the
Turks intercepted letters from Armenian committees expressing concern over
these developments. Other letters sent by the Tasnak Committee requested
weapons from the Russians. In July 1914, the Ottoman Consulate in Kars
intercepted a telegram outlining the smuggling of four hundred rifles into the
Eliskirt valley.41 Also during the summer of 1914, the Armenian Committees
conducted the important Erzurum Congress under the leadership of the Tasnaks.
Armenian representatives from every major Eastern Anatolian city were present.
Ostensibly conducted to peacefully advance Armenian concerns through
legitimate means, the Turks regarded the Congress as the seedbed for later
insurrection. It was here, the Turks were convinced, that strong Armenian-
Russian links solidified into detailed plans and agreements aimed at the
detachment of Armenia from the Ottoman Empire.
By September the commander of the Erzurum Fortress received a report that
the Armenian regiments in the Russian Army were mobilized and were
conducting war-training exercises.42 Indicators of potential violent intent
accumulated as Turkish authorities found bombs and weapons hidden in
Armenian homes. The 4th Reserve Cavalry Regiment patrolling from its lines in
Koprukoy discovered Russian rifles cached in Armenian homes in Hasankale on
October 20. The tempo of army operations against Armenian dissidents
accelerated.
In early October 1914 (prior to the commencement of hostilities), the Turkish
Third Army was receiving reports of Armenians who had been ex-Russian
soldiers returning to Turkey with maps and money.43 There were reports from
infantry battalions concerning Armenian meetings at which large numbers of
aggressively nationalist people were gathering.44 In late October 1914, the Third
Army staff informed the Turkish General Staff that large numbers of Armenians
with weapons were moving into Mus, Bitlis, Van, and Erivan.45 Additionally
98 Ordered to Die

disturbing to the military staffs at all levels was an increasing recognition that
thousands of Armenian citizens were deliberately leaving their homes in
Ottoman territory and traveling into Russian held territory with most of their
earthly possessions. Although Turkey was still officially at peace with Russia,
many Turkish officers were by now convinced that Russia was actively
conspiring to foment an Armenian revolt.
The situation went from bad to worse as Russia declared war on Turkey in
November 1914. Throughout November, December, and into January 1915,
many similar reports to the Turkish General Staff outlined the danger posed by
armed Armenians in the Third and in the Fourth Army areas. Incidents of
terrorism increased, particularly bombings46 and assassinations of civilians and
local Turkish officials.47 On February 25, 1915, a ciphered cable went from the
Operations Division of the Turkish General Staff to the First, Second, Third, and
Fourth Armies; the Irak Command; I, II, III, IV, V Army Corps; and to the
Jandarma Command. The cable contained the chief of the Operations Division's
newly issued Directive 8682 titled Increased Security Precautions.48 This
directive noted increased dissident Armenian activity in Bitlis, Aleppo, Dortyol,
and Kayseri, and furthermore identified Russian and French influence and
activities in these areas. The Operations Division directed that the Third and the
Fourth Armies increase surveillance and security measures. All recipients of the
cable were instructed to increase coordination among themselves. Finally, the
cable specifically directed that any ethnic Armenian soldiers should be removed
from Turkish headquarters staffs and taken out of important Turkish command
centers.
The final measure contained in Directive 8682 was probably taken in
response to a report from the Ministry of the Interior's Intelligence Division to
the Turkish General Staffs director of intelligence.49 In this report it was noted
that the Armenian Patriarchate in Constantinople was transmitting military
secrets and dispositions to the Russians. From February through July 1915, a
great many additional reports from provincial officials and lower level army
units reinforced this pattern of allied intelligence gathering as well.
In the Third Army area, the disastrous Sarikamis, offensive had created a
deplorable military situation. The army staff was trying to restore combat
effectiveness to its shattered infantry divisions while at the same time trying to
hold a very long front. Fortunately for the Turks, the battered Russians were in a
similar condition; however, the Russians were winning the reinforcement battle
because of their superior lines of communication. A massive Russian offensive
was expected following the spring thaw in 1915. Overlaid on this dismal
situation was the increasing belief by the Turks of an Armenian rebellion in the
rear areas of the Turkish Third Army. For the staff of the Third Army this
represented a catastrophe of unimaginable proportions. The main Armenian
centers of population (and thus of potential armed resistance) lay directly astride
the only two metaled roads leading into the Third Army's area of operations.
Sivas, Erzincan, and Erzurum interdicted the northern route into the area and
Diyarbakir, Bitlis, and Van interdicted the southern route. Each of these cities
included substantial Armenian populations. Some contained Armenian
 Under Attack 99

majorities. Furthermore, Armenian activity in Konya, Adana, and Aleppo (in the
Fourth Army's area) interdicted the only railroad bringing food, war material,
and reinforcements from the west, through which the Third Army's supplies
flowed as well. Since the Third Army had only limited quantities of food,
medicine, and military stores on hand, interdiction of these key communications
arteries spelled disaster. There was also the distinct possibility of organized and
armed Armenian groups rising in the Third Army's rear to actively support and
assist the anticipated Russian spring offensive. This was particularly worrisome
given the large numbers of Armenian men who had joined the Russians, many
of whom had left relatives and friends behind in Ottoman territory. The
Armenian threat affected the military situation not only for the Third Army, but
potentially for the Fourth Army in Syria and the Sixth Army in Mesopotamia.
These concerns, therefore, had to be addressed by the planning staffs of the
Turkish Armies as they prepared for operational contingencies.
It is difficult to pinpoint exactly when and where the rebellions broke out first.
Many western writers and historians50 have concluded that the Turks themselves
deliberately instigated the revolts by enforcing intolerable conditions on the
Armenians. These acts included murder, rape, and lesser humiliations, which
served to provoke an Armenian reaction. The Turks dispute this and today claim
that it was the Armenians, encouraged by the Russians and French in the
aftermath of Sarikami§, who first rose in revolt.
In fact, armed revolts by the Armenians soon broke out. The most famous
incident occurred when the Druzhiny, an Armenian nationalist movement,
seized the lakeside city of Van in fierce fighting on April 14, 1915.51 The Turks
responded by rushing the Van Jandarma Division to the city to contain and to
crush the rebellion. There was bitter fighting as the Turks besieged the city.
Simultaneously the Russian Army began its long awaited offensive into the
region. This Russian army contained a large number of Armenians organized
into a several army divisions of well-trained and highly motivated infantry
regiments. Although these soldiers were recruited mainly from the Armenian
vilayets lost to Turkey in 1878, their ranks included numerous expatriate
Armenian citizens from the Ottoman Empire who had fled to fight against the
Turks. The Turks believed that the Russians deliberately recruited these people
because of their knowledge of the terrain and peoples within the Ottoman
Empire. The tactical situation around Van and its approaches appeared so
critical that the Turks rerouted the 1st Expeditionary Force to assist in crushing
the rebellion. Two Jandarma battalions assigned to the 28th Infantry Division
were also pulled off the line and sent to Van. Fighting around Van lasted into
late May, when the Russians finally broke the siege and relieved the Armenian
defenders of the city. Other Armenian centers of population soon followed suit
and over the next several months revolts broke out in the cities of Bayburt,
Erzurum, Beyazit, Tortum, and Diyarbakir. Most of these revolts were traced to
the support and instigation of the Armenian nationalist committees.52
Horrible massacres of Armenian males were committed in the Van region
which were widely reported by numerous neutral observers. Most of these were
attributed to Kurds and Circassians, although some were ascribed to Turkish
100 Ordered to Die

forces. Rafael De Nogales, a Venezuelan soldier of fortune fighting with the

Turks, claimed in his memoirs to have been told that local Ottoman officials had
received secret orders to exterminate all Armenian males of twelve years of age
and older.53 Other witnesses, including Americans and Germans with direct
access to the ruling elite, claimed to have been told about similar orders.
Documentation on this point is contested by the Turks. De Nogales remarked
that the Armenians reciprocated in kind by slaughtering large numbers of
Muslims and also noted that the Armenian rebels were well equipped with arms,
ammunitions, and explosives. He claimed that the semi-automatic Mauser pistol
seemed particularly abundant, and was an Armenian weapon of choice in the
close hand-to-hand fighting within the city of Van itself.
Turkish reaction to these armed rebellions escalated in the late spring and the
early summer of 1915. On April 20, Enver Pa§a sent a ciphered message to the
Third Army headquarters54 confirming that Armenian and Greek soldiers were
deserting to form dangerous rebel bands. Enver noted that it was undesirable to
use either regular Turkish troops or the mobile Jandarma regiments against these
rebels (these troops were then badly needed at the front). He therefore directed
that the local and permanently based (static) Jandarma battalions be used to help
capture the rebels. He also recommended that a reward system of one Turkish
lira per every captured rebel be established to encourage local inhabitants to turn
in the rebels.
A message from Muammer Bey, the Governor of Sivas, exposed a serious
problem with this plan. The governor noted that in his vilayet, although about
fifteen thousand Armenians of military age had departed to join the Russians,
another fifteen thousand Armenian men remained in the vilayet. Unfortunately,
conscription of all Turkish men up to the age of 50 years old had left the local
villages practically unprotected and vulnerable to Armenian depredations.55 This
condition made hunting down the rebels problematic. The greater need by far, at
least in Sivas, was simply to provide for the protection of the Muslim villagers
themselves, and the local Jandarma were hard pressed to accomplish this.
On April 24, 1915, Enver Pasa in his capacity as the chief of the Turkish
General Staff issued an important directive56 that noted that the Armenians
posed a great danger to the war effort, particularly in eastern Anatolia and
outlined a plan to evacuate the Armenian population from the region. This
directive also confirmed the Armenian's worst fears about the direction of
Ottoman policy regarding their status as a discrete cultural entity within the
empire. It specified that Armenian males between sixteen and fifty-five years of
age would be deported. Furthermore, all Armenians would be directed to learn
and speak Turkish and Armenian schools would be forced to accommodate this.
All Armenian newspapers throughout the empire would be closed immediately,
although this may have been a moot point since Enver had rounded most of the
Armenian intelligentsia (over three hundred in Constantinople alone) previously
on April 20. The April 24 directive specifically identified the six eastern
Anatolian vilayets, Zeytun, and the area south of Diyarbakir as the operational
area affected by the evacuation plan. It was intended to move the Armenians to
the Euphrates Valley, Urfa, and Stileymaniye. The order specified that the goal
 Under Attack 101

was to create an eastern Anatolian demographic situation in which the ratio of

Armenians would drop to 10 percent of the local total of Turks and local
tribesmen. Almost mocking the inhumanity of the directive, it was specified that
the Armenian families would draw lots to see who would have to leave. Finally,
the directive concluded by reminding all concerned that the Armenians would be
treated in a proper manner.
It would appear from this directive that the Turkish General Staff intended
that this evacuation would be orderly. Further guidance from Enver soon
followed on April 29. In a ciphered instruction to the Ministry of War, all army
commanders, all fortress commanders, and to the Irak Command, Enver directed
that all Armenian leaders and "malicious" Armenians be arrested immediately.
The Da§nak, Huncak, and similar Armenian Committees in Constantinople and
in the vilayets would immediately be closed down and those who were regarded
as harmful would be made to stay in a more "suitable location." 57
Outside forces now conspired to exaggerate the growing problem of an
actively hostile Armenian population in eastern Anatolia. In Mesopotamia, on
April 14, the British began an offensive that would take them to the very gates
of Baghdad itself. On April 25, 1915, the British and French came crashing
ashore at Gallipoli creating a critically important fourth front that immediately
threatened the power center of the empire. The long anticipated Russian
offensive in Caucasia began on May 6 with a major attack down the Tortum
Valley toward Erzurum. A second major Russian attack also started toward the
city of Van. These twin Russian attacks seemed aimed at Turkish cities
containing large Armenian populations. Indeed, the Armenians in Van had
already risen in rebellion. Furthermore, the timing of the allied attacks, nearly
simultaneously on three widely separated fronts, indicated allied coordination
and mutual support hitherto unseen by the Turks. There was a sustained period
of crisis for the Turkish General Staff in 1915—it began on April 25 and it lasted
until the fronts were stabilized in the fall of 1915. During this period almost
every Turkish Infantry Division would be committed to combat in a strategic
situation akin to the Dutch boy plugging the dyke with his finger. Quite literally
in the very middle of this sea of competing priorities and in a position to
interdict the military lifelines of the empire, lay the Armenians, a subject people
heavily armed, belligerent, and now actively engaged in open rebellion.
The strategic dilemma of early May 1915 caused a major shift in the
philosophical and practical basis of the government's policy toward the
Armenians, as Enver Pasa reevaluated the mounting problems and decided to
take a radically different approach. This shift in policy would have severe and
heartbreaking consequences for the entire eastern Anatolian demographic
landscape, and it produced unintended effects that linger into the contemporary
world. On May 2 Enver wrote to the Ministry of the Interior outlining his
thoughts on the best way to tackle the Armenian situation.58 He thought it
necessary either to drive the Armenians, then living around Lake Van, into
Russian territory or to disperse them throughout the Ottoman Empire. Enver's
preference was to drive the rebels, their families and their headquarters away
from the Russian border and then to resettle the area with Muslim refugees from
102 Ordered to Die

abroad (Turkey had still not fully assimilated the millions of Turkish and Balkan
Muslim refugees who had fled into the empire after the Balkan Wars). Finally,
Enver asked the Ministry of the Interior to select an appropriate plan, practices,
and methods to accomplish these ends.
Clearly what had begun as a temporary and partial evacuation of rebellious
Armenians had now changed, philosophically and practically, into a mass
deportation of a more permanent nature. Moreover, it was now apparent that the
military was attempting to involve or to include the Ministry of the Interior in
the promulgation of the deportation. As the full scope of the Van rebellion and
associated Armenian rebellions in the Third Army area became apparent the
military tried to enforce and adhere to the existing policies. However, the
existing security measures were inadequate to deal with the problems at hand, in
particular, the pressing enemy offensives drained almost all regular Turkish
military power into the front lines. As Enver's new policy ideas began to take
hold in the capital, the military grappled with ways to come to terms with the
dilemma. Turkish reactions grew harsher. A new provisional law was passed on
May 27, which established military responsibility for crushing Armenian
resistance. The military was also fully empowered to round up the Armenians,
either collectively or individually in response to military needs or in response to
any sign of treachery or betrayal, and to transfer populations.5 It is important to
note here that this law still maintained the operative notion that direct action
against Armenians would only be in response to military necessity or in reply to
hostile behavior.
On May 30, 1915, the now infamous Regulation for the Settlement of
Armenians Relocated to Other Places because of War Conditions & Emergency
Political Requirements60 was established under the oversight of the Department
of Settlement of Tribes and Immigrants in the Ministry of the Interior. This
regulation fixed responsibility for transportation with local officials and
additionally charged them with the protection and lives of the Armenians
enroute to their new homes. Importantly, the regulation established that the new
areas and the new villages for the Armenians would be established at least
twenty-five kilometers from the route of the Baghdad Railroad. It was clearly
specified that the health, boarding, and welfare of the deportees would remain a
high priority.
Thus cumulatively, the mechanism for the deaths of many deportees enroute
was now established. There was no central headquarters in overall charge of the
deportation. To the military fell the responsibility to round up the rebellious
Armenian population. To local officials fell the incredibly difficult responsibility
of arranging transportation, lodging, feeding, and health care for an unwilling
Armenian population of mostly women, children, and the elderly. To the
Ministry of the Interior fell the responsibility of finding suitable locations at the
end of the journey for the deportees to reestablish their lives. Compounding this
critically flawed organizational command structure was the military mandate to
relocate the Armenians to a place somewhere other than near the route of the
Baghdad Railroad. There is nothing in the record to indicate that the military,
 Under Attack 103

the Ministry of the Interior, and local officials coordinated their efforts to
alleviate the horrible conditions suffered by many of the deportees.
A human disaster of huge proportions loomed on the horizon.
Administratively such a scheme wildly exceeded Turkish capabilities. Even had
the Turks been inclined to treat the Armenians kindly, they simply did not have
the transportation and logistical means necessary with which to conduct
population transfers on such a grand scale. Military transportation, which
received top priority, illustrates this point, when first-class infantry units
typically would lose a quarter of their strength to disease, inadequate rations,
and poor hygiene while traveling through the empire. This routinely happened to
regiments and divisions that were well equipped and composed of healthy young
men, commanded by officers concerned with their wellbeing. Once again, in a
pattern which would be repeated through 1918, Enver Pasa's plans hinged on
nonexistent capabilities that guaranteed inevitable failure.
Compounding the implementation of these policies was the continuing
Armenian Rebellion, which included bombings, assassinations, and the
wholesale slaughter of Muslim Turkish villages. In some places the rebels even
gained the upper hand. The rebels in the city of Van were ultimately relieved by
advancing Russian forces. At Musa Dag in Cilicia, highly organized Armenians
fought the Turks for forty days.61 These events were bound to inflame an already
angry Turkish population and bureaucracy. In spite of this, the Ministry of the
Interior continued to muddy the organizational waters by establishing further
regulations62 that safeguarded the homes of the deportees. According to the
ministry, the homes of the deportees were to be sealed and possessions left
behind were to be cared for. If the Armenians' homes were used as temporary
lodging for Balkan immigrants the new occupants would be liable for any
accrued taxes and for damages. Certainly there were many mixed messages with
all of their associated and unsaid complexities to be found in the rapidly
evolving legal mechanisms which governed the deportation and relocation of the
eastern Anatolian Armenians. The ponderous and complex wheels of the
relocation process now began to grind the Armenians into dust.
At the highest levels, Enver Pasa and the military staffs appear to have
generated the basic idea of the forced evacuation of the Armenians in response
to a military problem which threatened the security of the Turkish Third Army
and therefore of the empire itself. It is beyond question that the actuality of the
Armenian revolts in the key cities astride the major eastern roads and railroads
posed a significant military problem in the real sense. In point of fact, there were
heavily armed and organized bands of Armenians operating in concert with their
Russian allies.63 This problem in combination with the allied offensives in
Caucasia, Mesopotamia, and at Gallipoli caused an acceleration of the Turkish
will to deal with an issue of growing military concern. The main body of the
army itself appears removed from the Armenian deportations because of the
strategic crisis of 1915 which kept regular army units at the front and away from
the implementation of the Armenian directives. Most of the mobile Jandarma
regiments and battalions would likewise have fallen into this category. As to the
question of which military units actually participated in the initial consolidations
104 Ordered to Die

and delivery of Armenians into the pipeline, the answer is not clearly established
in Turkish official histories. It is likely that the work was done by local
Jandarma units and Ministry of the Interior forces which remained in the vilayets
for village and area protection. Kurdish and Circassian volunteers who probably
had axes to grind with their Armenian neighbors usually augmented these units.
De Nogales says as much in his memoirs.64 The highly visible deportations
began in earnest in the early summer of 1915 and, as detailed by numerous
German and American observers, violence against Armenian noncombatants
began almost immediately. By the early fall, formal reports of abuses against
Armenians were beginning to filter up the military chain of command to the
Turkish General Staff and to the Ministry of War.65
By mid-1916, most of the Armenian population had been forcibly removed
from the eastern Anatolian vilayets and from the key cities along the east-west
railroad. At this point, the Armenians ceased to be a military concern for the
Turkish military staffs. Numbers of Armenian males remained alive as the
Turkish Army continued to use Armenian manpower in its labor battalions until
the end of the war. This is particularly true of the western, and predominately
Catholic, Armenian population of the empire. Additionally, large numbers of
eastern Anatolian, primarily Orthodox, Armenians survived by fleeing to join
the Russians.
In the end, hundreds of thousands of Armenians died during the Armenian
Rebellion and deportation of 1915-1916. A similar number of Muslim Turks
also died during the Armenian revolts and during the Russian occupation of
Erzurum, Van, Erzincan, Trabzon, and Malazgirt. To be sure, many Armenians,
particularly leaders and men of military age were immediately killed or
massacred early on before entering the deportation flow. Many more, especially
the elderly and the infirm, died en route from apathy and neglect, or were
murdered outright, as the deportees were passed from local official to local
official in an ambulatory pipeline that resembled a decaying daisy chain.
Finally, the geographic constraints imposed on where the Armenians could
ultimately be allowed to settle imposed long term starvation as they were sent to
arid locations outside the fertile and well-watered route of the Baghdad
Railroad. It was a recipe for disaster with profound historical, moral, and
practical consequences which persist into the present day.

CAUCASIAN OFFENSIVES

The Third Army commander, Brigadier General Hafiz Hakki Bey, died in the
spotted typhus epidemic on February 12, 1915. He was replaced by Mirliva
Mahmut Kamil Pa§a, who retained the indomitable German Major Guse as the
Third Army chief of staff. After the disastrous winter offensive, the first order of
business for the new commander was to put his shattered army back into a
semblance of fighting order. For this purpose, individual replacements were
arriving monthly from the First and Second Armies. The 36th Infantry Division
 Under Attack 105

finally arrived from Mesopotamia and took up positions along the southern flank
of the Third Army near Lake Van. The 37th Infantry Division, at one time
enroute to the Third Army, never arrived because it was diverted to take
advantage of the occupation of Tabriz by a group of Turkish volunteers and
Kurdish irregulars.66 By mid-March, the Turks had somewhat restored the
situation and had put the X, and XI Corps back in line, albeit with combat
strengths hardly exceeding normal infantry divisions. A new IX Corps was also
reconstituted from the surviving artillery and support units that had been left
behind the mountains at Oltu, and it was also given a defensive sector. The four
reserve cavalry divisions had performed badly and had never achieved the
desired levels of discipline necessary to be considered as reliable formations.
They were therefore dissolved and the best reserve light cavalry regiments
consolidated into a single stronger division (the 3 rd Reserve Cavalry Division).
As the Third Army entered the month of April 1915, the strategic situation
seemed stable with the Russians standing nearly on the 1914 frontier in the north
but firmly in possession of the Turkish cities of Eliskirt, Agri, and Dogubeyazit
in the south.
This relatively stable situation enabled the Turks to maintain defensive lines
with the reforming X and XI Corps, and to move the still shattered IX Corps to
the rear near Erzurum for unit reconstitution and training. The 5th Expeditionary
Force was held reserve, while only the thin screen of the 2nd Regular and 3 rd
Reserve Cavalry Divisions held the long vulnerable front between Lake Van and
Erzurum. The Van Jandarma Division and the 1st Expeditionary Force held the
front to the south of Lake Van. May 6 brought a major Russian offensive down
the Tortum Valley toward Erzurum. This offensive was beaten back by the 29th
and 30th Divisions, but the Turks lost about fifteen kilometers of ground. The
Russian offensive ground to a halt on May 24, 1915. Determined to regain the
lost ground, the Third Army began a flanking attack on the Russian salient using
the X Corps on June 11. By June 13, the Russians had been pushed back to their
starting positions.
The Turks had less success in the south. During the month of May, the 1st
Expeditionary Force had been pushed back from its positions on the frontier, as
had the Van Cavalry Brigade. The Russians took the city of Van itself on May
17 and continued to press the Turks. To the north of Lake Van, the 1st and 3 rd
Cavalry Brigades were pushed southwards, losing the city of Malazgirt on May
11. The growing Armenian Rebellion was also beginning to affect the army's
strategic posture as units began to experience logistical shortages caused by the
interdiction of lines of communication. By June 5 the Russians had reached the
northern shores of Lake Van and were threatening the avenues to Mus. These
double losses to the north and to the south of Lake Van created a huge Russian
salient in the southern flank of the Third Army area of operations. The terrible
numerical weakness of the Third Army was being ruthlessly exposed and
exploited.
At this point in time, the campaigns in the Caucasus region were fought by
armies which looked strong on paper but which were very weak in actual fact.
W.E.D. Allen and Paul Muratoff credit the Russian commander, General
106 Ordered to Die

Yudenich, with having more men and cannon on hand in the summer of 1915,
than he had on hand at the onset of hostilities. They note that the Russian armies
had a total of 130,000 infantry and 35,000 cavalry, backed by 340 cannon. 67 But
on June 4, 1915, the Turks estimated the effective Russian strength in infantry
between 64,800 and 73,600 men and in cavalry between 8,400 and 9,240 men,
for a total of somewhere in the area of 73,200 to 82,840 effectives. Likewise, the
Turks estimated that the Russians only had around 130 cannon. Regardless of
the exact size of the Russian host, the Turks only had 52,351 effectives (infantry
and cavalry combined) and 131 cannon available, with which to hold a front in
excess of 600 kilometers. When this obvious strength disparity was combined
with the length of frontage over incredibly difficult terrain, the depth of the
Turkish strategic dilemma was painfully apparent. The total strength of the
Third Army mobile formations on June 4, 1915 is shown in Table 4.4.

Table 4.4
Third Army Effective Strength, June 4, 1915

Unit Strength
Lazistan Detachment 6,836a
IX Corps 11,338
X Corps 4,887
XI Corps 5,624
2nd Regular Cavalry Division 1,710
3 rd Reserve Cavalry Division 1,248
5th Expeditionary Force 4,745
1st Expeditionary Force 7,500
36th Infantry Division 5,403
Van Jandarma Division 2,500
Baghdad Regiment 560
TOTAL 52,351b

Notes: These figures do not include the Erzurum Fortress garrison and do not include line
of communications troops (however, neither do the Russian figures previously quoted).
a. The detachment formerly commanded by Major Stange was subsumed into the
Lazistan Detachment.
b. About 75 percent of these troops were concentrated in the northern portion of the Third
Army sector, for the defense of Erzurum and the road to Erzincan.
c. The success of the efforts to rebuild the IX Corps are apparent as are the negative
effects of keeping the X and XI Corps continuously in the line after Sarikamis.

Source: Turkish General Staff, Birinci Diinya Harbinde Turk Harbi, Kafkas Cephesi
3ncu Ordu Hareketi, Cilt 1 (Ankara: Genelkurmay Basim Evi ,1993), Kroki (Map) 51.

Sensing the great weakness in the southern part of the Third Army area of
operations, the Russians shifted their center of gravity to the southeast for a
concerted push on the Turkish city of Mu§. On July 10, 1915, the Russians
opened a major offensive northwest of Lake Van driving from Malazgirt toward
 Under Attack 107

Mu§ with the better part of a Russian army corps. However, the Russian attack
was channeled in between Nazik Lake and Haci Lake, which made the Turkish
defensive preparations both simpler and more effective. Unknown to the
Russians, the Third Army Staff, extremely concerned about the deteriorating
situation in the southeast, had dispatched the rebuilt and rested IX Corps, with
the 17th and 28th Infantry Divisions, to the area northeast of Mu§. They had also
repositioned both the Turkish 1st and the 5th Expeditionary Forces in battle
positions on the southern flank of the Russian attack force. So, on the opening
day of the Russian offensive, powerful Turkish forces were available for
counterattacks. The Turks had also established a Right Wing Group, under the
command of Mirliva Abdulkarim Pa§a, to command the newly arriving forces.
This operational level grouping of forces was then removed from the Third
Army's control and became an independent force operating directly under Enver
Pasa. The Right Wing headquarters was in position in Demirci on July 11 and
was set to assume command of the battle. The Mirliva's Right Wing Group also
had command of the 2nd Regular and the 3 rd Reserve Cavalry Divisions, the 36th
Infantry Division, the Van Jandarma Division, and the Baghdad Infantry
Regiment. Altogether, he had almost thirty-five thousand of the fifty-three
thousand men available to the Turkish Third Army in mobile field units. It was a
masterful assembly of forces, conducted in secret under difficult circumstances.
Allen and Muratoff attribute the Turk's success in maintaining secrecy to the
Russian commander, General Yudenich's failure to use the "numerous and pro-
Russian Armenian elements in the area of action."68 The Erzurum front was
denuded of reserves in an economy of force mission designed to concentrate
forces where the Russians did not expect to see Turkish strength. By July 16, the
Russian offensive had stalled and the divisions of the Turkish IX Corps, coming
from the northwest, combined with the fresh 5th Expeditionary Force hammered
the Russians to a halt. Merliva Abdulkarim Pa§a continued to attack and
savagely forced the Russians back to their starting lines, with heavy losses. He
kept on attacking until the Russians gave up the city of Malazgirt on July 26.
However, the price of victory had been costly to the Turks also, with Third
Army losses, since May, nearing fifty-eight thousand men.69
Excited by his stunning victory, Abdulkarim wired Constantinople for
permission to continue his offensive. Enver, needing little encouragement,
concurred and urged Abdulkarim onward. He ordered the Right Wing Group to
attack toward Eliskirt and Karakose and to clear the frontier area as far north as
the Aras River in Russian territory. Enver called this wildly ambitious plan "The
Bull's Eye Directive."70 In the first week of August 1915, the Right Wing Group
attacked into the Eliskirt Valley. By August 5, the group had made progress,
advancing about twenty kilometers northward, but the Russians counterattacked
into the exposed left flank of the IX Corps. Repeating the mistakes of the
Sarikami§ campaign, the Turks had committed almost everything to the attack
and had not maintained sufficient tactical or operational reserves with which to
counter the Russians. Fortunately, the third division of the IX Corps (the 29th
Infantry Division) arrived on the battlefield from Erzurum at this time and
relieved the pressure on the Turk's left flank. Now threatened with encirclement,
108 Ordered to Die

Abdulkarim called off the attack and ordered a retreat. The Turkish forces fell
back, and once again Malazgirt passed into Russian hands. During this retreat,
the Turkish forces lost many stores and part of their field artillery. Finally, by
August 15, the front once again stabilized along the line of lakes to the northwest
of Lake Van. The operations south of Lake Van had been somewhat more
successful, with the Van Jandarma Division pushing the Russians back to the
southeast tip of the lake. The total Turkish losses suffered in "Directive Bull's
Eye" were approximately ten thousand men killed and wounded, and about six
thousand taken prisoner.71
In the wake of the intensive battle around Malazgirt, the Turkish General
Staff ordered a general restructuring of the Third Army, further breaking it up
into operational groups and detachments (Table 4.5). The terrible losses suffered
in the campaigns of 1915 could not be made up in the immediate future by either
replacements or by reinforcements. The massive battles then ongoing in the
Gallipoli Peninsula were pulling every available formation and replacement into
that fight. The ill-starred IX Corps would never regain the strength that it had so
carefully built back up in the spring of 1915. For the remainder of the year, the
weak X and XI Corps made up the bulk of Abdulkarim's effective strength. The
Russians too were hard hit by casualties, which at this point in the war could not
easily be made good either. Therefore this condition of joint weakness imposed
a lull in the operational tempo of the Caucasus front and both sides settled into a
period of recuperation and planning which lasted until January 1916.
Over the course of 1915, in the Third Army's area of operations, the Turks
had displayed great resiliency in recuperating from savage defeats and huge
losses. Additionally, they had shown great skill in the formulation of operational
level movements and attacks, involving corps-sized and group-sized formations.
The corps counterattacks during the Russian summer offensives and the secret
formation of the Right Wing Group are evidence of this capacity for large-scale
planning. However, as in the Sarikamis campaign, the ends exceeded the means.
Enver Pa§a, in particular, displayed an exaggerated sense of what the Turks
could accomplish with the troops at hand. Enver's strategic concepts involving
the seizure of Tabriz, and the operations to move into the Eliskirt and Aras River
valleys, wildly exceeded any realistic appraisal of Turkish capabilities. In
practical effect, these Turkish offensives caused the local front, corps, and group
commanders to commit almost every available mobile unit to the attack. This
resulted in the absence of adequate reserves, with which to weight the battle at
the critical moment, or with which to respond to Russian counterattacks.
On balance, the year ended with the Russians in a much better geographic
position than when they had started. The huge salient at Malazgirt was
strategically dangerous to the Third Army and required a serious diversion of
Turkish strength. However, given the disparity of resources, especially in the
numbers of mobile formations, the Turkish performance was admirable and
Turkish infantry divisions and corps had shown the capability for both defensive
and offensive operations.
 Table 4.5
Disposition of Turkish Forces, Late Summer 1915
THRACE
First Army
1 Inf. Div. CAUCASIA
20 Inf. Div. Third Army
1 Cav. Bde. IX Corps: 17, 28, 29 Inf. Div.
Second Army X Corps: 30, 31, 32 Inf. Div.
VI Corps: 16, 24, 26 Inf. Div. XI Corps: 18, 33, 34 Inf. Div
Forming: XIV Corps, XVI Corps 2 Regular Cav. Div.
Forming: 43, 44, 47, 48 Inf. Div. 3 Reserve Cav. Div.
Van Cav. Bde.
GALLIPOLI Van Jandarma (Inf) Div.
Fifth Army 1 st Expeditionary Force
I Corps: 2, 3 Inf. Div (XV Corps merged) 5th Expeditionary Force
II Corps: 4, 5, 6 Inf. Div 36th Inf. Div.
SYRIA-PALESTINE
III Corps: 7, 8, 9,19 Inf. Div. 37th Inf. Div.
Fourth Army
IV Corps: 10,11,12 Inf. Div.
VIII Corps: 23, 24, 27 Inf. Div. MESOPOTAMIA
V Corps: 13,14,15 Inf. Div.
XII Corps: 41, 42, 46 Inf. Div. Sixth Army
25 Inf. Div.
XIII Corps: 35, 38 Inf. Div.
Note: Units in boldface type indicate new formations; units XVIII Corps: 45 Inf. Div.
underlined indicate units redeployed since April 1915; ARABIA-YEMEN
units in bold italic indicate seriously understrength units. VII Corps: 21, 22, 39, 40 Inf. Div.
110 Ordered to Die

THE FIRST BATTLE OF KUT

During the months of February and March 1915 in Mesopotamia, there were
several small meeting engagements between the Turks and the British, but
neither side could make these fights work to their advantage. Alarmed by the
seemingly effortless seizure of the lower Tigris and Euphrates basin by the
Indian Army, the Turks began to contemplate offensive operations designed to
push the British back down river. The Turkish area commander, Siileyman
Askeri Bey, then in direct command of the Turkish Right Wing, decided to
conduct a flanking attack on the British positions at Basra. In doing so, he could
avoid the main British positions at Qurna, and perhaps achieve local numerical
superiority. At Basra, the British maintained a cavalry brigade, which held the
town of Shaiba, on the southern approach to the city of Basra. Siileyman Askeri
began movement south in early April 1915, but this movement was noticed by
the British, who were able to make stronger defensive preparations. At 5 A.M.,
on the morning of April 12, the Turks attacked the British fortified camp at
Shaiba. The Turks began their attack with a brief bombardment from the twelve
field guns that they had brought forward. The Turkish infantry went into action
shortly thereafter. This attack failed but relentless Turkish infantry attacks
continued throughout the day. The Turkish attacks continued the following day
with similar results. Finally, a British cavalry counterattack provided the Turks
with enough reason to call off the attack. Of thirty-eight hundred Turkish
soldiers engaged, approximately one thousand were killed or wounded, and the
British captured four hundred men and two field artillery pieces. The Turkish
force fled to the north in great disorder. "
Deciding to exploit their success, the British advanced on the Turkish
defensive works on April 14, 1915. Although the first line of Turkish trenches
were taken, mainly due to excessive Turkish casualties and the mass surrender
of Arab soldiers drafted into the Turkish Army, the second line of trenches held.
Over these three days of fighting, the Turks lost almost six thousand men killed
or wounded, including two thousand Arab tribesmen, and lost over seven
hundred officers and men as prisoners. The Turks withdrew to Khamisiya, about
one hundred twenty kilometers up river. There according to the official British
campaign history, Siileyman Askeri Pa§a, in pain from being wounded earlier in
the campaign and now semi-invalid on his camp bed, assembled his staff.
Depressed at the failure of his plan and angrily denouncing the performance of
the Arab levies, Siileyman Askeri Pasa then shot himself rather than endure
defeat. The official Turkish campaign history mentions the suicide of Suleyman
Askeri but it is not explained in great detail. However, it was noted that he was
concerned about the discipline and fighting performance of his Arab levies and
also about their overall numbers in his infantry divisions.7j It was a bleak day for
the Turkish Army and interim command of the forces fell on the shoulders of
Mehmet Fazil Pasa.
However, all was not ended for the Turkish forces in Mesopotamia. A new
Turkish Army, the Sixth, was formed from the staff of the XIII Corps in mid-
April. At the same time, the Turkish General Staff began to send reinforcements
 Under Attack 111

to the region and the newly formed XVIII Corps began to arrive augmenting the
new Turkish Sixth Army. Although incomplete at that moment, both corps
would gain strength throughout the remainder of 1915.
Largely due to their unexpected success in Mesopotamia, the Indian Office
and the Indian Army's General Staff decided in late April 1915 to continue the
advance upriver to Amara on the Euphrates and to Nasiriya on the Tigris.
General Townshend arrived in Qurna to command this endeavor. Once there and
seeing the effects of the seasonal flooding, Townshend determined that a single
advance up the Tigris was the best course of action. Driving onward, he
captured the river port of Amara on May 3. The Turks contested the advance
with a small fleet of armed river streamers. In June, after the worst of the
seasonal flooding was past, the British took Nasiriya on the Euphrates, as well.
Over the late spring, a second Indian Army infantry division arrived to reinforce
the expedition. Because of the political repercussions from the already failing
Gallipoli campaign, both the British War Office and the India Office began to
view the Mesopotamian theater with renewed interest. Although aware of the
shortage of troops in Mesopotamia, London began to push for further advances,
possibly resulting in the seizure of Baghdad itself. Checked on the Euphrates by
strong Turkish forces, the British began to make preparations for moving on the
port of Kut al Amara, some one hundred twenty kilometers upriver on the
Tigris. Facing them were the debris of the Turkish 38th Infantry Division, a total
force of about five infantry battalions, at Kut al Amara.
Unknown to the British, however, Turkish prospects in Mesopotamia were
rapidly changing for the better. A new Sixth Army Commander, Nurettin Pasa
(or Nur ud Din Pasha in the British histories) arrived to take command of the
Turkish forces. Throughout the summer he worked tirelessly to rally the battered
Turkish infantry. Reinforcements, slow to arrive, were nevertheless finding their
way to Mesopotamia. The 51st Infantry Division, formed in Constantinople in
the late fall of 1914 from First Army assets as an expeditionary force, was
dispatched to the region from the Third Army. The newly formed 52nd Infantry
Division would shortly follow. In Baghdad, the Turks formed the new 45th
Infantry Division around a core of five thousand Jandarma and several
miscellaneous battalions of frontier guards. However, these forces would not be
ready for combat operations for some months, and in the meantime, Nurettin had
to rely on the remnants of the 35th Infantry Division, now numbering only three
thousand men, and the 38th Infantry Division, with thirty-five hundred men.
Along with a handful of cavalry and artillery, Nurettin had a total effective
strength of about seven thousand men available to deal with the renewed British
offensive.
The British began to move on September 1, 1915. The brutal heat of the
Mesopotamian summer was behind them and the rivers were low-it was a good
season to campaign in the area. By September 26, General Townshend had
closed on the river town of Kut al Amara. The town was then defended by six
battalions of the 35th Infantry Division on the right bank of the river and by six
battalions of the 38th Infantry Division on the left bank of the river. There was a
reserve of four battalions and some cavalry. Most of these soldiers were local
112 Ordered to Die

Arabs, who had been drafted into the Turkish Army, and their morale was not
high. For an artillery, the Turks had a total of thirty-eight guns. Townshend
moved his force closer in a night march, and attacked the Turkish redoubts early
in the morning on September 28, 1915. By midday, the British had broken into
the Turkish lines, and also had outflanked them in the north. The Turks
committed their reserve, which was defeated, and by dark, the Turks were in full
flight. Townshend pursued the retreating Turks and by October 5, had reached
Aziziya, one hundred kilometers above Kut. The British operations had been
extremely rewarding and at little cost to themselves had cost the Turks about
four thousand men, of whom about twelve hundred men were captured, along
with fourteen Turkish cannon. The First Battle of Kut had been a resounding
British victory.

CTESIPHON

The relentless British advance continued, fighting the delaying actions of the
survivors of the 35th and 38th Infantry Divisions. By early November 1915,
Townshend's force, now numbering about eleven thousand men, reached
Ctesiphon (or Selman Pak as it was known to the Turks), which was only about
twenty miles south of Baghdad. It was here that Nurettin chose to make his
stand. Over the fall, the 45th Infantry Division completed its training and was
now combat ready. After a five-thousand-kilometer roundabout journey through
the Third Army area taking almost ten months, the newly designated 51 st
Infantry Division arrived on November 17, with seven fresh infantry battalions
and a group of Schneider howitzers. This division was formerly called the 1st
Expeditionary Force, which had been diverted to the Third Army while en route
to the Irak Area Command. Full of combat veterans, this formidable fighting
force finally arrived in Mesopotamia. Additionally, one regiment of the 52nd
Infantry Division had also arrived at Mosul and the remainder of the division
was due shortly. The 52nd Infantry Division was the former 5th Expeditionary
Force, which had also been redesignated as a normal infantry division. Like its
brother formation (the 51 st Infantry Division), this division was composed of
combat veterans, whose morale and fighting capability was high. Nurettin now
had a total effective strength of twenty thousand men, armed with nineteen
machine guns, and fifty-two cannons. He also had a small cavalry force
available of about four hundred men. More important, he now had in his hands
several of the best fighting divisions in the Turkish Army.
Nurettin chose a defensive line at Ctesiphon, where he could solidly anchor
his right flank on the Tigris River. He established two defensive lines in depth.
The first line was about ten kilometers in length and had fifteen defensive
redoubts studding its length. These earthwork redoubts were connected by deep
trenches and were covered with barbed wire. The 38th and the 45th Infantry
Divisions garrisoned this line and it was a formidable work. Three kilometers to
its rear lay the second Turkish defensive line which was also strongly
constructed. The 51 st Infantry Division lay in reserve behind this line. On the
 Under Attack 113

south side of the river, the 35* Infantry Division held positions, and on the left
flank of his entrenchments Nurettin positioned his cavalry. Although well dug in
and possessing a healthy number of troops, Nurettin was far from confident of
the result.74 There were several reasons for his uncertainty; firstly he had an
almost total lack of knowledge of the size and composition of the enemy force
which lay before him and secondly he was concerned about the hitherto poor
fighting record of his troops.
In the early hours of November 22, 1915, General Townshend's 6th "Poona"
Division attacked the Turkish lines at Ctesiphon. Townshend organized his force
into four columns. Townshend knew that he was outnumbered but was relying
on the demonstrated propensity of the Turkish formations in this theater to break
at the critical moment. He had no idea of the caliber of reinforcements that
Nurettin had received in the form of the 51 st Infantry Division.75 It was a
bitterly cold morning as the Indian and British columns began their advance
under the cover of artillery and naval gunfire. The British thought they had
achieved surprise and thought that they observed numbers of Turks fleeing the
lines. Nothing could have been farther from the truth as Turkish artillery,
machine guns, and rifles by the thousand opened fire on the attacking forces.
Townshend continued to press the attack all morning long despite mounting
losses, which now began to include a number of officers. At 11:30 A.M., he
launched his cavalry brigade in an attempt to outflank the Turks, but was met by
the Turkish cavalry and the 51 st Infantry Division. About noon, the battle for the
first Turkish line shifted in favor of the British, and by 1:30 P.M., they held
most of the Turkish front line trenches and redoubts. Nurettin had lost most of
the 38th and 45th Infantry Divisions in this fight. At this point in the battle,
Nurettin committed his reserve, the 51st Infantry Division under Cevid Bey, to
the counterattack. Cevid Bey led his forces forward in a furious counterattack.
The fighting continued all afternoon and as darkness fell, the British and Indian
advance was finished. Losses on both sides had been horrendous. Townshend's
losses were 130 British officers out of 371 engaged and 111 out of 255 Indian
officers engaged. In the ranks, he had lost forty-two hundred men out of eleven
thousand. His field hospitals, equipped to handle four hundred wounded, had to
accommodate ten times that number.76 Nurettin estimated that he had lost forty-
five hundred men killed and an equal amount wounded, and had twelve hundred
men taken prisoner. These losses amounted to half of his available strength. That
evening both the Turkish and the British commanders were profoundly
depressed.
The next day fighting resumed, with Townshend attempting to continue his
breakthrough and also attempting a second cavalry flanking attack. That
morning, a fierce sandstorm blew up, which badly affected the visibility of both
armies. The battle continued, as Nurettin threw the reformed remnants of the
35th and 45th Infantry Divisions back into the fight. Dusk brought a halt to the
fighting as both sides sank into exhaustion and inactivity. By the morning of
November 25, the fighting had ended. Although he still held the first line of
Turkish trenches, Townshend determined that he could not break through. He
thereupon made the fateful decision to withdraw his force back downstream to
114 Ordered to Die

Kut al Amara. The final Turkish casualty figures were put at 6,188 killed and
wounded, the earlier estimates having been found to be exaggerated. The 51 st
Infantry Division lost 12 percent of its strength, and the 35th and 45th Infantry
Divisions lost 25 percent and 65 percent respectively. It was a savage encounter,
but it ended the British threat to Baghdad in 1915.
Townshend withdrew his battered force down river through Aziziya and on
into the dubious refuge of Kut al Amara. Most of his force arrived there by
December 3. The town itself lay in the bend of the Tigris River and contained a
total of seven thousand Arab residents. Townshend began to fortify the town and
began to off load his supplies from river steamers. On December 6, aware now
that Nurettin was on his trail and that he might have to endure a siege,
Townshend sent his cavalry downstream. This left Townshend with about
11,600 combatants and 3,350 noncombatants in the town of Kut al Amara. He
had sixty days of full rations available, along with plenty of ammunition. He
also had the powerful Royal Navy squadron of river gunboats and steamers on
the Tigris, and he knew that several additional Indian infantry divisions were
arriving at Basra. Therefore, on this day, he was not alarmed about the
possibility of being besieged in Kut.
The Turks, in the meantime, had reorganized the Sixth Army into two corps
for the investment of Kut and Enver Pasa named German Field Marshal von der
Goltz to replace Nurettin, who was apparently regarded by Enver as being
somewhat timid. The Turkish Sixth Army slowly pursued Townshend's army
into Kut, closing on the northern approaches on December 7 and by the end of
the day the 51 st Infantry Division had penned up the British in Kut. The 38th and
the 45th Infantry Divisions were coming up in support. The 35th Infantry
Division crossed the river to the south, completely encircling the town by
December 9, and then proceeded down stream. Additionally, the Turks pushed a
cavalry screen fifteen kilometers father downstream from the 35th Infantry. Kut
al Amara was now cut off from Basra, and the Sixth Army began to dig a series
of entrenchments across the neck of the bend in the Tigris in which the town lay.
There was a smaller British enclave across from the town of Kut on the southern
bank which was held in check by the 35th Infantry Division. The Turks launched
strong attacks on December 10 and 11, 1915 with regiments of the 38th, 45th, and
51 st Infantry Divisions, which were repulsed. On December 12, von der Goltz
arrived at Nurettin's headquarters. By December 23, about twenty-five thousand
Turkish soldiers were ringing the town of Kut al Amara and they had about fifty
cannons with them. Von der Goltz went off to inspect his forces in Persia, and
in his absence, Nurettin, irritated by inactivity, launched another Turkish attack
on the town on December 24, 1915. He was repulsed with over thousand
casualties. At the end of December, another attack by the XIII Corps' 35th and
52nd Infantry Divisions met a similar fate.
Thus the campaign in Mesopotamia in 1915 ended on a favorable note for the
Turks. General Townshend was bottled up in Kut al Amara, and although the
British were assembling a relief force at Basra, the Turkish 52nd Infantry
Division had arrived in force in Mesopotamia. Like the 51 st , it was also highly
regarded for its fighting reputation. With the arrival of these divisions the ethnic
 Under Attack 115

composition of the combat formations in the Sixth Army shifted from

predominately Arabic to predominately Turkish. This would shift the balance of
power in favor of the Turks in the defensive battles ahead. Field Marshal von
der Goltz, a German whose experience with the Turks extended back into the
1880s, had also arrived. Although von der Goltz was seventy-two years old, he
was vigorous, and the Turks expected much from him. Finally, with the
Gallipoli campaign winding down, the Sixth Army had increased expectations
of receiving further reinforcements in 1916.

NOTES

1. General Fahri Belen, Birinci Cihan Harbinde Turk Harbi 1918 Yili Hareketleri Vnci
Cilt (Ankara: GK Basimevi, 1967), unnumbered chart following page 250. During the
course of the war the Turks organized a total of sixty-two numbered infantry divisions.
By the end of 1915, fifty-two infantry divisions had been activated and two infantry
divisions had been deactivated.
2. Brig-Gen. C. F. Aspinall-Oglander, Military Operations Gallipoli, vol. 2. (London:
HMSO, 1929), 21.
3. Turkish General Staff (TC Genelkurmay Baskanhgi), Birinci Diinya Harbinde Turk
Harbi, Vncu Cilt, Qanakkale Cephesi Hareketi, Inci Kitap (Haziran 1914-25 Nisan 1915)
(Ankara: Genelkurmay Basimevi, 1993), 54.
4. See Chapter 21 for the III Corps mobilization timetables.
5. Turkish General Staff, Qanakkale Cephesi Harekati, 56.
6. Ibid., 38-40.
7. Otto Liman von Sanders, Five Years in Turkey (London: Bailliere, Tindall & Cox,
1928), 55. Liman von Sanders named a Turkish mine expert, Lieutenant Colonel Geehl,
as the officer responsible for having laid this important minefield. Modern Turkish
official histories do not mention this individual at all; an unfortunate omission since this
officer's contribution to the defense of the straits in March 1915 was decisive.
8. General Fahri Belen, Birinci Cihan Harbinde Turk Harbi 1915 Yili Hareketleri lincu
Cilt (Ankara: GK Basimevi, 1967), 149.
9. Otto Liman von Sanders, Five Years in Turkey (London: Bailliere, Tindall & Cox,
1928), 5 3 - 5 4 .
10. Ibid., 54.
11. Turkish General Staff, Qanakkale Cephesi Harekati, Kroki (Map) 15.
12. Liman von Sanders, Five Years in Turkey, 62.
13. Turkish General Staff, Qanakkale Cephesi Harekati, 272.
14. Turkish General Staff, (TC Genelkurmay Baskanhgi), Turk Silahli Kuvvetleri
Tarihi Osmanli Devri Balkan Harbi, line Cilt 2nd Kisim 2ncu Kitap, §ark Ordsu, Ikincii
Qatalca Muharebesi ve §arkoy Cikmarasi (Ikinci Baski) (Ankara: Genelkurmay
Basimevi, 1993), 66-67.
15. Ibid., Kroki (Map) 19.
16. Michael Hickey, Gallipoli (London: John Murray, 1995), 119.
17. Turkish General Staff, Birinci Dunya Harbinde Turk Harbi Vnci Cilt Qanakkale
Cephesi 2ncu Kitap (Ankara: GK Basimevi, 1978), 261.
\S. Liman von Sanders, Five Years in Turkey, 68.
116 Ordered to Die

19. Commandant M. Larcher, La Guerre Turque Dans La Guerre Mondiale (Paris:

Chiron & Berger-Levrault, 1926), 221.
20. Turkish General Staff, Qanakkale Cephesi Vncu Cilt, 44.
21. Ibid., 46.
22. Belen, Turk Harbi 1915 Yili Hareketleri, 99.
23. Ibid., 142.
24. Ibid., 99.
25. Turkish General Staff, Qanakkale Cephesi Vncu Cilt, 176.
26. Ibid., 218.
27. Larcher, La Guerre Turque, 222.
28. Later the British IX Corps commander, Lieutenant General Stopford came under
intense criticism for his failure to push his troops hard enough on the initially successful
endeavors of August 6. This failure perhaps cost the British the campaign.
29. Turkish General Staff, Qanakkale Cephesi Vncu Cilt, 468.
30. Ibid., 492.
31. Ibid., 499.
32. Aspinall-Oglander. Military Operations Gallipoli, vol. 2. 484.
33. Turkish General Staff, Qanakkale Cephesi Vncu Cilt, 500.
34. Belen, Turk Harbi 1915 Yili Hareketleri, 252.
35. Alan Moorehead, Gallipoli (New York: Harper & Row, 1956), 361.
36. Turkish General Staff, Qanakkale Cephesi Vncu Cilt, 474.
37. However, there are several historians who dispute this view, these are: Stanford
Shaw, Bernard Lewis, and Jay Winter.
38. For excellent summaries of the Armenian situation in 1915, see J. Stanford and
Ezel K. Shaw, History of the Ottoman Empire and Modem Turkey, vol.2 (Cambridge:
Cambridge University Press, 1977); W. E. D. Allen and Paul Muratoff, Caucasian
Battlefields: A History of the Wars on the Turco-Caucasian Border, 1828-1921
(Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1953).
39. Turkish General Staff, Belgelerle Ermeni Sorumu (Ankara: GK Basimevi, 1992),
342-343.
40. Stanford J. and Ezel K. Shaw, History of the Ottoman Empire and Modern Turkey,
vol. 2, 287.
41. Muammer Demirel, Birinci Diinya Harbinde Erzurum ve Cevresinde Ermeni
Hareketleri (1914-1918) (Ankara: GK Basimevi, 1996), 17.
42. Ibid., 17.
43. ATASE, Headquarters Third Army, Report on Criminal Activity, October 8, 1914.
Archive 4/3671, Cabinet 163, Drawer 2, File 2828, Section 59, Index 2-85.
44. ATASE, Report from Hudut Battalion to Headquarters, IX Corps, October 22,
1914, Archive 4/3671, Cabinet 163, Drawer 2, File 2818, Section 59, Index 2-39.
45. ATASE, Headquarters, Third Army Report to Acting Commander in Chief,
October 23, 1914, Archive 4/3671, Cabinet 163, Drawer 2, File 2818, Section 59, Index
1-41, 1-42.
46. Kamuran Gurun, Ermeni Dosyasi (Ankara: GK Basimevi, 1983) Included in this
book are numerous reports sent to the Turkish General Staff and the Ministry of Defense
from the Third and Fourth Army commanders.
47. ATASE, Headqaurters, V Corps Report, February 25, 1915, on the bombing
incident in Ankara. Archive 1/131 Cabinet 149, Drawer 4, File 2287, Section 32, Index
F8.
48. ATASE, First Division, Turkish General Staff cable, February 25, 1915. Archive
1/31, Cabinet D149, Drawer 4, File 2287, Section D32, Index F9.
 Under Attack 111

49. ATASE, Special ciphered correspondence No. 2086, Chief, Second Division,
Ministry of the Interior to Chief, Second Division, Turkish General Staff, January 31,
1915. Archive 1/2, Cabinet 113, Drawer D3, File S21, Section 2029, Index 2.
50. See Winston S. Churchill, The World Crisis (New York: Charles Scribners, Sons,
1931); Vahakn N. Dadrian, Warrant for Genocide: Key Elements of Turko-Armenian
Conflict (New Brunswick, N.J.: Transaction Publishers, 1999); Richard G. Hovannisian,
ed. Remembrance and Denial (Detroit: Wayne State University Press, 1998); Alan
Moorehead, Gallipoli (New York: Harper & Row, 1956); and Henry Morgenthau,
Ambassador Morgenthau's Story (Garden City, N.Y.: Doubleday Press, 1918) for varied
commentary.
51. Allen and Muratoff, Caucasian Battlefields,299-301.
52. Demirel, Birinci Diinya Harbinde Erzurum ve Cevresinde Ermeni Harekatleri, 40-
48.
53. Rafael De Nogales, Four Years beneath the Crescent (New York: Charles
Scribner's Sons, 1926), 60.
54. ATASE, Cipher, Ministry of Defense to Headquarters Third Army, April 20, 1915.
Archive 4/3671, Cabinet 163, Drawer D2, File 2820, Section 100, Index 12.
55. ATASE, Cipher to the Turkish General Staff from Governor of Sivas, April 22-23
1915. Archive 4/3641, Cabinet C163, Drawer D2, File 2820, Section 69, Index 3-45, 3-
46.
56. ATASE, Chief of the Turkish General Staff Directive, April 24, 1915. Archive 1
/l, File 44, Section 207, Index F 2-3.
57. ATASE, Cipher from the Acting Commanding General to the Office of the
Undersecretary of the Ministry of Defense, April 24, 1915. Archive 1/131, Cabinet 101-
149, Drawer 14-4, File 2287, Section 32-12, Index 12-1. Enver never identified what he
had in mind when he used the phrase "more suitable location." However, the author
believes that he had prison or concentration camps in mind.
58. ATASE, Message from the Operations Division, Office of the Acting Commanding
General to the Ministry of the Interior, May 2, 1915. Archive 1 /l, Cabinet 102, Drawer
1, File 44, Section 207, Index 2-1,2-1.
59. Sinasi Orel and Sureyya Yuca, The Talat Pasa Telegrams (Nicosia: K. Rustem &
Brother, 1983), 116. A complete copy of the May 27, 1915, Provisional Law may be
found in this book.
60. ATASE, Ministry of the Interior Regulation from the Department of Tribes and
Immigrants, May 30, 1915. Archive 1 12, Cabinet 109, Drawer 4, File 361, Section 1445,
Index 1.
61. Yair Auron, "The Forty Days of Musa Dagh," in Remembrance and Denial, ed.
Richard G. Hovannisian (Detroit: Wayne State University Press, 1998), 147-164.
62. ATASE, Ministry of the Interior Regulations Concerning the Management of the
Land and Properties belonging to Armenians who have been sent elsewhere as a result of
the State of War and the Extraordinary Political Situation, June 10, 1915. Archive 1 12,
Cabinet 109, Drawer 4, File 361, Section 1445, Index 1-3.
63. Allen and Muratoff, Caucasian Battlefields, 299-301.
64. De Nogales, Four Years beneath the Crescent, chaps. 7, 10.
65. ATASE, Memorandum from Jandarma Headquarters to the Ministry of War,
September 26, 1915. The subject and title of this memo was a "Delicate Matter." The
Jandarma notified the ministry that it was sending a commission of three officers from
the Fourth Directorate of the Symrna Headquarters to the Anatolian vilayets to investigate
charges that the movement of the Armenians was in violation of the law. Archive 1-131,
Cabinet 219, Drawer 2, File 2287, Section 13, Index 3.
118 Ordered to Die

66. Allen and Muratoff, Caucasian Battlefields, 289.

67. Ibid., 291.
68. Ibid., 303.
69. Allen and Muratoff, Caucasian Battlefields, 311. The authors based the Malazgirt
and Right Wing operations on the detailed Turkish staff study done by Colonel R. Balkan
(see Caucasian Battlefields, 548).
70. Turkish General Staff, 3ncu Ordu Harekati, Kroki (Map) 64.
71. Allen and Muratoff, Caucasian Battlefields, 319. The authors used the source noted
in endnote 69 for their summary of the Eliskirt valley operation.
72. Larcher, La Guerre Turque, 327.
73. Turkish General Staff, Birinci Diinya Harbinde Turk Harbi IHncu Cilt Irak-Iran
Cephesi 1914-1918 lncu Kisim, (Ankara: GK Basimevi, 1979), 201.
74. Ronald Millar, Death of an Army, The Siege of Kut 1915-1916 (Boston: Houghton
MifflinCo., 1970), 16.
75. For an interesting capsule biography of Townshend, see Millar, Death of an Army,
20-22.
76. Ibid., 31.
Mehmetgik, Gallipoli, 1915
Turkish trenches at Gallipolt. 1915
Turkish trenches at Gallipoli, 1915
Mustafa Kemal Pa§a (Postwar)
Esat Pasa and his staff, Gallipoli, 1915
Ottoman Army machine-gun detachment
Turkish Mountain Troops (ski troops), Caucasian Front
Fortress Guns at Erzurum, Caucasian Front
Turkish Light Artillery, Caucasian Front
Enver Pasa Inspecting Troops in Palestine
Ottoman Infantry (Arab) on the March in Syria
Turkish Cavalry on the March in Syria
 5
High Tide, January-December 1916

1916

1916 proved to be the high tide of the Turkish Army in the First World War. It
was a year of triumph and of defeat as the Turks attempted to regain the
strategic initiative that they had lost in 1915. By the end of 1916, Turkish
soldiers were engaged in Mesopotamia, in the Sinai, in Galicia, in Romania, in
Macedonia, in the Caucasus, in Persia, and in Arabia. They defeated the Anglo-
French invasion at Gallipoli and forced the Allies to withdraw. They captured
Townshend's force at Kut in Mesopotamia. In Europe, they fought well on the
eastern front and on the Romanian front. They launched another attack on
Egypt. Turkish soldiers were deep in Persia. Although they had sustained
massive casualties in the Caucasus, that front now appeared stabilized and, at
the very least, was now held by two reorganized armies. Munitions, supplies,
and support from Germany and Austria-Hungary were beginning to appear and
further aid appeared to be forthcoming. Successful battlefield commanders, who
seemed to be capable of dealing with crisis, were emerging, and for a time the
Ottoman Empire had military heroes again. In spite of the catastrophic loss of
Erzurum, Trabzon, and Erzincan, 1916 was a year of triumph.
Turkey entered 1916 with a surplus of forces concentrated at Gallipoli and in
Turkish Thrace. These forces were initially large in January 1915 and, over the
course of the nine month Gallipoli campaign, had grown even larger. It was
impossible to redeploy this force rapidly over the antique and crumbling
Ottoman lines of communications. The strategic question facing Enver Pa§a and
the Turkish General Staff in January 1916 was quite simply how to get the bulk
of the Gallipoli Army moved to a front where it could do some good. Certainly
there must have been some conservative staff officers, who would have
preferred that Turkey conserve its strength and use this time to reconstitute the
battered infantry divisions of the Fifth Army. When these formations could be
rehabilitated and brought back to fighting trim, then they could be sent off at
regular intervals to active fronts requiring reinforcements. It made excellent
120 Ordered to Die

military sense, but it did not fit into the aggressive and ambitious plans of Enver
Pa§a. Enver wanted to get the Turkish Army back into the fight quickly and in
numbers which would contribute to decisive results.
Part of Enver's solution was to send troops northward, in response to German
requests, to Hungary, Romania, and Macedonia, using the excellent European
rail system. Although the seven infantry divisions involved in these operations
performed valuable service for the Central Powers, the operations were very
costly for Turkey. Furthermore, these operations dispersed a powerful portion of
the army's strength instead of concentrating it for decisive operations.
Enver's principal strategic concept, for 1916, was to assemble a large army in
Caucasia that, in conjunction with the Third Army, would inflict a massive
defeat on the Russians. Unfortunately for the Turks, preparations for this
deployment proceeded at an astoundingly slow pace, which was compounded by
an even slower deployment schedule. Once in the Caucasus, these troops (the
Second Army) were withheld from battle while the adjacent Third Army
literally collapsed, losing Erzurum, Trabzon, and Erzincan. This sad misuse of
available forces places the Third Army debacle of 1916 into the category of a
preventable disaster.
If there is criticism to be leveled at the Turkish high command in 1916, it is
for their failure to understand and to remedy the strategic transportation
deficiencies so glaringly brought to light by the 1914 mobilization and the
redeployment of combat forces in 1915. In particular, the Turks might have
accelerated the construction work aimed at closing the uncompleted gaps in the
railway system. They might also, perhaps, have constructed additional rail lines
and sidings aimed at compressing the turnaround time of rail assets. In particular
need of improvement was the low operational rate of Turkish locomotives and
rail stock, which had already been partially remedied with German and Austrian
assistance. At sea, the Turks might have established an intercoastal convoy or
steamer system to run on a routine basis troops to Trabzon and Sinop. Certainly
the Russian Black Sea Fleet was a distinct threat, but perhaps with mines and
submarines, that could have been negated. Finally, although the Turkish General
Staff had a strategic railroad staff division, additional German expertise might
have substantially increased its efficiency earlier in the war.
Because of these deficiencies, the Turks were unable to take advantage of
surprise opportunities, such as the unexpected victory at Kut, or the great
weakness of the Russian southern flank in 1916. Given the geography of the
Ottoman Empire, adequate interior lines of communications could have meant
the difference between victory and defeat.

CAUCASIAN OFFENSIVES

January began as a quiet month in the Turkish Third Army sector and its
commander looked forward to a continuing lull in the tempo of operations.
Likewise, the Turkish General Staff in Constantinople also thought that the area
would remain quiet throughout the winter. Accordingly, the Third Army
 High Tide 121

commander, Mirliva Mahmut Kamil Pasa was in the capital on leave, and the
army's chief of staff, Major Guse, was in Germany recovering from a bout of
typhus.1 The army itself remained in winter defensive positions, which along
most of the front, were a series of fortified strong points. The Caucasus, unlike
the heavily fortified and entrenched western front, was not held with an
unbroken line of trenches, but was garrisoned mostly by forces concentrated
along critical avenues of advance. In these particular areas, however,
entrenchments were elaborate and continuous, and often in depth.
The Third Army was substantially under strength. The chronically weak state
of its three army corps continued, as losses from the summer battles were never
made up. The 1st and the 5th Expeditionary Forces were detached from the Third
Army and were sent on to their original destinations in Mesopotamia. No new
formations arrived to take their place. This was due to the ongoing Gallipoli
campaign, which after the second Allied invasion at Suvla Bay in August 1915
had lengthened the front, requiring even more Turkish divisions. The more or
less stable Caucasus front apparently had lapsed into a stalemate and the Turkish
General Staff did not believe that the situation was threatening enough to strip
totally the few remaining First and Second Army divisions in Thrace for service
in the east. As long as the Russian Black Sea Fleet remained a powerful force
capable of amphibious operations, the Turkish General Staff retained at least a
corps-equivalent force in the immediate vicinity of Constantinople. The Third
Army, therefore, continued to remain weak and monthly grew less capable, as
sickness, desertions, and causalities eroded its manpower. The total strength of
the Third Army in January 1916 was 126,000 men, of which 50,539 were
infantrymen assigned to mobile units. The average strength of the IX, X, and XI
Corps was approximately 11,500 men in each corps. The army had a field
strength, including the Erzurum Fortress, of 74,057 rifles, 77 machine guns, and
180 field artillery pieces.2
The bulk of the fighting strength of the IX, X, and XI Corps guarded the
approaches to Erzurum and lay concentrated in a strong series of defensive lines
at Koprukoy. In an economy of force mission, the long southern sector to the
north of Lake Van was thinly held by the indomitable 3 rd Reserve Cavalry
Division, the 2nd Regular Cavalry Division, and the 36th Infantry Division. The
northern approaches to Trabzon were lightly held by improvised detachments of
infantry. In the end, it was a defensive strategy that depended on the enemy not
to attack. Opposing the Turkish Third Army were approximately 200,000
Russian soldiers and 380 cannons. It was a dangerous deployment and the Turks
were doubly disadvantaged because they had almost no reserves to speak of.
The Russians, on the other hand (if they decided to attack), could concentrate
their forces at will to achieve a decisive superiority at the point of attack.
The Third Army, as well as the Turkish General Staff, was completely taken
by surprise when on January 10, 1916, General Yudenich began a major winter
offensive. This attack was directly into the heart of the Turkish concentration in
the lines of Koprukoy and was aimed at the sudden seizure of the key city and
fortress of Erzurum. Although the Turks had concentrated most of their combat
strength in this area, the Turkish lines were really only a series of strongly
122 Ordered to Die

fortified positions on the high ground dominating the avenues of approach,

rather than a solid line of continuous entrenchments. Unlike the continuously
entrenched Gallipoli front, this strongpoint system of tactical deployment
(forced on the Turks by their acute shortage of infantrymen) proved exceedingly
vulnerable to determined attack. The initial Russian attack fell squarely of the
divisions of the XI Corps (the 18th, 33rd, and 34th Infantry Divisions). The Turks
committed their scant reserves in attempts to hold the Russians. The Turkish
Third Army headquarters moved forward from Erzurum to Hasankale to control
the battle more effectively. Regiments from the adjacent IX Corps were sent to
the growing fight in the XI Corps sector. By January 14, the Russians had
shattered the XI Corps defenses. Over the next three days, the Turks were driven
off the Koprukoy lines, and by January 18 the Russians were approaching
Hasankale, halfway to Erzurum. The next morning the four-battalion Turkish
rear guard was annihilated. In only a week, the Turkish strategic posture on the
Caucasus rapidly destabilized to the point of imminent disaster.
Turkish divisions found themselves continuously outflanked and forced to
retreat in disarray.3 Because of poor and uncoordinated operations at corps level,
the Turks were unable to plug the gaps that the Russians seemed to find in their
lines. This series of regimental and divisional defeats in detail came to be known
as the Battle of Koprukoy and it ended badly for the Turks. The entire front
before the Erzurum Fortress lay broken and the Turkish Third Army itself lay
shattered and defeated. Even if the Turks had maintained theater-level reserves,
unfavorable winter weather and the poor condition of the Turkish lines of
communications probably would have prevented their expeditious use.
The errant Turkish Third Army commander, Mirliva Mahmut Kamil Pa§a was
still in Constantinople on January 19 and the acting commander was Mirliva
Abdiil Kerim Pa§a. It is unknown whether the absence of the actual Third Army
commander adversely affected that army's performance. During the Turkish fall
offensives at Eleskirt, Enver Pasa demonstrably had more shown confidence in
Abdiil Karim than in Mahmut Kamil and Abdul's performance at Malazgirt had
been exemplary. Kamil's subsequent performance, however, would prove inept
and it is likely that the Turk's were better off with Abdiil Karim.
Unquestionably, the absence of a strong and well-trained German General Staff
officer serving as the Third Army's Chief of Staff certainly had a negative effect
on the army's tactical dispositions and reactive ability.
In the opening January battles, the Turkish Third Army lost about ten
thousand men who were killed, wounded, or frozen. Fortunately, only about
sixteen cannons were lost and the forty thousand defeated troops were able to
take refuge in the Erzurum Fortress.4 The Russians took five thousand Turkish
soldiers prisoners and, according to Russian estimates, an equal number
deserted. Losses were mostly concentrated in the XI Corps, which lost as much
as 70 percent of its strength. However, losses in the X Corps were slight.5
Although the Turks had been savagly mauled and badly defeated, they managed
to fall back in fair order, which prohibited the Russians from exploiting this
victory. Unknown to the Turks, the Russians now began to make plans for the
seizure of Erzurum itself.
 High Tide 123

In Constantinople, the news of the defeat at Koprukoy did not seem to be

particularly ominous. The Turkish Fortress of Erzurum was highly regarded;
thought to be well armed, it had withstood Russian siege in the past. Although
the losses from Koprukoy were serious and were not locally replaceable, they
were, in comparison to the recent slaughter of Gallipoli, relatively light. The
mood in Constantinople was, in fact, almost euphoric. By January 1916, the
Allies had been forced to evacuate completely their beachheads on the Gallipoli
Peninsula and had abandoned a veritable mountain of valuable war material and
supplies. Additionally, the occupation of Serbia by the German and Austro-
Hungarian armies provided, at long last, a continuous and reliable line of
communications between the members of the Central Alliance. Encouraged by
these developments, Enver Pasa had conversations with the chief of the German
General Staff, General Erich von Falkenhayn, to determine how Turkey could
best use the surplus of forces available, which were coming available after the
victory at Gallipoli. At least four Turkish infantry divisions were immediately
available in early January 1916. With German encouragement, Enver and the
Turkish General Staff decided to redeploy thirteen Turkish infantry divisions to
sectors threatened by allied successes. The staff determined that two divisions
would deploy to Mesopotamia, two would go to Syria and Palestine (which had
been drained of first class units for Gallipoli), two would go to garrison the
Levant coast, and seven infantry divisions would deploy to the Caucasus.
Overall, it was sound strategic thinking.
Unfortunately for the Turkish Army, the deployment planning of the critical
seven infantry divisions bound for the Caucasus was based on three flawed
assumptions. Firstly, the Turks assumed that the exhausted Russians would not
be able to renew their winter Caucasian offensive until well into the early
summer 1916. Therefore, the battle-hardened and well-trained Gallipoli
divisions bound for the east did not even begin to entrain for the east until
February. The second flawed assumption was that the Turkish rail and road
system could deliver large forces to the east in an expeditious manner. After the
experiences with the 1st and the 5th Expeditionary Forces, it is difficult to
understand Turkish thinking on this matter in early 1916. The final flawed
assumption, and perhaps the most damaging of all, was that the Erzurum
Fortified Area could withstand a determined Russian siege for some unspecified
and extended period of months. Indeed, in this regard, the Turks had a splendid
history of holding out in difficult circumstances, dating back to Plevna in 1877,
Erzurum itself in 1878, Adrianople and Qatalca in 1912 and 1913, and most
recently, at Gallipoli in 1915. The combination of these assumptions suggested
that Turkey had some degree of breathing space within which to redeploy these
forces.
The Erzurum Fortress had been redesignated as the Erzurum Fortified Area in
1914 and it had been a major Ottoman Army fortress for several centuries. After
the disastrous defeat of 1878, British army engineers began to upgrade the
fortress to modern standards, in particular by moving the outer works farther
from the center of the city. By 1888, the fortress was considered by the Russians
to be in excellent condition and was believed to possess a strong fighting
124 Ordered to Die

capability. German technical advisors replaced the British in the 1890s. By

1914, the primary defenses of Erzurum consisted of a central group of sixteen
forts and two flanking groups of two forts each. Although some histories suggest
that the forts were laid out in two concentric rings,6 the bulk of the forts were
echeloned in three lines blocking the valley access from Hasankale to the
northeast. The two flanking groups of forts lay twelve kilometers to the north
and five kilometers to the south from the center of Erzurum, respectively. There
was a final concentric ring of entrenchments directly around the city itself. The
city ranked second in the strength of its fortifications to the concentrically
fortified city of Adrianople. The fortress was extremely well equipped with
artillery with a total of 235 artillery pieces available for the defense of the city7
(Table 5.1).

Table 5.1
Artillery Strength-Erzurum Fortified Zone, January 1916

Type Number
150 mm guns 4
150 mm short howitzers 20
120 mm howitzers 18
87 mm field guns 102
80 mm field guns 34
90 mm quick firing Krupp 39
75 mm field guns 18
TOTAL 235

Note: These numbers reflect only the fixed and semifixed artillery assigned to the fortress
garrison itself (divisional and corps field artilleries are not included).

Source: Turkish General Staff, Birinci Diinya Harbinde Kafkas Cephesi 3ncu Ordu
Harakati. Cilt IL (Ankara: GK Basimevi, 1986), 54.

The Third Army commander returned to his headquarters from

Constantinople on January 29 to find the tactical situation somewhat stabilized.
However, there were ominous signs that the Russians intended to renew the
offensive not only at Erzurum but near Lake Van as well. Russian probes
continued. Mahmut Kamil began to strengthen his tactical dispositions. The IX
Corps held the southern flank with its northern corps boundary as the Erzurum-
Hasenkale road. The XI Corps held the center and the X Corps held the northern
approaches. The X Corps sector fronted a large Russian salient that flanked the
northern side of Erzurum. In effect, the fortress was vulnerable from two
directions, from the north and from the east. Each Turkish corps maintained a
regimental equivalent as a reserve, but to achieve this, the lines were
dangerously thin. The Russians soon took advantage of this weakness.
On the night of January 27-28, an unusual incident occurred. Russian soldiers,
who spoke excellent Turkish, penetrated the lines near the village of Kornes. In
 High Tide 125

a brilliant feat of arms, the Russians captured the 38* Infantry Division
commander, eight staff officers, the division veterinarian, the division artillery
commander and three of his staff, and several others. On the way home the
Russians seized three cannons and two hundred Turkish soldiers.8 The scale and
success of this raid indicated that extremely large gaps existed in the front;
events of this nature were unheard of at Gallipoli or on the Gaza line.
In Lazistan on the Black Sea, the Russians pushed forward about eight
kilometers in the first week of February 1916. In the southern reaches of the
Third Army area, Russian attacks from Malazgirt pushed toward Hinis. These
attacks were opposed by the 36th Infantry Division and the 2nd Regular Cavalry
Division, however, the Turks could not hold back the corps-sized Russian
attacks. Table 5.2 presents the army as of the end of January 1916.
At noon on February 11, 1916, the Russians began intense preparatory
artillery fires, which lasted until 8 P.M. These fires were concentrated mainly on
the first line of center forts at Qobandede and Dalangoz, and the Russians had
massed over 250 guns to achieve fire superiority. Russian infantry attacked later
that evening as darkness descended over the mountains. In infantry, the Russians
had three to one superiority in fighting men.9 Turkish infantry battalions of 350
men were confronted by full strength Russian battalions of 1,000 men. The
fighting was reminiscent of the fighting for the French forts surrounding
Verdun; hand-to-hand, deadly, isolated, ending with battered bands of survivors
holding individual bunkers and tunnels. Casualties on both sides were high.
Overhead, the Turks were waging an intense counterfire battle with the Russian
artillery. The situation was especially critical in the X Corps sector and the
Mirliva released regimental-sized reserves in its support. By February 12 the
Russians were in possession of a salient, which bit deeply into the first line of
Turkish forts. The Turks committed what few reserves that they had available in
an effort to stem the Russian onslaught. In other areas of the Third Army front,
Russian supporting attacks began in Lazistan and at Qoruh.
The subsequent Russian assault of five regimental columns on different
avenues of approach was irresistible and the Turkish defenses began to crumble.
In the middle of the offensive, the weather turned to blizzards, particularly
effecting the exposed Russians.10 Despite the adverse weather and determined
Turkish efforts, the forts could not be held in the face of the overwhelming
Russian attacks.
By the evening of February 14, the lead elements of the Russian divisions
stood overlooking the plain of Erzurum. A supporting Russian attack on the
northern group of Turkish forts had been equally successful. It was apparent to
the Third Army staff that Erzurum could not be held and the Turks made a
decision to conduct a fighting retreat and to withdraw as many troops and as
much material as they could before the fortress fell to the Russians. The
following day began with the Turkish front line regiments abandoning the first
line forts that they still held and with the rear elements of the Third Army
pulling out of the city itself. As the Turks attempted to withdraw, the tempo of
the Russian assault intensified, especially to the north of the city.
 Table 5.2
Disposition of Turkish Forces, January 1916
THRACE
First Army
CAUCASIA
1 In.f. Div.
Third Army
20 Inf. Div.
IX Corps: 17, 28, 29 Inf. Div.
1 Cav. Bde.
X Corps: 30, 31, 32 Inf. Div.
Second Army
XI Corps: 18, 33, 34 Inf. Div.
VI Corps: 16, 24, 26 Inf. Div.
2 Regular Cav. Div.
Forming: 43, 44, 47, 48 Inf. Div.
3 Reserve Cav. Div.
GALLIPOLI Van Reserve Cav. Bde.
Fifth Army Van Jandarma (Inf) Div.
/ Corps: 2, 3 Inf. Div. 36th Inf. Div.
/ / Corps: 4, 5, 6 Inf. Div. SYRIA-PALESTINE
III Corps: 7, 8, 9,19 Inf. Div. Fourth Army VIII Corps: 23, 24, 27 Inf. Div.
IV Corps. 10,11,12 Inf Div. XII Corps: 41, 42, 46 Inf. Div. MESOPOTAMIA
V Corps: 13,14,15 Inf. Div. Sixth Army
25 Inf. Div. XIII Corps: 35, 52 Inf. Div.
Note: Units in boldface type indicate new formations; units XVIII Corps: 45, 5J_ Inf. Div.
underlined indicate units redeployed since summer 1915; ARABIA-YEMEN
units in bold italic type indicate seriously understrength VII Corps: 21, 22, 39, 40 Inf. Div.
units. Units Inactivated: 38 Inf. Div.
 High Tide 127

The Russians entered the city of Erzurum about 7:30 A.M. on February 16.
As the city fell, rapid Russian successes in the north created conditions for
envelopment and it was only by the thinnest of margins that the Turks held the
western exits from the fortress. The Turks managed to conduct a fighting retreat
and extracted most of their infantry from the Russian envelopment, but many
service support elements of the Third Army were captured including 250
wounded Turks in the Erzurum military hospital. The battered X and XI Corps
reestablished a defensive line about eight kilometers to the west of the city.
Artillery losses for the Turks were particularly heavy, with the Russians
capturing 327 Turkish guns, or almost all of the artillery present in and around
the fortress. In infantry, the Third Army lost over ten thousand men were killed
or wounded; a further five thousand men were taken prisoner.11 Although most
of the Turkish infantry losses were concentrated in the X Corps; in the XI Corps,
the 34th Infantry Division was literally annihilated. The Russians expected the
Third Army to disintegrate as a consequence of the fall of Erzurum and began to
make preparations for a pursuit. In his after action report,12 Mahmut Kamil Pasa
attributed the loss of Erzurum to the extended length of his front in comparison
to the troops that he had available. He noted that at Gallipoli on the Cape Helles
front, Turkish corps held five to six kilometers, and that on the Anafarta front,
not more than ten kilometers. At Erzurum, the Third Army corps were
responsible for frontages of thirty kilometers or more in length.
These unfolding events found a thoroughly alarmed Enver Pasa then in
Aleppo, where he immediately accelerated the deployment tempo of
reinforcements to the east. The Turkish V Corps, consisting of the 10th and the
13th Infantry Divisions, was ordered to begin immediate movement to the east.
Other news from the Lake Van area and from the Lazistan front on the Black
Sea was equally disturbing and indicated serious Russian offensives were in the
offing at those locations. The heady exuberance which had resulted from the
great victory at Gallipoli was gone and was replaced by a gathering sense of
despair. However, the irrepressible Enver promptly sent an encouraging
message to the V Corps, stating that although the morale of the Third Army had
been destroyed, he knew that the veteran infantry of the V Corps would act as
stiffeners in the defense.13
In addition to accelerating the reinforcement flow to the Third Army, on
February 23 Enver determined to change the defeated leadership of the Third
Army. On February 27, 1916, Enver relieved Mirliva Mahmut Kamil Pasa of
command and appointed XI Corps Commander Abdiil Karim Pasa as interim
Third Army Commander. Second Army Commander and Gallipoli veteran,
Mirliva Mehmet Vehip Pa§a was ordered to depart Thrace immediately and
assume command of the Third Army. Vehip Pasa's primary mission was to turn
around the deteriorating situation in the Third Army. The German chief of staff,
the recently promoted Colonel Guse, remained in his position. The departing
commander exited the theater via ship from Trabzon. The situation facing the
interim commander was bleak. The Third Army rolls on February 23 showed a
strength of only 25,500 riflemen, 76 machine guns, and 84 artillery pieces ready
for action. Additionally, the loss of the Erzurum Fortress with its hospitals and
128 Ordered to Die

logistical support placed a great strain on service support for the Third Army. In
particular, there were between eight thousand and ten thousand men sick and
wounded, for whom there was little medical aid available. To compound
matters, the Third Army headquarters itself was forced to displace to the city of
Erzincan where it had to reestablish communications under very austere
conditions. Vehip Pasa arrived in that city on March 16.
The fall of Erzurum had a decisive effect on the strategic direction of the
Turkish war effort. It was now apparent to Enver and the Turkish General Staff
that the strategic and operational situation in the Caucasus resembled a house of
cards, which could collapse at any time. It was also apparent that the ever-
increasing length of the eastern front was rapidly eclipsing the command and
control capability of the Third Army. The addition of the V Corps, and an
incoming seven infantry divisions would place an unmanageable strain on the
existing Third Army headquarters. Therefore on March 1 Enver decided to
deploy the Turkish Second Army headquarters, under the command of Ahmet
Izzet Pasa, from Thrace to Diyarbakir. Once there, the Second Army would
assume responsibility for the eastern portion of the Third Army's front. Enver
envisioned that this powerful army would strike a decisive flanking blow on the
Russians and recover the territory lost in the recent Russian offensives. By
March 22 the lead elements of the army headquarters were bound for the east.
The Turkish General Staff hoped to have the Second Army in place and ready
for operations by early June 1916.14 Further reinforcements, in the way of
Colonel Mustafa Kemal's newly formed XVI Corps and the veteran 5th Infantry
Division, were ordered east to join the Second Army on March 10. By August
the Second Army would grow to a strength of four corps and ten infantry
divisions. Unfortunately for the Third Army, this redirection of Turkish strategic
priorities was too little too late and further disasters awaited their thinly
stretched forces.
The Russians were bent on maintaining the momentum and advantage that
they had won at Erzurum. Pushing hard in Lazistan, the Russians took the port
of Rize on the Black Sea coast in March 1916 in an amphibious assault. The
Russians continued to push and on April 16 captured the key port of Trabzon.
This was a critical loss for the Turks, since Trabzon was the largest port in the
Third Army area and was serviced by paved roads leading into the Anatolian
highlands. Logistically, this was a disaster for the Third Army. Visiting the
Third Army in early May, Enver found that although the Mirliva Fezi Pasa's V
Corps had arrived in the operational theater, Russian pressure along the Black
Sea coast dissipated the effect of this badly needed reinforcement. In fact, one
entire infantry division of the V Corps had already been diverted to the
collapsing Trabzon sector.
Unfortunately also for the Third Army, the Turkish General Staff had given
rail and transportation priority in March and April to the Turkish divisions
bound for Mesopotamia.15 This fateful decision was in response to the
developing situation at Kut and the serious British attempts to relieve the
Imperial forces encircled there. Because of the scarcity of Turkish rail
transportation, this inevitably forced further delays in the eastward deployment
 High Tide 129

of the Second Army, since both theaters competed for the same rail lines from
European Thrace to Adana. As a temporary solution to the growing command
and control problem, Vehip Pasa decided on April 13 to divide his front into
three operational regions. The First Region was the southeast front north of
Diyarbakir, which would fall under the command of Mustafa Kemal Pa§a and
his XVI Corps headquarters, with two infantry divisions. The Second Region, in
the center, was under the command of X Corps Commander Yusuf Ziya Pasa,
who would also control the IX Corps, the XI Corps, and the 2nd Regular Cavalry
Division. Along the Black Sea coast, in the north, Fevzi Pa§a and the V Corps
assumed control of the Third Region. Fevzi Pasa had two divisions and the
remnants of the Lazistan and coastal defense detachments. This operational
grouping of formations was similar to those that the Turks had used during the
Gallipoli battles. In total combat strength, the Third Army was at last beginning
to grow (Table 5.3).

Table 5.3
Third Army Strength, April 28, 1916

Region Soldiers Rifles Machine Guns Artillery

First 13,741 9,970 7 19

Second 23,444 19,046 59 52
Third 29,601 16,119 25 37

TOTAL 66,786 45,135 91 108

Source: Turkish General Staff, Birinci Diinya Harbinde Kafkas Cephesi 3ncu Ordu
Harakati. Cilt II. (Ankara: GK Basimevi, 1986), 165.

Encouraged by their gathering strength and by the exhortations of Enver Pasa,

the Turks felt strong enough to launch limited attacks in the center and in the
south. The first of these attacks in late May 1916 was aimed at securing
favorable positions from which to launch a subsequent major offensive to retake
Erzurum. This attack was moderately successful. Enver and Vehip were also
concerned about the potential Russian advantage in seaborne reinforcements
now gained by the capture of the port of Trabzon and ordered even more attacks
in the north. On June 26 the V Corps attacked into the Pontic Alps, trying to
recapture Trabzon. Although this attack met with initial success, like many
battles in the First World War, the Turks did not have adequate forces available
to exploit their success. The offensive ground to a halt without securing its
objective and exhausting the V Corps.
In the meantime, the slowly arriving Second Army was building its strength.
The movements consumed considerable time even under the best circumstances.
In the best case, infantry divisions departed Constantinople by train for the east
and either went to Ergli or southeast to Pozanti. For example, the last elements
130 Ordered to Die

of the 8 Infantry Division left Constantinople on April 5 and arrived at Pozanti

on April 7, where it foot marched for four days over the uncompleted railroad
gap in the Taurus Mountains. After a one-day train ride, the division arrived at
the Osmaniye railroad gap on April 12. Here it detrained and foot marched five
days to the railroad spur at Katma for another one-day train ride. Beginning its
final foot march on April 20, the division arrived at Diyarbakir on April 30. As
the first elements of the division had departed Constantinople previously on
March 20, the total time spent moving this division into its eastern tactical
assembly area was forty-one days.16 Divisions deploying directly east took even
longer since the distance requiring foot marches were longer. The 9th Infantry
Division, for example, took fifty-three days to reach its final tactical assembly
area. Needless to say, sickness and attrition took a severe toll on the troops and
animals moved by these methods. Formations thus moved required a
recuperation period in rear area tactical assembly areas in the new operational
sector before being further deployed into active combat. Often the commanders
and the divisional staffs were moved separately and more quickly so that
advanced planning might occur in the new area. Sometimes this had an adverse
effect on the movements as well since the commanders were physically removed
from insuring the care and welfare of their men enroute.
Both the 5th and 8th Infantry Divisions of the XVI Corps had arrived at
Diyarbakir and Bitlis, respectively. By May 15, the veteran III Corps, now
consisting of the experienced 1st, 7th, 14th, and the newly raised 53rd Infantry
Divisions was entrained for the east. The independent 9th Infantry Division,
detrained at Ergli, was road marching toward Sivas, and the 3 rd Regular Cavalry
Division was detraining at Adana. The independent 12th Infantry Division,
escorted by the former SMS Breslau, now renamed the Midilli, was dispatched
by sea to the Black Sea port of Samsun. The IV Corps, in Symrna, was alerted
for deployment and by May 30, this corps and its 47th and 48th Infantry-
Divisions, was en route east too. However, as this huge force slowly made its
way east, disaster again struck the Third Army.
Hoping to cut off the forward Russian elements at Trabzon, the Turkish V
Corps launched yet another offensive. This attack, employing the 9th and the 13th
Infantry Divisions, was aimed north toward the Black Sea coast. By June 28, the
Turks stood within ten kilometers of the sea, but an aggressive Russian defense
held them firm and the attack collapsed on July 2. In Constantinople, the
Turkish General Staff alerted another infantry division for service in the east and
ordered the new 49th Infantry Division to entrain at once. Cumulatively these
Turkish counterattacks drained vital combat power from the Third Army again
leaving it in a dangerously under strength condition. The Turk's geographic
position had not improved either, leaving them in an unfavorable strategic
posture.
Throughout the late spring and early summer of 1916, the Russians had been
conserving their strength and preparing to launch a massive offensive toward
Erzincan. Success here would threaten the Turkish city of Siva§ and would
remove the threat posed by the Turkish V Corps against the newly won port of
Trabzon. The Russians launched their attack on July 2 and concentrated the bulk
 High Tide 131

of their strength against the city of Bayburt, which lies in a bend of the £oruh
River. Within a week they were on the outskirts of the city of Bayburt. Holding
this threatened sector of the Turkish lines was the X Coips. Although the X
Corps had a hardened cadre of experienced combat veterans, it had repeatedly
been subjected to Russian attacks over the past year. Fighting heroically, it was
unable to hold its ground. By July 17, Bayburt fell. Russian attacks on the
adjacent Turkish IX Corps were equally successful. The Turks pulled back and
established strong successive defensive positions.
The Russians renewed the offensive on July 19, with strong attacks out of the
Bayburt bridgehead. Attacking across the Karasu River, the Russians again
hammered the IX and X Corps. Once across this river, the Russians broke into
the Erzincan plain. There were no natural obstacles remaining upon which the
weakened Turks could build a defensive line and the Russians converged on
Erzincan. Advance Russian elements sweeping down from the northeast entered
Erzincan on July 25 and Vehip Pa§a decided that he would attempt to hold the
western exits into the Anatolian heartland rather than attempt to defend the city.
The Russian offensive ended on July 28. In the Bayburt, Karasu, and Erzincan
battles, the Third Army lost an estimated seventeen thousand killed and
wounded and lost an additional seventeen thousand men taken prisoner.17 This
was the worst loss of men taken as prisoners of war that the Turks suffered up
until this point in the war. The Turks called this series of battles the "Qoruh
campaign."
Overall, these battles were a disaster for Turkish arms. Enver's intent had
been to launch a massive flanking attack with the newly deployed Second Army,
while the Third Army fixed the Russian Army in place. Ultimately, Enver hoped
to retake Erzurum and Trabzon, while destroying the Russians. This would open
the way for an offensive to retake Kars, lost to the Russians since 1878. The
Qoruh campaign had totally destroyed these ambitious plans by reducing the
Third Army to an ineffective shambles and by eliminating its forward positions
at Bayburt. Now both the Third Army and Enver's grandiose plans lay in ruins;
however, the front soon erupted in renewed fighting.
The long-awaited Second Army offensive began on August 2, 1916 (Map 5.1
shows the general area of the Second Army's offensive). Ahmet Izzet Pa§a had
resisted all of Vehip Pa§a's pleas for both assistance and for diversionary attacks
on the Russian flank during the desperate days of July. Now, a week after the
conclusion of the Russian offensive, Ahmet Izzet Pasa chose to attack. As in
earlier Turkish offensives on the southern flank of the Caucasian front, the
immediate objective was Malazgirt and the final objective was the fertile
Eleskirt Valley. The Second Army Commander had assembled a powerful force
consisting of the III Corps with the 1st, 7th, 14th, and 53rd Infantry Divisions, the
II Corps with the 11th and 12th Infantry Divisions, the IV Corps with the 47th
Infantry Division (reinforced by the 48th Infantry Division just now arriving in
theater), and the XVI Corps with the 5th and 8th Infantry Divisions. The Second
Army also had the 3 rd Regular Cavalry Division assigned as well as five heavy
artillery battalions. Concentrated and launched a month earlier, this formidable
force might have had a dramatic effect on the Russian army. It might have even
Map 5.1
General Situation, Turkish Land Forces, 1916

Source: Turkish General Staff, Turk Silahli Kuvvetleri Tarihi Osmanli Devri Birinci
Diinya Harbi Idari Faaliyetler ve Lojistik Xncu Cilt (Ankara: Basimevi, 1985), Kroki
(Map) 15.
 High Tide 133

saved the Third Army from destruction and Erzincan from capture. However,
now, in the aftermath of the Erzincan offensive, the Russians were free to move
their reserves to the southeast to confront the Second Army's attack.
In the Second Army's attack, Ahmet Izzet Pasa failed to concentrate his
forces, preferring instead to form his forces into three corps-sized groups. Each
of these groups attacked on a different axis and none were close enough to
support another. It was a recipe for failure. The XVI Corps attacked in the
Bingol area, the III Corps attacked in the Ognot area, and the IV Corps attacked
toward Kigi. Mustafa Kemal's hard driving XVI Corps took both Bitlis and Mus
early in the campaign, however, these victories were on the flank of the main
Turkish attack. In the center, it was slow going for the Turkish askers as they
struggled forward. Locally, in many cases, the Turks had numerical superiority,
a condition rare on the Caucasian front at any time in the war. But the terrain in
this area of the front was extremely difficult and this served to negate the
combat effectiveness of both the experienced and veteran III Corps infantry
divisions, and the new but well-trained IV Corps infantry divisions. Operating
on interior lines of communications, the Russians rushed experienced mountain
units to stem the Turkish attacks. Unfriendly Kurds helped the Russians find
uncharted tracks across the mountains. By August 18 the Russians had finished
reinforcing this front and were able to launch corp-sized counterattacks. The
Turkish offensive ground to a slow halt in early September, and by the time
snow fell on September 26, 1916, the attack was finished. In the final days of
September, the XVI Corps pulled out of Mu§. Although the Turks had gained
some ground, they lost heavily in irreplacable infantry strength. Out of one
hundred thousand men engaged, thirty thousand were killed or wounded.18
Because of the high spirit and magnificant elan of these experienced Gallipoli
formations, the Russians took very few prisoners. Several Turkish infantry
divisions were reduced to cadre strength, and at the end of September 1916 the
effective rifle strength of the Second Army had been reduced to about sixty
thousand men.
Coming fast on the heels of the Third Army's July debacle, the defeat of the
Second Army was a disaster of enormous magnitude. Eight out of the ten
Second Army infantry divisions were Gallipoli veterans and had both combat
experience and high morale. This magnificant fighting force, augmented by two
newly raised top quality infantry divisions was Turkey's last strategic reserve in
1916. Table 5.4 vividly shows the emptying of the Thracian manpower pool by
August 1916. Carefully husbanded, while its sister Third Army was destroyed in
the hard fighting of the summer of 1916, the Second Army was carelessly flung
at the Russians. Instead of these two armies fighting simultaneously against the
Russians, they fought sequentially, and as such were destroyed in detail by the
numerically superior Russians. The Second Army attack was to become the last
major Turkish Army offensive launched against the Allies in the First World
War.
It might have been possible to coordinate operations between the Second and
Third Armies, even as early as late June or early July 1916. Certainly, the seven
 Table 5.4
Disposition of Turkish Forces, August 1916
CAUCASIA
Third Army
GALICIA
THRACE V Corps: 9, 10, 13 Div
XV Corps: 19, 20 Inf. Div.
First Army IX Corps: 17, 28, 29 Inf. Div.
1 Cav. Bde. X Corps: 30, 31, 32 Inf Div.
49 Inf. Div. XI Corps: 18, 33, 34 Inf. Div.
ROMANIA
2 Regular Cav. Div.
VI Corps: 15, 25 Inf. Div.
GALLIPOLI Van Cav. Bde.
26 Inf. Div.
Fifth Army Van Jandarma (Inf) Div.
I Corps: 14,16 Inf. Div. 36th Inf Div.
Second Army
MACEDONIA SYRIA-PALESTINE
HI Corps: 1,7, 14, 53 Inf. Div.
50 Inf. Div. Fourth Army
II Corps: 11, 12 Inf. Div.
VIII Corps: 3, 23, 24, 27 Inf. Div.
IV Corps: 47, 48 Inf. Div.
XII Corps: 41, 42,43, 46 Inf. Div.
XVI Corps: 5, 8 Inf. Div.
ARABIA-YEMEN 3 Reserve Cav. Div.
VII Corps: 21, 22, 39, 40 Inf. Div.
MESOPOTAMIA
Note: Units in boldface italic type indicate new formations; units Sixth Army
underlined indicate units redeployed since January 1916; XIII Corps: 2, 4, 6 Inf. Div.
units in bold italic type indicate seriously understrength units. XVIII Corps: 55, 45, 51, 52 Inf. Div.
Units inactivated: 38 Inf. Div.
 High Tide 135

infantry divisions available to Ahmet Izzet Pa§a in July, might have executed
supporting attacks against the flanks of the Russians then engaged in the capture
of Erzincan. Unfortunately for the Turks, there was no theater or front
commander authorized to coordinate the operations of these two armies.
Apparently, Ahmet Izzet Pasa, in spite of urgent pleas for help from Vehip Pasa,
felt that his mission was to assemble his army first and then attack. It was
entirely possible that rapid intervention by the Second Army in the summer of
1916 might have prevented the collapse of the Third Army and the loss of
Erzincan. Instead, the Turkish Army lost, in the Caucasus, in the summer of
1916, a total of almost one hundred thousand men. These massive losses of
trained men could never be replaced at this point in the war.
In the face of these calamities, the Turkish Army began a massive and long
overdue reorganization of its forces in the Caucasus. Painfully aware that the
lack of an army group-level headquarters had effectively crippled coordinated
operations between the Second and Third Armies, the Turks belatedly formed an
Anatolian Army Group. Ahmet Izzet Pasa moved up to command this group and
Mustafa Kemal Pasa moved up to replace him at the Second Army. Kemal had
performed brilliantly as a divisional and group commander at Gallipoli. His
stellar performance in command of the XVI Corps further marked him for high
command. Now he was promoted to command the Turkish Second Army.
Other changes soon followed. On paper, the Third Army had a strength of
thirteen infantry and one cavalry division. With supporting arms and services,
this force at full strength would have numbered about two hundred thousand
men. However, in a situation where divisions had the strength of regiments, and
regiments had the strength of battalions or even companies, the Third Army only
numbered about thirty thousand effectives. There were no reinforcements
available and furthermore, there were perhaps fifty thousand deserters roaming
around in the Third Army area. It was an intolerable situation. Because of this,
the Turkish General Staff desired to reorganize the Third Army completely by
eliminating entire corps and divisions and consolidating their assets into new
formations which could be maintained at nearly full strength. It was a radical
and visionary solution to an ever worsening problem. Accordingly, on
September 4, Enver Pasa approved the concept of reorganizing the Third Army
along these lines. By September 13 Vehip Pa§a had developed an idea, which he
hoped would galvanize the tired Turkish troops. While eliminating some
formations, Vehip decided to rename the new units as "Caucasian" formations.
It was hoped that this new designation would wipe away the stigma of defeat
and add luster to newly renamed formations. On September 23 the Third Army
began to reorganize.
At corps level, the V, IX, X, and XI Corps headquarters were simply
eliminated from the Turkish force structure. In their place and using their staff
offficers, Vehip formed the 1st and 2nd Caucasian Corps. This consolidation
enabled the two new corps staffs to operate at full strength and with greater
efficiency. At divisional level, Vehip converted the 13th Infantry Division to the
5th Caucasian Infantry Division, the 28th Infantry Division became the new 9th
Caucasian Infantry Division, the 30th and 33rd Infantry Divisions formed the new
136 Ordered to Die

10th and 11th Caucasian Infantry Divisions, respectively. Vehip retained the 36*
Infantry Division and converted it to the 36th Caucasian Infantry Division. He
formed the new 49th Caucasian Infantry Division from independent infantry
regiments. Finally, the new 37th Caucasian Infantry Divisions was formed from
the coastal detachments. These new Caucasian infantry divisions were smaller
than ordinary peacetime Turkish infantry divisons and their infantry strength
was set at six thousand men.19 Vehip then completely dissolved the 9th, 10th,
17th, 18th, 29th, 31 st , 32nd, and the 34th Infantry Divisions. Thus eight entire
infantry divisions vanished from the Turkish Army's order of battle. The
officers, men, animals, and equipment of these divisions were transferred to
flesh out the seven remaining Third Army Caucasian infantry divisions. It was a
dramatic organizational change and restored a great deal of efficiency to the
Third Army.
Almost overnight, the surviving Third Army infantry divisions went to almost
full strength in infantry effectives. The field artillery was also reorganized with
each new division receiving twelve to eighteen field or mountain howitzers.
Mirliva Yusuf Izzet Pasa received command of the 1st Caucasian Corps and
Merliva Fevzi Pasa received command of the 2nd Caucasian Corps. The cavalry
was not forgotten and was consolidated into the new 2nd Caucasian Cavalry
Brigade. Fortunately, the Russians remained quiet while these sweeping
organizational changes were accomodated by the Third Army command
structure.
In addition to these organizational changes, there were operational changes, as
weM. The three operational regions of the Third Army were examined and by
October 19, 1916 the following tactical changes had taken place. In the south,
the 2nd Region was divided into three zones, the 1st Zone held by the 36th
Caucasian Infantry Division, the 2nd Zone by the 9th Caucasian Infantry
Division, and the 3 rd Zone by the 10th Caucasian Infantry Division. The 3 rd
Region in the north was likewise divided into the 4th Zone with the 5th Caucasian
Infantry Division, the 5th Zone with the 11th Caucasian Infantry Division, and the
6th Zone with the 37th Caucasian Infantry Division. The 1st Region was
eliminated. In army reserve, within the 3 rd Region area, was the 49th Caucasian
Infantry Division. The Third Army headquarters remained at Susehri, while the
headquarters of the 2nd Caucasian Corps set up at Alucra and the 1st Caucasian
Corps went to Refahiye. In the middle of December 1916, the Third Army had
an effective rifle strength of 36,382 men. Divisional strength varied between
five thousand and eight thousand men.20
As at Gallipoli in 1915 and as during the Malazgirt offensive in 1915, the
Turkish command appeared more comfortable with creating operational groups,
which were task-organized without regard to existing formal corps command
relationships. This showed a greater flexibility in operational thinking than the
Turkish Army possessed when it went to war in 1914. This new found flexibility
would have long term benefits later in the war when the Russians collapsed in
1918 and opened the way for the Turks to drive to the Caspian Sea.
Significant changes were also afoot in the Second Army area. Although
Ahmet Izzet Pa§a had suffered far less casualties in the Second Army, numerous
 High Tide 137

formations were reduced to ineffective remnants of fighting units. In October

1916 the Second Army had sixty-four thousand effectives on its rolls.
Compounding Ahmet Izzet Pa§a's difficulties were increasing problems with
hostile Kurds in his rear areas.21 Therefore, Ahmet Izzet Pa§a withdrew his
forces from the Dersim and Bingol-dag area in order to straighten out his lines
and to create reserves, then badly needed to rein in the Kurds in the rear areas.
Following this, he dissolved the gallant and experienced III Corps. Thus passed
into history one of the premier fighting corps in the Turkish Army, which had
survived the Balkan Wars intact and which had done so much valuable work at
Gallipoli. The divisions of the III Corps (the 7th and 14th Infantry Divisions)
were retained and were redeployed to Syria and Mesopotamia, respectively. The
Second Army thereupon reorganized itself into three corps; the IV Corps of the
11th and 12th Infantry Divisions, the II Corps of the 1st and the 47th Infantry
Divisions, and the XVI Corps of the 5th and 8th Infantry Divisions. Additionally,
the 53rd Infantry Division was sent to Syria, as was the newly arrived 48*
Infantry Division. So, by the end of December 1916, the formerly powerful
Second Army was reduced to only six infantry divisions.22
The year 1916 ended badly for the Turks in the Caucasus. In manpower, the
Turkish forces on the Caucasian front remained the same, but the total number
of Turkish divisions engaged on this front dropped from a September high of
twenty-five to a December total of thirteen. They had lost the mighty fortress
city of Erzurum, the critical port of Trabzon, and the important city of Erzincan.
They had come close to losing Diyarbakir. They had lost well over one hundred
thousand men and had seen the Third Army all but destroyed and the Second
Army literally thrown away. Fortunately, events in other parts of their empire
forced the Russians into a lull, which perhaps saved the day for the Second and
Third Armies and the Turkish position in Caucasia.

GALICIA

During the first three days of the Brusilov Offensive, on the eastern front in
early June 1916, the Russian Army took two hundred thosuand Austro-
Hungarian soldiers as prisoners of war. By the end of the offensive later that
summer, the Hapsburg Army had officially lost 464,382 men and 10,756
officers; however, unofficial and modern estimates range as high as 750,000
soldiers, of which 380,000 were taken prisoners.23 In his definitive study of the
Austro-Hungarian war effort, Holger Herwig states that these losses were a blow
from which the Hapsburg Army never recovered. That the Russians lost a
million men was immaterial, the Austro-Hungarian losses from the Brusilov
offensive, combined with the crippling losses suffered in 1914 and 1915,
emptied the Hapsburg manpower pool. There were several consequences for
Austria-Hungary from this, but chief among them was irrevocable loss of
control of the strategic direction on the eastern front to Germany. Another
consequence was the huge, and from a Hapsburg perspective, unrepairable hole
torn in the defensive fabric of the front. For this, there was no solution except
138 Ordered to Die

for a massive infusion of German assistance and troops. However, in the

summer of 1916, Germany was heavily engaged on the Somme in France, on the
northern portions of the Eastern Front, and on the newly opened front against
Rumania, and had little aid to give. This was the situation that drew Turkish
soldiers to the far reaches of Hungary for the first time since the seventeenth
century.
At the suggestion of General Falkenhayn, the chief of the German General
Staff, an urgent request was made to Turkey to provide combat troops to help
Germany plug the gaps in the Eastern Front. The Austrian High Command was
uneasy with this idea and required both time and persuasive arguments in order
to be convinced to accept Turkish troops on the Galician front." In the
meantime, on June 4, 1916, Enver Pasa approved Falkenhayn's request and
ordered that Turkish troops be dispatched to the eastern front. This was the first
step in a series of European diversions in 1916, which would ultimately involve
three Turkish corps headquarters and seven Turkish infantry divisions. Liman
von Sanders considered this diversion of Turkish troops to the eastern front to be
a serious mistake.25 His thinking on the matter was that Turkey could barely
protect its frontiers and could ill afford to dissipate its strength. In Liman von
Sanders's judgment, the increasingly large British forces forming in Egypt and
Mesopotamia posed an imminent threat to the Turks. Also by the summer of
1916, both the Fortress of Erzurum and the key Black Sea port of Trabzon had
fallen to the Russians, and the Turkish Third Army was largely destroyed. This
deteriorating strategic situation in the Caucasus was a dangerous and pressing
threat, which required immediate attention. Belatedly, the Turkish General Staff
was redeploying the Second Army from Corlu to the east to rectify this problem,
but the perennially weak Turkish rail system delayed the timely movement of
forces to the Caucasus. The situation in the east was critical. Liman von Sanders
felt that the Turks should maintain a strong central strategic reserve against the
day when the empire would inevitably have to deal with the increasing Russian
and British threats. His advice and warnings were ignored.
From Berlin, it looked as if Turkey had a surplus of available divisions. Von
Falkenhayn felt that of the currently active Turkish fronts, apart from Armenia,
that the situation was "still sufficiently secure for no alarm to be felt."26
Concentrated in Thrace, Constantinople, and on the Gallipoli Peninsula, Liman
von Sanders alone had a total of twenty-two Turkish infantry divisions.
Although many were worn and bloodied from the savage Gallipoli fighting from
the previous year, all were reasonably well rested and fresh. Many of these
divisions were considered to be superb in quality by the British and had
excellent fighting reputations. Moreover, from the German viewpoint, the rail
network running north into the Balkans could sustain greater traffic, whereas the
Turkish lines running south could not. It mattered little what the Turks wanted to
do, given their abysmal lines of communications. Left to their own devices, the
Turkish divisions in Thrace probably would have remained there for some time.
In this regard, and certainly from an alliance perspective, getting more Turks
back into action in 1916 was a major accomplishment for Germany.
 High Tide 139

After the Gallipoli campaign, Mustafa Kemal's famous but now battle-worn
19th Infantry Division was moved northward to Ke§an and §arkoy, where on
January 9, 1916, it was combined with the 20th Infantry Division to form the
new XV Corps.27 On July 10, 1916, the XV Corps was ordered to make ready
for movement to the eastern front. At the expense of other First Army regiments,
the XV Corps infantry divisions received an influx of artillery, technical, and
logistical detachments, which brought them up to authorized strength. To fill the
depleleted ranks of the infantry regiments, Liman von Sanders was ordered to
strip other First Army divisions of fit men for transfer to the XV Corps. He was
very unhappy about this and he was especially concerned about the long-term
effect that this would have on the units remaining behind in Thrace.28
Nevertheless, by early July the corps had thirty thousand men assigned on its
rolls. These soldiers were the last fully trained and fit replacements that the XV
Corps would see for many months.29 The two divisional artillery regiments were
given an additional three hundred draft horses. The corps headquarters, under
the command of Colonel Yakup §evki, departed from Uzunkopru on July 17 by
rail, for destinations in Hungary. The route traveled through Sofia and through
Nis and Belgrade in newly conquered Serbia. The 20th Infantry Division, under
the command of Lieutenant Colonel Yasin Hilmi, departed for Hungary on July
22 and the 19th Infantry Division, under the command of Lieutenant Colonel
§efik, followed on July 24. The movement went smoothly and the lead
elements of the XV Corps began to arrive in Hungary on August 5, 1916. The
corps was assigned to Army South, commanded by Lieutenant General Graf von
Bothmer, and was assigned a section of the line on the west bank of the
Zlotalipa River.
German divisions stood on both flanks of the corps' twenty-eight-kilometer
front and at noon on August 22, the Turks established liaison with the German
55th Infantry Division on their left flank and with the Bavarian 1st Reserve
Infantry Division on their right flank. The XV Corps headquarters sent its first
written report to Graf von Bothmer the same day. By August 28 the corps was in
line with its two infantry divisions and three artillery regiments ready for action.
In sector, opposite the Turks, were elements of three Russian divisions~the 47th,
the 113th, and the 3 rd Turkistan. The Turks were now in contact with the Russian
Army, in Europe, for the first time since 1878 and the Turkish soldiers manning
the trenches had not long to wait for action.
The XV Corps was, by Turkish standards, very well equipped.30 For artillery,
the corps had twenty-four 90 mm, four 120 mm, two 220 mm, two 105 mm
howitzers, and 8 mine throwers. Once there, the Turks received additional
twelve 90 mm and four 120 mm howitzers. Since they were, as usual, weak in
machine guns, the Germans transferred thirty captured Russian machine guns to
them. Additionally, the Germans sent eight German machine gun detachments to
reinforce the Turkish infantry regiments. Later in the campaign, more captured
Russian machine guns would be sent to the Turks.
The corps headquarters received an intelligence estimate on the morning of
August 31 warning of an expected Russian attack, which would be preceded by
a heavy artillery bombardment. The Turks had not long to wait and the Russian
140 Ordered to Die

offensive began on September 2. By noon, several Turkish regiments were

heavily engaged. Fighting was heaviest in the southern sector, held by the 20l
Infantry Division, and over the next several days, the Turks launched several
counterattacks. By September 7 both the Turkish 20th Infantry Division and the
Bavarian 1st Reserve Division had been pushed out of their entrenchments along
the west bank of the Zlotalipa River and had fallen back about ten kilometers.31
However, contact between the Turks and the Bavarians remained intact and the
line remained unbroken. Casualties were extremely heavy and the Russians
apparently lost about fifteen thousand men killed or wounded in these early
attacks on the XV Corps.
On September 15 the Russians launched a major attack on the 61 st Infantry
Regiment, which held the far right of the Turkish line and which was the link to
the adjacent Bavarian regiment. This was a serious enemy attempt to rupture the
vital seam between the Turkish and the German corps. The 61 st Infantry
Regiment tenaciously clung to its positions but was steadily forced back. The
situation was dangerous because, after several weeks of intensive combat, the
Turks had no tactical reserves left with which to stem the onslaught. However,
in a typical display of German tactical initiative, the German 185th Infantry
Regiment was dispatched to assist the Turks by conducting a counterattack. This
regiment entered the Turkish sector and began an immediate counterattack,
which drove the Russians back to their starting line. It was a very close
encounter with disaster for the XV Corps. As the Russian offensive ground to a
halt several days later, it was apparent that the Turks had taken a severe
pounding and, in their first encounter on the Galician front had lost ninty-five
officers and seven thousand men. Additionally, the Turks had lost six battalion
commanders and twenty-two company commanders. Most of the casualties were
concentrated in the 20th Infantry Division. This battered division now held a
front of only five kilometers, while the stronger 19th Infantry Division held the
remaining ten kilometers of XV Corps front.
The front was stabilized for the remainder of September, with both sides
conducting local counterattacks. In the Turkish 20th Infantry Division sector, the
61 st Regiment was pulled back into reserve. A German infantry regiment, a
German cavalry regiment, and several batteries of German artillery were also
put in reserve in the XV Corps sector to backstop the Turks in the event of a
subsequent Russian attack. On October 8, 1916, the Corp Commander, Colonel
Yakup §evki was promoted to brigadier general.
October 1916 was marked by continuous Russian pressure along the Turkish
corps front. To relieve the pressure on the 19th Infantry Division, which had all
three of its infantry regiments in the line, the XV Corps formed the Ledabor
Mufrezesi (detachment) composed of the German 228th Reserve Infantry
Regiment (one of the German reserve regiments in the Turkish sector). On the
night of October 12-13 the Ledabor detachment went into the line at the far left
flank of the corps enabling the 19th Division to pull one of its regiments off the
line and into reserve.33 By mid-October, Graf von Bothmer shortened the length
of the XV Corps sector by ten kilometers by stationing the German 36th Infantry
Division in the southern sector, which had been formerly occupied by the
 High Tide 141

Turkish 20th Division. The XV Corps now had a corps sector with a total
frontage of about ten kilometers. This was a much need respite for the Turks and
provided them an opportunity to rotate the exhausted front line Turkish infantry
into reserve areas for rest and rehabilitation.
In early November, the tactical situation was so favorable that, despite
constant Russian attacks, the German Ledabor detachment was dissolved and
withdrawn from the Turkish sector. Although the Turks were by now completely
off the defensible Zlotalipa River line, the tactical situation was favorable. On
November 10, 1916, Brigadier General §evki returned to Turkey to command
the XIV Corps, and the commander of that corps, Brigadier General Cevat
assumed command of the XV Corps in Galicia.34 Large-scale Russian attacks
continued throughout December 1916, but the Turks were able to repulse these
without further loss of ground.
The year 1917 began auspiciously for the Turkish XV Corps. The corps was
significantly reinforced with units which enhanced its fighting efficiency.
Among these units were independent artillery batteries, intelligence and labor
detachments, an aircraft company, a balloon detachment, a field bakery
company, and a veterinary hospital. The two infantry divisions had also received
much needed infantry replacements and the divisions were able to form assault
companies.35 The strength of the XV Corps, in January 1917 rose to 27,031 men
assigned to units and 5,668 men training in regimental depots. As a result of
these reinforcements and the favorable tactical situation, moral in the Turkish
units in Galicia was very high.36 Russian attacks continued throughout January
and February.
At 8 P.M. on March 5, 1917, the XV Corps came under heavy machine gun,
hand grenade, and artillery attack. This signaled the start of yet another major
Russian attack by three Russian infantry divisions against the Turkish sector.
Fortunately for the Turks, the XV Corps occupied the very defensible high
ground overlooking the Zlotalipa River valley and was able to repulse these
attacks without assistance from their allies. With great determination, the
Russians repeated these attacks in April 1917 and were again repulsed with
heavy losses.
May was a quiet month in the Turkish sector, but in June the Russians
renewed the offensive. These attacks were no more successful than previous
endeavors, but continued without respite throughout the remainder of the month.
In this intense battle, the twenty-four artillery batteries in the Turkish 20th
Infantry Division sector expended forty-three thousand artillery shells. The
fighting intensified even more and on July 1 the Turks came under gas attack
from Russian artillery shelling. This was a new experience for the soldiers of the
XV Corps, but the lines continued to hold. The front-line trenches were
subjected to three days of continuous shelling. The Russians, reinforced by fresh
Siberian and Finnish troops, continued to attack. Russians losses were thought
to number about thirteen thousand men. By July 11 the Russian attacks began to
subside, giving the sorely pressed Turkish regiments a respite, and at the end of
July the front was relatively quiet once again. As an indicator of the severity of
the summer fighting, according to Turkish reports during the period June 29
142 Ordered to Die

through July 2, 1917, the XV Corps lost 6 officers; in addition, two hundred
forty-two soldiers were killed, 15 officers and 1,012 soldiers were wounded, and
1,275 men were missing.37
In early August 1917 the Turkish General Staff decided to withdraw the XV
Corps from Galicia and return it to Turkey where it was desperately needed for
operations against Allied offensives in Palestine and Mesopotamia. Units of the
Turkish corps began to be replaced in the line by German units on August 5. The
infantry divisions were brought back to staging areas which were behind the
lines and adjacent to rail terminals. While preparing for departure in these
staging areas, the Turkish commanders held ceremonies and parades and
awarded war medals to their soldiers.38 The artillery entrained for
Constantinople and Thrace on August 16. Shortly thereafter, on August 22 the
infantry regiments also departed the eastern front forever. By September 26,
1917, the final units of the XV Corps had all returned to Constantinople, but the
fighting divisions of the corps would not linger there for long.
In retrospect, it is apparent from the scale and continuous nature of the
Russian Army's attacks that the Russians intended to make a decisive
breakthrough in the Turkish Galician sector on at least five separate occasions-
and failed. Although it cannot be ignored that the Germans gave the Turks
considerable assistance, especially in the fall of 1916, it also cannot be ignored
that, under similar circumstances, the Austro-Hungarians frequently broke
completely before the Russian steamroller. That the Turks held their ground
speaks to the heroism and tenacity of the Mehmetgik when he was well led and
adequately supplied. In his memoirs, General Erich von Falkenhayn claims that
the Turks were an "uncommonly valuable asset to the Southern Army."39 The
overall losses sustained by the XV Corps are not available in contemporary
sources; however, they must have been considerable—perhaps as high as twenty-
five thousand men. It cannot be argued that these Turkish soldiers did not make
a valuable contribution to the ability of the Central Powers to hold the line in
Russia in 1916 and 1917. However, it must be borne in mind that this campaign
was essentially an economy of force mission, which allowed the Germans to
mass troops elsewhere for decisive operations. In the meantime, the Turks lost
Erzincan in the Caucasus, Kut and Baghdad in Mesopotamia, and Gaza in
Palestine. Certainly a case can be made, as Liman von Sanders thought, that
these troops could have been used with greater effect in other theaters, which
were more strategically significant to the Ottoman Empire.

ROMANIA

Romania entered the war on August 27, 1916. She had been alternately
courted by both the entente and by the Central Powers over a two-year period. In
finally choosing the entente, the Romanians expected to receive Transylvania,
the Banat, and the Dobruja as payment for their efforts. The Romanian Army
numbered about five hundred thousand men and was organized into ten regular
and thirteen reserve infantry divisions. Although it was poorly led and poorly
 High Tide 143

equipped, the entente, and the Russians especially, expected a substantial

contribution to the war effort from the Romanian Army. The Russians had
recommended to the Romanian General Staff that they stand fast in the easily
defensible Carpathian Mountains overlooking the Transylvanian plain and to
conduct instead a limited offensive aimed at seizing the Dobruja (the land
between the lower Danube River and the Black Sea).40 Unimpressed with the
condition of crumbling Austro-Hungarian Army, the ambitious Romanians
decided to initiate a large-scale offensive into Transylvania with the idea of
seizing that territory. They divided their army into four field armies, the three
best of which were oriented for an attack into Transylvania, there to link up with
the advancing Russians. The weak Romanian Third Army, consisting of six
divisions, was spread thinly along the southern frontier with Bulgaria.
The Romanians opened the war with a night attack on their neighbor, Austria-
Hungary. In several weeks time, they had advanced about fifty miles into
Transylvania. The Romanians followed up this success by developing logistical
lines into the forward areas and they anticipated renewing the offensive in mid-
September. In the meantime, the Central Powers had not been inactive. To the
contrary; not content to simply defend Austro-Hungarian territory, the German
high command saw an opportunity to destroy Romania and rapidly developed an
alliance plan to do so. The Germans planned a double envelopment, which
would crush the exposed Romanian armies in a battle of annihilation. The
Austro-Hungarian Fourth Army would fix the Romanians in the north, while the
German Ninth Army would attack south toward Bucharest. A newly formed
Danube Army, comprising Bulgarians, Germans, and Turks would drive
northward into the Dobruja and act as the anvil for the Ninth Army's hammer.
German infantry divisions were entrained through Hungary in early September
1916. As finally configured, General Erich von Falkenhayn commanded the
Ninth Army of three German and two Austrian divisions, and Field Marshal
August von Mackensen commanded the polyglot Danube Army comprising the
Third Bulgarian Army, the Turkish VI Corps, and a handful of small German
units. Perhaps unhappy with his secondary role and with the seemingly uneven
quality of his army, Mackensen's Danube Army attacked early on September 1.
Falkenhayn's Ninth Army would attack later in mid-September. Nevertheless,
this coordinated offensive was a remarkable logistical achievement for the
Central Powers.
Obviously, the decision to provide Turkish forces for a combined offensive
into Romania did not occur overnight, nor did the movement of Turkish forces
into Bulgaria happen quickly. As with the deployment of Turkish troops to
Galacia, Enver Pasa was determined that Turkey would be a full participant in
the Balkan war effort. The surplus of forces generated by the Gallipoli victory
provided him with the vehicle to accomplish this. During conversations with von
Falkenhayn in the early summer of 1916, the subject of Turkish troops on the
eastern front had come up and resulted in the deployment of the XV Corps to
Hungary. About the same time, the VI Corps was also alerted for service in the
Balkans. This corps was commanded by Brigadier General Hilmi. On July 20,
1916, the Fifth Army Commander was ordered to prepare the 15th Infantry
144 Ordered to Die

Division, commanded by Lieutenant Colonel Hamdi, and the 25l Infantry

Division, commanded by Colonel §ukrii Ali, for service in the Balkans. These
divisions came from the XVII and the XIV Corps, respectively. One of the
infantry regiments of the 25th Infantry Division was mainly composed of Arabs,
who did not speak Turkish very well; therefore the division commander
requested permission to trade this Arab regiment for a Turkish regiment. This
request was approved and upon deployment, the strength of the 25th Infantry
Division stood at 192 officers and 12,501 men.41 Several artillery units and
machinegun companies were added to each division. As the infantry divisions
and corps headquarters moved forward to the vicinity of Adrianople, the corps
and division commanders met for the first time on August 2, where the
commanders learned that they would move against Romania. The formations
continued to mass throughout August 1916. Meanwhile, the Turkish General
Staff sent a General Staff officer, Major Hiiseyin Husnii to Sofia to act as liaison
officer at Mackensen's headquarters.42 However, moving the 15th Infantry
Division from Manisa, near Symrna, was not an easy task. The 25th Infantry
Division was projected to be ready at Uzunkoprii on September 7, but the 15th
Infantry Division would not completely arrive until September 26. This did not
fit with Mackensen's aggressive timetable, which called for an offensive on
September 1. The chief of the Turkish General Staffs Railroad Directorate
worked tirelessly and coordinated with the Bulgarians to speed up deployment.
However, the deployment was seriously delayed and these forces missed the
opening attacks.
The combined railroad directorates programmed the 25th Infantry Division to
proceed to Pravade and the 15* Infantry Division to the port city of Varna. From
there, these two divisions would road march by foot to the VI Corps assembly
area at Dokuzagac. This area was in the center of the Dobruja front and was
about fifty kilometers north of the Romanian-Bulgarian frontier. Once there, the
Turkish infantry divisions would conduct a relief in place and take over the
sector held by the Bulgarian 6th Infantry Division.
By September 17 the 25th Infantry Division was concentrated in the corps
assembly area. Instead of simply taking over the Bulgarian lines, it vigorously
attacked the Romanians for several days, in an attempt to move the front
forward. These attacks failed, as did similar Bulgarian attacks on the flanks. By
the September 21 the 25th Infantry Division was solidly in the line. On its right
flank was the Bulgarian 1st Cavalry Division and on its left was the Bulgarian 6th
Infantry Division. Attacking through the day of September 24, the Turkish
division gained about six kilometers of ground. On October 1 and 2 the
Romanians conducted a major counteroffensive designed to envelop the Third
Bulgarian Army and the 25th Infantry Division came under heavy attack. These
Gallipoli veterans held their ground against repeated Romanian attacks.
Fortunately, the leading regiment of the 15th Infantry Division arrived on
October 2 and went immediately into action on the flanks of the Turkish sector.
The Romanian attacks continued for six days. Additional units of the 15th
Infantry Division arriving in sector provided a welcome reserve. During these
battles, the 25th Infantry Division fought with three regiments abreast (from left
 High Tide 145

to right: the 56th Infantry regiment, the 59th Infantry Regiment, and the 75th
Infantry Regiment) on a ten kilometer front. The divisional artillery was broken
into three groups so that each regiment had direct support artillery. The
intensity of the fighting was reflected in the casualties in the 25th Infantry
Division with 18 officers and 794 men killed, 39 officers and 2,854 men
wounded, and 8 officers and 944 men missing.43 This totaled 4,657 men out of a
beginning roll call of about twelve thousand men.
Over the next two weeks the remainder of the 15th Infantry Division arrived
and gradually assumed control of the left flank of the VI Corps sector, which
had extended to a width of ten kilometers. With the entire corps in position, it
was time to attack. At 6:30 A.M. on the morning of September 19 the Turkish
divisional and corps artillery began to register its fires (a practice the XV Corps
artillerymen learned from German artillery experts in which accurate firing data
is found by shooting at predesignated targets of known location) and at 8 A.M.
began its artillery preparation fires. Then, at 10:00, the artillery fires ceased and
the Turkish infantry went over the top. The initial objective was a hill mass
about eight kilometers beyond the frontlines. By 1916 standards, this constituted
a very deep objective for a corps in any nation's army. The fighting was hard
and lasted for three days. The Turks broke through and advanced over twenty
kilometers.
At 7 A.M. on the morning of September 24th, the Bulgarians telephoned the
VI Corps commander and revised the operations order. The Turkish VI Corps
was to turn on its axis and attack west towards Cernovoda on the Danube River.
This altered the VI Corps direction of advance 90 degrees from north to west!
With some difficulty the corps adjusted its orientation, and by nightfall both
infantry divisions were reoriented and advancing west. At 11 A.M. on
September 25 the Turkish 75th Infantry Regiment reached the Danube, thereby
cutting off several Romanian formations. The attack ended on the 27, with the
Turks deep inside Romanian territory and, with the Bulgarians, holding the
narrowest part of the Dobruja, between the Black Sea and the Danube River.
The total casualties for the VI Corps were heavy: 1,864 killed, 7,720 wounded,
and 2,020 missing.44 Proportionately, these were massive casualties for a corps
of less than thirty thousand men. Following the heavy losses earlier in the 25th
Infantry Division, casualties on this scale were devastating to combat
effectiveness.
The battered Romanians were in even worse shape, and Mackensen sensed
that it was time to push relentlessly forward. The VI Corps attacked again on
November 1, 1916, with assigned objectives that lay over twenty kilometers to
the north. The Turkish 15th Infantry Division met with immediate and
astounding success, literally breaking through the Romanian lines. In a single
day, the division swept almost to its assigned objectives. The 25th Infantry
Division was switched to follow in train and quickly came forward.
At this time, a dramatic development occurred; the Turks received reports that
Russian formations were entering Romania in strength to honor the political and
military agreements that had brought Romania into the war. The advance was
halted and the Turks and Bulgarians worked feverishly to prepare a defensive
146 Ordered to Die

position. Between November 9 and 15 a covering force of two Bulgarian

divisions was thrown sixteen kilometers out in front of the main line of defense
to slow the advancing Russian Army. Holding fine defensive positions on high
ground, the VI Corps dug in to await the Russians. They had not long to wait,
and on November 17 the Russians broke through the covering force and
assaulted the main defensive positions throughout the following week. These
attacks failed, as did the Russian follow-on attacks on December 1 through 3.
The rock-solid VI Corps held its ground.
Believing that the Russians had exhausted themselves, Mackensen decided to
resume the offensive and ordered the Third Army and the VI Corps to plan
attacks. On December 8, 1916, the Turks again pushed north, breaking through
the Russian lines. By December 15 their forward elements were eighteen
kilometers from their starting trenches. The attacks routed the Russians and the
Turks began a relentless pursuit of the demoralized and retreating enemy. In the
next five days, the hard-marching Turkish infantry divisions covered over fifty
kilometers, and on December 22 they reached the high ground overlooking the
Danube River delta. Within two days, the infantry division headquarters closed
to within eight kilometers of the river and the corps cavalry squadron seized the
town of Isaccea on the Danube itself. It was a magnificent achievement.
Mackensen was not yet finished with his Turks. Intending to complete the
gigantic encirclement of the Romanian forces, begun earlier, Mackensen ordered
the VI Corps to reverse itself and turn south. The entire corps reoriented and
began a rapid foot march toward the town of Harsova, fifty kilometers to the
southwest and rear of the corps, on the banks of the Danube River. Turning
over their hard-won positions on the lower Danube to the Bulgarians, the corps
began its march down a single road south. The leading 15th Infantry Division
and the VI Corps headquarters reached the river on December 30, and on
January 1, 1917, began crossing. The 25th Infantry Division arrived on January
11 and made the crossing a week later. In a fifteen-day period, in the winter, the
VI Corps had marched by foot over two hundred kilometers. Clearly Mackensen
was growing to appreciate the capabilities of the Turks.
In fact, Field Marshal Mackensen had earlier requested an additional Turkish
corps to help him finish off the Romanians. Eager to get into more Turkish
troops into a campaign that was promising to become a great victory, Enver Pasa
and the Turkish General Staff, decided to provide an additional infantry
division. Enver immediately alerted the 26th Infantry Division, then stationed in
the Gallipoli area, for service in the Balkans. Alerted on September 29, this
division reached the rail terminal at Uzunkoprii on November 19. The three
regiment 26th Infantry Division was commanded by Lieutenant Colonel Mahit
Fahri, who ordered his division to entrain for Bulgaria at once. Detraining and
subsequently crossing the Danube at Zistrovi, the 26th Infantry Division was in
contact with the Romanian Army on November 25. Turkey now had a total of
three divisions fighting against Romania. Mackensen pushed these Turks as hard
as he could and the division began a series of attacks toward the Romanian
capital of Bucharest. Attacking relentlessly, the 26th Infantry Division advanced
over one hundred kilometers by December 1. Counterattacked by the Romanian
 High Tide 147

9th Infantry Division, the 26th held its ground and on the following day, the
leading division of Falkenhayn's 9th Army made contact with the Turks. On
December 4 the combined armies of Falkenhayn and Mackensen began their
assault on the city of Bucharest, which fell four days later. Determined to drive
the Romanian Army physically out of its own country, Mackensen continued his
pursuit. Advancing an average of twenty-five kilometers a day, the 26th Infantry
Division marched north. One hundred fifty kilometers farther, on January 5,
1917, the 26th Infantry Division made contact with units of the Turkish VI
Corps, at last coming under the command that corps. At 1 A.M., the next day,
VI Corps Commander Mustafa Hilmi published his first operations order for his
new three-division corps. On January 7, 1917, the VI Corps deployed 26th
Infantry Division and the 15th Infantry Division to attack toward the banks of the
Sered River, north of the city of Ibrail. The attacks secured the high ground
overlooking the river and by early February, the corps deployed the 26th, the
15th, and the 25th Infantry Divisions, from left to right across a twenty-kilometer
corps front. The Romanian campaign had ended.
The VI Corps would remain along the Danube River until April 1918, when it
was withdrawn for deployment to the Caucasus. On May 13 of that year, the
corps headquarters deployed by ship from Costanza, bound for the newly
captured Black Sea port of Batum. The 15th Infantry Division accompanied it,
ending Turkish involvement on the Romanian front, both the 25th and the 26th
Infantry Division having departed previously in the fall of 1917 for other more
active theaters of war. Although the Romanian campaign was relatively brief,
for the Turks—only about five months of actual hard combat—it was very costly
and wore down three excellent infantry divisions. Perhaps as many as twenty
thousand Turkish soldiers became casualties in this campaign. In combat against
the Romanians and the Russians, the Turkish infantry divisions had proven
themselves to be reliable and courageous formations. Of particular value to Field
Marshal Mackensen was the remarkable ability of the Turkish soldiers to endure
hard foot marches under adverse weather conditions. In the latter stages of the
Romanian campaign, the daily marches by the VI Corps and the 26th Infantry
Division were truly remarkable. Overall, the Turks made a valuable contribution
to the conquest of Romania and added luster to their reputation as relentless
adversaries.

MACEDONIA

A combination of events served to bring the Turkish Army back to Salonika

in Macedonia, from which they had been driven in 1912. Although located in
neutral Greece, an Anglo-French Expeditionary Force had landed there on
October 3, 1915. This small force of two divisions was put ashore in the vain
hopes of aiding the Serbs, then engaged in the final and hopeless battle for the
defense of their country. The Allies hoped that the Serbian Army could, at least,
retreat to the safety of the Greek port city if forced out of their homeland.
Unfortunately, because of the intervention of the Bulgarians, the Serbs were
148 Ordered to Die

unable to do this, and were forced instead into the Albanian ports of Durazzo
and Valona. From there, they were evacuated and brought by sea to Salonika.
About 150,000 Serbian soldiers thus made their way to join the Allied force in
Greece. By the summer of 1916, this force grew to over a quarter of a million
men. Although this army had limited logistical support, and even more limited
political support (Greece was neutral), it represented a serious threat to the
Vardar Valley and to the newly established railway lines linking Germany and
Austria-Hungary with Bulgaria and Turkey. Therefore the Allied Salonika Army
acted as a kind of a magnet for substantial numbers of German and Bulgarian
forces. By the summer of 1916, the Allies had about 350,000 men in the
Salonika bridgehead and their commander, French General Sarrail, was anxious
to expand his perimeter.
On September 12, 1916, the German General Staff again asked Enver Pasa to
provide additional Turkish troops for the Balkan theater, this time to help
contain or reduce Salonika. In a typically flamboyant gesture Enver promised to
send troops that very day.45 Enver decided to send the 50th Infantry Division,
then resting near Izmit in Asia Minor, fifty kilometers east of Constantinople,
and alerted them for deployment at 3:00 P.M. that same day. It was a fast
reaction and the Germans must have been surprised. Enver planned to bring the
division to Scutari by train and then by boat across the Bosphorus to Bakirkoy
on the European side. The division began preparations for movement on the next
day.
The 50th Infantry Division was commanded by Staff Lieutenant Colonel
§ukrii Naili and had 11,979 men and 1241 animals assigned to the division. The
division had a total of 11,320 rifles, 12 machine guns, 16 cannons, and 190
wagons as its weaponry.46 At nearly full strength, the division entrained from
Bakirkoy for the Greek city of Drama and the Bulgarian Army's front at
Salonika. Arriving in early October 1916, the 50th Infantry Division was
assigned a sector at the mouth of the Struma River directly on the Aegean Sea.
With its left flank firmly against the sea, the division's right flank neighbor was
the Bulgarian 10th Infantry Division. The division deployed two regiments
forward and retained one in reserve. Because of the overwhelming British naval
presence in the Aegean, the division also had to deploy an entire infantry
battalion to guard its vulnerable coastal flank. It had not long to wait for action.
Probing attacks by British troops were turned back within the week, as was a
major attack on October 31. Stalemate then set in along the divisional sector.
Stretched thin for troops by the ongoing Romanian campaign, the Bulgarians
and Germans asked for further Turkish assistance at the beginning of November
1916. The Turkish General Staff responded positively to this request on
November 9, and ordered the headquarters of the new XX Corps and the 46th
Infantry Division to prepare for Balkan service. Brigadier General AbduTkerim,
the commander of the XX Corps reported to the Turkish General Staff for orders
and learned that his corps would join the Bulgarian Second Army in Greece. By
November 27, units of the corps were moving. Like the 50th Infantry Division,
the 46th Infantry Division was at full strength, with 12,609 men, 9,858 rifles, 12
heavy machine guns, 16 cannons, and 2,150 animals.47 A replacement regiment,
 High Tide 149

with which the corps could train incoming draftees, was also ordered to
accompany the force. The corps headquarters reached Drama on December 6
and made contact with the 50th Infantry Division, then already holding a portion
of the line. By mid-December, the corps was in the line defending a front of
about thirty kilometers, in the middle of which was a ten-kilometer long lake,
which effectively split the sector into two disconnected halves. There was much
snow that winter in the high mountains and service in Greece was arduous but
there was little combat action on the front. For the next three months, the XX
Corps enjoyed a period of relative quiet, although there were periods of
regimental level fighting. In the corps' last major engagement, the Turkish 177th
Infantry Regiment was involved in heavy fighting against the French during
March 1917.
Because of the low level of activity in Macedonia and because of pressing
operational requirements in other theaters, the Turkish General Staff decided to
withdraw the XX Corps in late March 1917. By April, the corps headquarters
and both infantry divisions were withdrawn from combat and were moving back
to Turkish Thrace. From there, the 46th Infantry Division would deploy to
Mesopotamia and the 50th Infantry Division would deploy to Palestine. The
Turks left a small detachment in Macedonia, comprising an infantry regiment,
which would remain there for almost another year. This ended the Turkish
contribution to containing the Salonika bridgehead and, unusually for such
endeavors, it cost them very little in human terms.

THE SIEGE OF KUT AL AMARA

January 1916 seemed to offer brighter prospects for the Turkish Army in
Mesopotamia than had hitherto been possible in that distant theater of war.
Nurettin had driven off the British at Ctesiphon and had encircled General
Townshend's 6th Infantry Division at Kut Al Amara. Some reinforcements had
arrived from the Third Army and within the Turkish Sixth Army the situation
seemed favorable. On the negative side of the balance sheet, however, the 38th
Infantry Division was disbanded in late December 1915 for want of
replacements and there was an Imperial relief force poised to relieve Kut.
Townshend appeared solidly entrenched and, oddly enough, there was both river
and telegraph traffic between the encircled Townshend and the relief force under
General Aylmer.
Nurettin had divided his army into two parts. The XVIII Corps, composed of
the 45th and 51st Infantry Division encircled Kut and the XIII Corps with the 35th
and 52nd Infantry Divisions, blocked the British relief force about thirty
kilometers downstream. On January 6 and 7 the British began to probe the
Turkish lines and began to extend their cavalry around both flanks of the
Turkish position.48 These probes were speedily repulsed. The British launched a
stronger attack on January 8, 1916, which also failed. Concerned about the
British cavalry presence on their right flank, a Turkish cavalry regiment was
brought forward. On January 12 Aylmer attempted to break through the lines of
150 Ordered to Die

the Turkish 52nd Infantry Division in a night attack. His leading brigade was
discovered by the alert Turks and was badly handled before abandoning the
attack. Strong British attacks continued to hammer the 52nd Infantry Division
from January 16 through 21. The Turkish line was buttressed on the right by the
river and on the left by a salt marsh prohibiting movement. It was an
unassailable position against which the British repeatedly conducted frontal
assaults. The XVIII Corps was strongly dug in along the Wadi-Nakhailat and the
relief force was discouraged from further attacks. This news was relayed to an
astonished Townshend in Kut.
Despite his victories and despite the current favorable tactical situation, Enver
Pasa decided to replace Nurettin with Colonel Halil Bey. Technically, German
Field Marshal von der Goltz was in command of this army and the entire
Mesopotamian and Persian Theater as well, but he left the daily conduct of
tactical operations to the Turkish commanders. The change of command
occurred on January 20, but Halil Bey did not change the basic tactical
dispositions already made by Nurettin. By late January Townshend began to
consider the option of surrendering his force. Seeing the deteriorating condition
of the beleaguered British and Indian troops in Kut, Halil Bey determined to
starve them out. Additionally, the Turks continuously lobbed shells into the
town, which served to keep everyone inside the British lines on edge. In the
meantime, the Turks repeatedly conducted feint attacks, which further exhausted
the British, who were forced to respond as if these were real attacks. In
February, as the encircled force at Kut went on half rations, the Turks received
the 2nd Infantry Division as a reinforcement. In March the Turks intensified their
artillery barrage and kept aircraft over the town on a more or less continuous
basis.49 Conditions within Kut worsened by the day.
Aylmer made several subsequent relief attempts, the first on March 8 which
failed. This attack occurred on the south bank of the Tigris River. The newly
arrived 2nd Infantry Division was assigned to the XIII Corps and with the 35th
Infantry Division had established a very strong defensive line about ten
kilometers east of Kut. This line was well backed by artillery and there were
several infantry battalions in reserve in each Turkish infantry division sector. By
this time, the Kut garrison was so weak that the 51st Infantry Division was
brought forward to reinforce the 2nd and the 35th. As the British attacks failed,
the Turks vigorously pushed forward.
April 6 brought renewed British attacks on the 51st Infantry Division which
had constructed a solid defensive line including minefields.50 Although the
division repelled these attacks it withdrew to a fallback position three kilometers
to the rear. Repeating an assault in a right-left sequence, the British launched a
large three-division offensive on the XVIII Corps holding the south bank on the
Tigris position on 17-18 April 1916. These attacks gained no ground and the
Turkish counterattacks punished the British severely. Turkish casualties during
the period 17-19 April included 619 killed, 1,585 wounded, and 1,337 captured
or missing. Since these southern attacks occurred within ten to fifteen kilometers
of the center of the town of Kut the noise, smoke, and explosions must have
been heard or seen by the beleaguered British.
 High Tide 151

The British relief force continued to probe the Turkish defenses throughout
the following week with no success. Thus, the Turkish Sixth Army weathered
many serious attempts to relieve Kut during the first four months of 1916. All
were beaten back. By April 22 it was apparent to Townshend that further
resistance was useless and that he must surrender. On April 27 Townshend
asked for terms of surrender, hoping for generous conditions from Halil Bey. In
particular, Townshend was completely out of food and both his troops and the
local population were on the verge of starving. Townshend asked therefore,
above all, for immediate assistance in rationing his force. There was much
confusion as blindfolded staff officers were passed between the two armies and
further confusion concerning the exact terms of surrender. Finally, Townshend
himself met with Halil Bey, von der Goltz having died of cholera on April 19.
Townshend attempted to buy his army out of captivity with a promise of a one-
million-pound payment.51 He also attempted to secure some sort of a parole.
However, in the end, Halil Bey demanded an unconditional surrender, which
Townshend was forced to accept. Over the next two days, the British and
Indians destroyed their howitzers, ammunition stocks, and other military
equipment. At 1:00 P.M., on April 29, 1916, a Turkish infantry regiment
marched into Kut to receive the surrender.
The surrender of Townshend's 6th "Poona" Division was the largest mass
surrender of Imperial troops between Yorktown in 1783 and Singapore in 1942.
It was a horrible embarrassment for British arms, although the total number of
soldiers lost was hardly a day's worth of cannon fodder in the big battles raging
in Flanders. Overall, Townshend surrendered 13,309 men, including 272 British
and 204 Indian officers, 2,592 British and 6,988 Indian soldiers, and 3,248
noncombatant troops.52 Over four thousand of these men subsequently died in
Turkish captivity. Seventy percent of the British men taken prisoner died. Halil
Bey exchanged 1,136 sick and wounded British and Indian soldiers for an
approximately equal number of unfit Turks (10 officers and 1,085 enlisted men).
The Turks also recorded capturing forty artillery pieces, three aircraft, two river
steamers, and forty automobiles.53 The first Turkish food supplies arrived by
relief boat on May 1, 1916. Townshend and his aides were sent to Baghdad on
May 3, and the Turks began to evacuate their prisoners the following day. The
first British out of Kut after Townshend were 4 generals, 160 officers, and 180
of their helpers54 (or "batmen" as they were called in the British Army). To date,
the British had lost forty thousand men in the Mesopotamian campaign. Colonel
Halil Bey became an overnight hero and received the honorific "Pasa." It was a
magnificent achievement for Turkish arms.
With the surrender of the Imperial forces at Kut Al Amara, the campaign in
Mesopotamia stalemated. The fighting had exhausted both sides and without
Townshend to rescue, there seemed no be good reason for the British to hurry up
river. Halil Bey began to redeploy slowly his forces downstream, carefully
fortifying both banks of the Tigris and finally finding enough surplus forces to
fortify the Euphrates as well. There was little activity in Mesopotamia for the
remainder of 1916 until December, when a renewed and greatly reinforced
Imperial force under General Maude again began the slow march up river.
152 Ordered to Die

SECOND INVASION OF PERSIA

In early May 1916 Enver Pasa journeyed to Baghdad to confer with Halil
Pasa and Colonel von Lossow about the possibilities of a renewed offensive
against Persia. Enver already had troops in motion coming to Mesopotamia;
however, the surrender of Kut in April made their use in the Tigris-Euphrates
valley redundant. Enver was eager to use them in an offensive capacity and had
hatched a plan to invade Persia. The 2nd Infantry Division, from the II Corps had
already reached Mosul and its sister divisions, the 4th and the 6th Infantry
Divisions, were due in theater by the end of May.55
Enver's plan was ambitious. The XIII Corps would detach the 35th and the
nd
52 Infantry Divisions to its Sixth Army sister, the XVIII Corps. In place of
these tired and understrength formations, the XIII Corps would assume
command of the fresh and rested 2nd, 4th, and 6th Infantry Divisions.
Additionally, an independent cavalry brigade, some irregular units, and Persian
nationalist volunteers would swell the ranks of the XIII Corps. The Germans
promised artillery (which never came). Altogether, the force would total
approximately twenty-five thousand men. Opposing them in Persia was a mixed
Russian force equivalent to several Russian divisions, but this force was not
concentrated.
The commander of the XIII Corps, Ali Insan Pasa, began his advance in late
May after concentrating his corps near the frontier. The aggressive Russians
soon attacked the 6th Infantry Division and attempted to encircle both the
division and the headquarters of the XIII Corps at the border town of Hankin on
June 3, 1916. The Russians came close to succeeding, but their thinly spread
infantry battalions were held in check while the centrally positioned Turks
crushed the encircling Russian cavalry. Threatened with defeat in detail, the
Russians withdrew. Turkish loses were light, 85 killed, 276 wounded, and 68
missing.56 After the ill-advised Russian preemptive attack on the Turkish 6th
Infantry Division, Ali Insan Pasa crossed the Persian frontier on June 8. The
terrain in this area consisted of fairly rugged mountains with narrow valleys
which made the defense easier. The Russians, under Baratov, skillfully
conducted a fighting retreat. The main Turkish force comprised the 2nd and the
6th Infantry Divisions, which advanced through the mountains along the main
road to Kermansah. On the Turkish left (northern) flank, the 4th Infantry
Division crossed the frontier from Suleymaniye and pushed east toward Sine
and Kurve. This division was reinforced with some Persian volunteer battalions
and was now styled the Mosul Group.57 The main force found a strong Russian
defensive position near Karind and halted to prepare an attack.
The Turks attacked on June 28 and carried Karind two days later. By now Ali
Insan Pa§a was over one hundred fifty kilometers beyond the frontier and he
proceeded slowly eastward. The Russians continued to retreat and concentrated
for a stand at Hamadan. The XIII Corps closed on Hamadan on August 1 and
after a brief reorganization fought a six-day battle, taking the town on August 9,
1916. Baratov pulled back some one hundred kilometers and sat in blocking
positions at key mountain passes to await reinforcements. The Turkish campaign
 High Tide 153

came to a stuttering halt. The actual combat casualties of the XIII Corps had
been very light, but disease had ravaged the force. Perhaps as many as several
thousand Turks died of diseases such as cholera and typhus on the march to
Hamadan. The XIII Corps was now split into two distinct elements; the main
body of the corps at Hamadan (2nd and 6th Infantry Divisions) and the Mosul
Group (4th Infantry Division), which was screening well forward of the frontier
in front of Suleymaniye. This meant that the three infantry divisions of the corps
were not mutually supporting each other because of the distances between the
formations. Additionally, the large numbers of Persian volunteers predicted to
join the Turks had not materialized. For these reasons, the ever cautious Ali
Insan Pasa decided that his force was insufficient to continue the conquest of
Persia. The Turkish Second Invasion of Persia now firmly stalled, and the XIII
Corps settled in to await developments and limited its activities to a series of
patrols to the north and east of Hamadan.58 Table 5.5 shows the disposition of
Turkish forces in December 1916.

SINAI/SECOND SUEZ CANAL INVASION

In Syria, Palestine, and in the Sinai, after the failed expedition against the
Suez Canal, the remainder of 1915 proved to be a very uneventful year. Cemal
Pasa's Fourth Army continued to command both the VIII and the XII Corps, but
his army was continually stripped of experienced units and personnel.
Fortunately, the British were quiet throughout this time and contented
themselves with running rail lines and logistical lines out into the Sinai to
facilitate future operations. In the absence of fighting, Cemal contented himself
with organizational matters concerning his army.59
Cemal decided to create the "Desert Force Headquarters," which would
command and control the forces in the Sinai. This headquarters was located at
Beersheba and Cemal placed German Colonel Von Kress in command. The
headquarters was organized into two components; the GHQ Desert Force, which
was charged with operational and tactical matters, and the Desert Lines of
Communications Inspectorate, which was charged with logistics and
communications. Slowly, over 1915, most of Cemal's experienced divisions
were ordered north for the meatgrinder at Gallipoli: he lost the 8th, 10th, and 25th
Infantry Divisions. He also lost machine guns and field howitzers. Many of his
remaining battalions were composed of Arab conscripts who spoke no Turkish.
Additionally, in 1915 Cemal faced Armenian insurrections in Urfa and Leitun.
The year 1916 began uneventfully for Cemal and the Fourth Army. Enver
Pasa came for a visit in February 1916 and made an extended tour of the army
area. Enver and Cemal met with Sherif Faisal, who was then on friendly terms
with the Turks. However, Sherif Hussein was then in the early stages of raising
his rebellion against the Turkish yoke. This worried both Enver and Cemal. In
April, German and Austro-Hungarian help began to arrive in the form of
German aircraft and Austro-Hungarian howitzer batteries. The aircraft were put
to immediate work scouting the British positions along the canal.
 Table 5.5
Disposition of Turkish Forces, December 1916
CAUCASIA
GALICIA
THRACE Third Army
XV Corps: 19, 20 Inf. Div.
First Army 1st Cauc. Corps: 9,10, 36 Cauc. Inf. Div.
I Corps: 14, 16 Inf. Div. 2nd Cauc. Corps: 5,11,37 Cauc. Inf. Div.
ROMANIA 1 Cav. Bde. V Corps: Coastal Detachments
VI Corps: 15, 25, 26 Inf. Div. 49 Inf. Div.
GALLIPOLI 2 Regular Cav. Div.
Fifth Army Van Cav. Bde.
MACEDONIA XIV Corps: 57, 59 Inf. Div. Van Jandarma (Inf) Div.
XX Corps: 49, 50 Inf. Div. Second Army
SYRIA-PALESTINE II Corps: 1,47 Inf. Div.
Fourth Army IV Corps: 11, 12 Inf. Div.
VIII Corps: 3, 23, 24, 27 Inf. Div. XVI Corps: 5, 8 Inf. Div.
XII Corps: 41, 42, 43, 46 Inf. Div. 3 Reserve Cav. Div.

MESOPOTAMIA
Note: Units in boldface type indicate new formations; units Sixth Army
underlined indicate units redeployed since August 1916; XIII Corps: 2, 4, 6 Inf. Div.
units in bold italic type indicate seriously understrength units. XVIII Corps: 45, 51, 52 Inf. Div.
Units inactivated: 9, 10, 17, 18, 29, 31, 32, 34, 35, 38 Inf. Div.; ARABIA-YEMEN
units redesignated: 13, 28, 30, 33 Inf. Div. VII Corps: 21, 22, 39, 40 Inf. Div.
 High Tide 155

All was not totally quiet. When Sherif Hussein's revolt broke out that spring,
Cemal appointed Fahri Pa§a to command at Medina and to maintain control of
the Hedjaz railway. With a handful of Turkish battalions, this officer performed
outstanding service in keeping lines of communications open. For the remainder
of 1916, the Turks managed to keep the railway open on a more or less regular
basis.
Conventional combat action renewed itself in this theater when the Turks
pushed forward towards the British outpost at Katia. On April 23, 1916, von
Kress sent his cavalry forward to pin the British reserves near Kantara.
Meanwhile, a small infantry force of two battalions supported by a four gun
artillery battery successfully encircled a British cavalry unit at Katia.60 In this
action von Kress and his Ottoman soldiers captured the better part of a British
cavalry regiment and its commander.
In late April, the first reinforcement from the victorious Gallipoli Army
arrived in Palestine. This was the experienced 3 rd Infantry Division, full of
hardened and disciplined combat veterans. Concerned about elaborate British
offensive preparations along the canal, Cemal and von Kress decided to launch a
second expedition against the British defenses. This limited attack was intended
to keep the British off balance and to spoil their plans. The attack force was built
around the 3 rd Infantry Division and additionally contained four batteries of
German and Austrian artillery, a machine gun battalion, and two antiaircraft gun
sections. It totaled 11,873 men armed with 3,293 rifles, 56 machine guns, and 30
artillery pieces.61 At the beginning of July 1916 this force closed with the British
at Katia and Bir Romani. On the evening of July 16, 1916, the Turks pressed
forward with a force of about an infantry regiment and began to prepare their
attack. Von Kress planned to pin the British 52nd Infantry Division in its
defenses forward of Bir Romani and then to swing a left hook around it in hopes
of cutting it off. The British were spread out along their newly built railroad and
were deployed in vulnerable divisional clusters stretching back into Egypt. He
began his attack at 5:15 A.M. on the morning of August 4, 1916. As the 31 st
Infantry Regiment went forward to pin the British, von Kress swung the 32nd
and the 39th Infantry Regiments around the left and into the British rear.62 At 2
P.M., the British counterattacked halting the Turkish attacks. The Turkish
attacks stalled later that day and on the following day British reserves hammered
the Turkish to a halt. Von Kress realized that his attack had failed and on August
7 began to pull back his forces. The Turkish losses were again light; about a
thousand were killed or wounded. Thereafter the Sinai front lapsed into a period
of stasis and inaction.

NOTES

1. W. E. D. Allen and Paul Muratoff, Caucasian Battlefields, A History of the Wars on

the Turco-Caucasian Border 1828-1921 (Cambridge: Cambridge University Press,
1952), 331.
156 Ordered to Die

2. Turkish General Staff, Birinci Diinya Harbinde Kajkas Cephesi 3 ncii Ordu
Harekati. Cilt II. (Ankara: GK Basimevi, 1986), 4.
3. Allen and Muratoff, Caucasian Battlefields, 342.
4. Turkish General Staff, 3 ncu Ord Harekati, 51.
5. Allen and Muratoff, Caucasian Battlefields, 342.
6. Ibid., 351.
7. Turkish General Staff, 3 ncii Ordu Harekati, 54.
8. Ibid, 79.
9. Ibid, 90. The Turks estimated Russian infantry strength at 110,000 to their own
38,000.
10. Allen and Muratoff, Caucasian Battlefields, 361.
11. Ibid, 363.
12. Turkish General Staff, 3 ncii Ordu Harekati, 120.
13. Ibid, 136. Enver's message equated the veteran Gallipoli divisions to laundry
starch in shirt collars.
14. Ibid, 148.
15. Allen and Muratoff, Caucasian Battlefields, 399.
16. General Fahri Belen, Birinci Cihan Harbinde Turk Harbi 1916 Yili Hareketleri
(Ankara: Basimevi, 1965), chart after page 74.
17. Allen and Muratoff, Caucasian Battlefields, 411.
18. Turkish General Staff, 3 ncii Ordu Harekati, 380.
19. Ibid, 437.
20. Turkish General Staff, 3ncii Ordu Harekati, 404.
21. Allen and Muratoff, Caucasian Battlefields, 437.
22. Belen, 1916 Yili Hareketleri, Kurulus (Chart): 5.
23. Holger W. Herwig, The First World War Germany and Austria-Hungary 1914-
1918 (London: Arnold, 1997), 208-210.
24. General Erich von Falkenhayn, General Headquarters, 1914-1916, and Its Critical
Decisions (London: Hutchinson, n.d.), 273.
25. Otto Liman von Sanders, Five Years in Turkey (London: Bailliere, Tindall & Cox,
1928), 120-125.
26. Von Falkenhayn, General Headquarters, 259.
27. Turkish General Staff, Birinci Diinya Harbinde Tiirk Harbi Avrupa Cepheleri
(ozet) (Ankara: Genelkurmay Basim Evi, 1996), 14.
28. Liman von Sanders, Five Years in Turkey, 121.
29. Turkish General Staff, Avrupa Cepheleri, 63. Replacements received in September
would be as young as fourteen to fifteen years old, and as old as fifty to sixty years old.
Most of these men were completely untrained, and 20 percent were unable to speak
Turkish.
30. Ibid, 61.
31. Ibid, Kroki (Map) 4.
32. Ibid, 32-36.
33. Ibid, Kroki (Map) 8.
34. Ibid, 64.
35. Ibid, 63. On December 12, 1916, the corps received 2,685 trained soldiers as
combat replacements and 6,700 untrained soldiers for the regimental depots.
36. Turkish General Staff, Avrupa Cepheleri, 64-68.
37. Ibid, 64.
38. Ibid, 59-60.
39. Von Falkenhayn, General Headquarters, 273.
 High Tide 157

40. Cyril Falls, The Great War (G. P. Putnam's: New York, 1959).
41. Turkish General Staff, Avrupa Cepheleri, 91.
42. Ibid, 92.
43. Ibid, 130.
44. Ibid, 151.
45. Ibid, 219.
46. Ibid, 220.
47. Ibid, 229-230.
48. Turkish General Staff, Birinci Diinya Harbinde Turk Harbi Illncu Cilt Irak-Iran
Cephesi, 1914-1918, Inci Kisim (Ankara: GK Basimevi, 1979), Kroki (Map) 47.
49. Ronald Millar, Death of an Army: The Siege of Kut, 1915-1916 (Boston: Houghton
Mifflin, 1970), 194.
50. Turkish General Staff, Irak-Iran Cephesi, 761.
51. Millar, Death of an Army, 256.
52. Turkish General Staff, Irak-Iran Cephesi, 780.
53. Millar, Death of an Army, 284.
54. Turkish General Staff, Irak-Iran Cephesi, 781.
55. It was the movement of these formations to Mesopotamia, which delayed the
movement of the Second Army to Diyarbakir.
56. Belen, 1916 Yili Hareketleri, 176-177.
57. Ibid, Kurulus (Chart) 15.
58. Ibid, 194-195.
59. Cemal Pasa, Memories of a Turkish Statesman, 1913-1919 ( London: Hutchinson,
n.d.), 164.
60. Belen, 1916 Yili Hareketleri, 208.
61. Ibid, 211.
62. Ibid, 214.
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 6
Strategic Pause, January-December 1917

1917

The year 1917 was characterized by few pitched battles and proved to be a year
of respite for the Turks. It was a year of strategic pause in which the Turks
gained time and strategic breathing space at minimal cost. After two brutal years
of combat, this respite was badly needed but it allowed Enver, once again, to
dream grand dreams. The strategic situation facing Turkey in early 1917 was
both promising and worrisome at the same time. Turkish divisions were
returning home from successful campaigns in the Balkans and in Hungary, the
situation in the Caucasus appeared to have stabilized, Turkish soldiers
threatened Persia, and increased German and Austrian assistance was finally
making itself felt. It appeared possible, yet again, to seize the initiative. Set
against this positive backdrop was a rapidly eroding balance of forces in
Mesopotamia and in Palestine. The fundamental military question for Enver
Pa§a and for the Turkish General Staff was where and how to establish strategic
priorities. The options were fairly simple; defensively reinforce Palestine,
Mesopotamia, or the Caucasus or take the offensive with the last strategic
reserve that Turkey would accumulate in the war. Turkish and German military
opinion on this subject was not unified, which added to Enver's dilemma. The
final solution was almost a compromise of these options. First, a newly formed
army group was to be employed in Palestine, sent there to render a knock-out
blow to the British and send them reeling back to the Suez Canal. Enver called
this force the Yildirim or Thunderbolt Army Group.1 Then, the Yildirim force
would be sent to retake Baghdad, Mesopotamia, and Persia. Although there was
a certain amount of strategic beauty in this concept, it hinged upon nonexistent
interior lines of communications.
Optimistically, this was exactly what Enver and von Falkenhayn intended to
do and they set the wheels in motion to accomplish these ends. However, the
160 Ordered to Die

chronic shortfalls in strategic transportation once again crippled their plans. The
Yildirim Army Group arrived in Palestine too late to conduct offensive
operations but just in the nick of time to prevent a major disaster. Once there,
the Yildirim Army Group was irrevocably committed to the defense of
Palestine. Indeed, the timely arrival of the Yildirim infantry and cavalry
divisions provided just enough reserve forces to provide the thinnest of margins
necessary for a competent defense. Without these troops, it is doubtful that
Cemal Pasa's Fourth Army, alone, could have held back the British. Thus, as in
the 1914 deployment of forces to Thrace and the subsequent Gallipoli campaign,
the deployment of the Yildirim Army Group to Palestine had an unintended and
fortunate consequence in the Turk's favor.
The Allies were again relearning the bitter lesson of Gallipoli that it took
superior forces and material to turn the Turks out of their trenches. They were
also relearning the tactical equation that to do so would cost many lives. It is not
at all surprising, given the political repercussions arising in Great Britain with
large casualty lists in 1917, that both Maude's and Allenby's offensives ground
to a halt after only three months of combat operations.
Overall, the Turks fought well in 1917. The Turks attempted once again to
take the initiative with the Yildirim Army. In concept, this army was extremely
powerful and Enver had, at last, apparently understood the principle of mass and
concentration at a decisive point. However, once again the means were
insufficient to accomplish the ends and the operations planned for the Yildirim
Army were overcome by rapidly changing events. In Mesopotamia and in
Palestine, the Turks were greatly outnumbered, outgunned, and overmatched in
resources. Yet they managed to fight successful delaying retreats, losing the
politically important cities of Baghdad and Jerusalem, but maintaining their
armies in the field. Although there were no great victories, as there had been in
1916, there were no catastrophic defeats either. In other countries, such as
France and Russia, the field armies were beginning to show signs of war
weariness, internal rot and mutiny, and strategic stagnation. The Turks, on the
other hand, proved as aggressive and as confident as ever. Despite huge losses,
Enver Pasa and the Turkish General Staff maintained a dedication to the
offensive that was remarkable at that late stage of the war.

THE CAUCASIAN FRONT

The Turkish General Staffs official history of the Third Army in the First
World War composes a total of 1,660 pages of narrative text. One of the most
striking features of this massive two-volume set is the total number of pages that
cover the entire year of 1917—only twenty, or less than 1.5 percent of the total
text.2 Commandant Larcher spends proportionately even less on the subject—two
pages out of 582 pages of narrative text.3 Allen and Muratoff devote about the
same emphasis to the year 1917, and attribute it to the weaknesses of both the
Turkish and the Russian Armies in the Caucasian theater.4
 Strategic Pause 161

The winter of 1916-1917 in the Caucasus was especially severe and this
brought combat operations to a halt. The spring thaw brought no change to this
situation. This de facto cosponsored lull in this hitherto active theater amounted
to an armistice of a sort and allowed both sides to focus their attentions in other
regions. During 1917 the Turkish Second and Third Armies enjoyed a much-
needed respite from over two years of continuous and brutal combat. On the
other side of the trenches, beginning in the summer of 1917, the Russian Army
began the slow process of disintegration. The Russians began thinning the lines
and conducting local withdrawals, evacuating Mus in May. Fortunately for the
Russians, the Turks were in no position to take advantage of their rapidly
deteriorating combat capability. The year 1917 ended, in the Caucasus, with no
major battles and without any great changes in the front lines themselves.

FIRST AND SECOND GAZA

The British Imperial force in Egypt grew substantially in 1916, first by the
return of the defeated Gallipoli divisions and later as territorial and cavalry
formations were deployed to the area. In the late fall of 1916, this force began to
push its railheads rapidly farther east toward El Arish. This forced the Turks to
abandon El Arish on December 16, 1916, and retire to the Hans Yonus-El Hafir
line on the old frontier.5 However, after conferring with Enver Pa§a and von
Kress, Cemal Pa§a decided to retire even farther and to establish a defensive line
between Gaza and Beersheba.6 Beginning the withdrawal in February, the
Turkish Fourth Army was in position in its new defensive line by mid-March
1917. Cemal Pasa had received additional reinforcements that spring also: the
3 rd Cavalry Division (from the Caucasus region) and the 16th Infantry Division
(from Thrace). Guarding both politically sensitive Jerusalem and the long
coastline, Cemal had a further three infantry divisions. Altogether, along the
thirty-kilometer-long Gaza-Beersheba line, the Fourth Army had about eighteen
thousand effectives. The general military situation of the late spring 1917 is
shown in Map 6.1.
The British attacked on the morning of March 26, 1917, by hitting Gaza with
infantry and by sending their cavalry on a short flanking movement designed to
envelop the town. They nearly succeeded. By the end of the day, Gaza was
almost completely encircled. However, the well dug-in Turks held in the face of
repeated British assaults, and refused to retreat. The Fourth Army launched
counterattacks with the 3 rd and the 16th Infantry Divisions. The 3 rd Cavalry
Division arrived also and was ordered to Beersheba. The next day, the British
began to retire. It was a very close call for the Turks and victory was achieved,
once again, by a steadfast defense and by furious counterattacks. According to
Cemal, the Turks lost less than 300 men killed, 750 wounded and 600 missing.
The British lost about four thousand. Having won the day, von Kress wanted to
launch a counteroffensive, but Cemal decided against such action.
The Turkish victory at the First Battle of Gaza, as the March 26 battle came to
be called, was locally decisive in this particular theater. The battle represented
Map 6.1
General Military Situation, 1917

Source: General Fahri Belen, Birinci Cihan Harbinde Turk Harbi 1917 Yili Hareketleri
Incu Cilt (Ankara: GK Basimevi, 1985), Kroki (Map) 18.
 Strategic Pause 163

the best chance that the British had to break the Turkish line without committing
major forces to the region. The Gaza-Beersheba line was the finest natural
defense line between the frontier and Jerusalem. The city of Gaza rested on the
Mediterranean Sea and Beersheba sat at the foot of the rugged Judean Hills. The
line itself was similar in importance and geography to the El Alamein line in the
Second World War. In the First Battle of Gaza, three full strength British
infantry divisions and two full strength Imperial cavalry divisions were stopped
cold by three understrength Turkish infantry divisions. It was a magnificent
achievement for the Turks and bought them enough time to reinforce the Fourth
Army. The British would eventually commit seven infantry divisions and four
cavalry divisions to Palestine.
The Second Battle of Gaza began on April 17, 1917, and lasted three days. In
the intervening twenty-fours days, Cemal Pasa had brought forward the 53rd
Infantry Division.7 This division was sadly understrength but contributed about
two thousand rifles to the defense. The British had also, in the meantime,
brought up an additional infantry division and additional mounted formations.
The British even deployed a few tanks and gas shells8 here in the desert for the
first time in history and brought additional artillery forward as well. The scales
of combat potential still remained tipped in the British favor; however, the Turks
had not sat idle and had increased the width and the depth of their lines. This
time, supported by naval gunfire, the British launched frontal attacks directly
into the Turkish front near Gaza. Two days later, after sustaining about sixty-
five hundred casualties, the British called off the attack. Turkish casualties were
heavier in this battle—about two thousand men altogether9—but the Turks still
held Gaza. The British generals were relieved of command. Cemal recounted
that the British left three of their eight tanks within the Turkish trench lines.
April ended with the Turkish lines intact and with an increased sense of
optimism in the Fourth Army.
In May 1917 the Fourth Army was organized into five army corps, two of
which garrisoned the Gaza-Beersheba line. The overall personnel and material
situation in the Fourth Army was as follows: 174,908 men, 36,225 animals,
5,351 camels, 145,840 rifles, 187 machine guns, and 282 artillery pieces.10 Of
course, substantial portions of this strength were scattered along the coast and
garrisoned Arabia. Facing the British on the Gaza line were the XXII Corps,
comprising the 3 rd , 7th, and 53rd Infantry Divisions, and the XX Corps,
containing the 16th and 54th Infantry Divisions. Also facing the British and under
army-level control were the 3 rd Cavalry Division and the 178th Infantry
Regiment. With these troops, the Turks continued to improve their defensive
lines. By July, the Fourth Army had grown to 151,742 rifles, 354 machine guns,
and 330 artillery pieces (its highest recorded strength). However, the defensive
lines had also been extended, now almost encircling the oasis town of
Beersheba, and stretching continuously for almost fifty kilometers. Although the
opposing Imperial force was greatly increasing its strength as well, the Turks
were optimistic (Enver, in particular).11
164 Ordered to Die

There was one important addition to the Imperial force, which must be
mentioned as significant, and that was the assignment of General Edmund
Allenby as the new British commander in June 1917. Allenby would prove to be
as relentless and as tenacious as the American General U. S. Grant, once he
began his attacks later that year. Allenby would spend the summer of 1917
preparing his great offensive aimed at breaking the Gaza-Beersheba line.

SECOND KUT AND BAGHDAD

After a dismal showing in the first half of 1916, the British made several
important changes in their army in Mesopotamia. The first change was to send
the aggressive General Sir Stanley Maude to assume theater command. The
second change in the Imperial force in the Tigris and Euphrates valleys was
greatly to increase its strength, by sending two additional infantry divisions to
reinforce Maude. During the summer and fall of 1916, Maude began to make
serious preparations to advance up river and break the Turkish hold on the
gateway to Baghdad. Maude now had a huge force available at his command,
with a total of five infantry divisions, well supported by cavalry, artillery, and
aircraft. Additionally, he built up a large and capable riverine fleet of fighting
steamers and supply vessels. Maude had a fighting strength of 166,000 men, of
whom 107,000 were men of the Indian Army.12 In spite of this huge number of
men and equipment, Maude was determined not to advance until he was ready.
Because of pressing strategic commitments elsewhere and because of
problems with rail communications, the Turkish General Staff did not augment
the Turkish Sixth Army's strength in the final nine months of 1916.
Additionally, Halil Pasa received very few replacements to fill his ever depleting
ranks. Slow attrition from disease, from desertion, and from occasional British
activity, continually wore away at his army. Thus, whereas General Maude's
army was growing exponentially, Halil's was steadily growing weaker. In the
fall of 1916, the Sixth Army was still organized into two corps, the XVIII Corps
of the 46th and 51st Infantry Divisions, and the XIII Corps of the 35th and 52nd
Infantry Divisions. Additionally, the XIII Corps maintained a separate infantry
brigade. In the summer of 1916, the shattered 38th Infantry Division was
inactivated and its soldiers reassigned to one of the Sixth Army's remaining four
infantry divisions.
The operational and tactical situation facing the Sixth Army was dismal.
Unfortunately, it was compounded by the geography of the Tigris and Euphrates
River system. There were two avenues of approach into Mesopotamia available
to General Maude. The primary route was along the Tigris River, along which
lay Kut Al Amara, Baghdad, and Mosul. The second route was along the
Euphrates River, via the ruins of Babylon, to a point about thirty kilometers west
of Baghdad. Unfortunately for Halil, by the summer of 1916, the British
remained in possession of forward positions located at approximately the widest
distance between the two rivers. This meant that Halil had to hold two different
defensive positions separated by almost one hundred kilometers of desert. This
 Strategic Pause 165

invited defeat in detail, since Maude could choose his point of attack and mass
greatly superior forces there. Consequently, the strategic posture and operational
situation facing the Sixth Army appeared hopeless to all but the most optimistic
Turk.
In December 1916, Maude began his long awaited drive up river. The Turks
were anxious to identify which river approach the British would take as their
primary axis of advance. Maude chose the Tigris and advanced with a full-
strength corps on either side of the river. Rains slowed his advance, but by
February 17, 1917, Maude had advanced to Sannaiyat, about twenty kilometers
downstream from Kut. The plodding progress of the British made it possible for
Halil Pasa to shift some of his meager forces to reinforce the XVIII Corps,
which guarded the Tigris approach. Thus, by mid-February 1917, the XVIII
Corps, commanded by Colonel Kazim Bey, contained the 45th, 51 st , and 52nd
Infantry Divisions. Kazim Bey also commanded the River Group, which
contained four infantry regiments, a cavalry regiment, an artillery regiment, and
supporting services. This made the River Group literally a divisional equivalent
in combat power. As a percentage of available strength, Halil was able to mass
over 75 percent of his small army to oppose the British.
Colonel Kazim Bey deployed almost all of his corps on the north bank of the
Tigris in an attempt to guard the well-trodden path to Kut. However, Maude
shifted both of his corps to the south bank and began to mass on the Turkish
right flank just up river from the town of Kut. Halil was unaware of the true
situation and sat tight waiting for the British to move. The British attacks began
on February 17, 1917. On the morning of February 22 the British began
demonstrations at Sannaiyat and at Kut. The following day, the British began
divisional-sized assault crossing of the Tigris upriver from Kut and by the end of
the day had a pontoon bridge across the river. Local Turkish counterattacks were
unsuccessful in dislodging the bridgehead. Most of HaliPs strength and his
reserves lay to the south of Kut, and by nightfall he realized that the XVIII
Corps was in danger of encirclement from the north. He reacted promptly and
ordered an immediate withdrawal. The XVIII Corps began to pull out of its
defensive positions that very night. Desperate rear guard actions bought enough
time for the Turks to evacuate most of their infantry; however, losses in
material, artillery, and supplies were heavy. Halil withdrew up river for the final
defense of Baghdad.
The Turkish line was along the Diyala River, a tributary entering the Tigris
about fifteen kilometers below Baghdad. There the XVII Corps made its stand.
The shattered 45th Infantry Division was inactivated and its survivors combined
with the newly arriving 3 rd and 64th Infantry Regiments to build a reformed 14th
Infantry Division. This division was assigned to the XVIII Corps to assist in the
defense of Baghdad. The British resumed their march up river on March 4 and
began to press the tired and dispirited Turkish troops along the Diyala. After
several days of hard fighting, it was apparent to Halil that he could not hold the
Diyala or Baghdad itself. Although reluctant to surrender this city with its great
political, cultural, and religious significance, Halil made the bitter decision to
abandon Baghdad and to continue his retreat up river. On March 11, 1917,
166 Ordered to Die

General Maude entered Baghdad. It was a new low point in the Mesopotamian
theater for the Turkish Army.
Halil took his army about sixty kilometers up the Tigris. His battered Sixth
Army now rested its right flank at Ramadiye on the Euphrates River and rested
its left flank in Persia. Halil moved his army headquarters to Mosul. His total
force, at this time, amounted to not over thirty thousand men in total, and was
spread over a front of about three hundred kilometers. In April 1917, the 2nd
Infantry Division arrived as a much needed reinforcement; however, this was a
small addition to Halil's total strategic requirements. For the Turks, the overall
strategic situation in Mesopotamia, in the late spring of 1917, continued to
appear quite hopeless.
Then one of the great windfalls of the First World War occurred for the
Turks; General Stanley Maude stopped advancing. Maude felt that because his
supply lines were inadequate and since the summer season of disease was upon
the region, prospects for an offensive were low.13 There were other reasons too,
dealing mostly with the question of when the Russians would begin a supporting
attack on Mosul. Maude may also have been worried over intelligence that the
Turks were preparing a massive counter offensive with new armies aimed at the
recapture of Baghdad. For this eventuality, he had requested and had been
denied reinforcements. In any case, the British were content to rest on their
laurels and to sit tight at Baghdad, waiting out the long hot summer. This was a
godsend for Halil Pasa, for the Turkish Sixth Army, and for the Turkish General
Staff as well. In retrospect, it is doubtful that the Sixth Army could have
prevented further British attacks, or have held Mosul, had Maude continued his
advance. Furthermore, given the huge disparity in combat forces and in logistics,
it is remarkable that Halil's Sixth Army held the British back for as long as they
did. Thus, the situation in Mesopotamia stabilized by late March 1917, with the
British in possession of Baghdad. This would have important consequences for
the future strategic direction of the war by the Turkish General Staff.

THE YILDIRIM ARMY GROUP

It is unclear when and where the idea of forming the Yildirim Army
originated. Although it certainly actualized in the fertile and aggressive mind of
Enver Pasa, it is unknown exactly how much the Germans had to do with it. In
the first two and one half years of war, there had been much profitable
discussion and cooperation between Turkey and her Central Powers partners,
and especially with Germany. The idea of a large Turkish-German Army Group
may have originated in the mind of German General Erich von Falkenhayn, the
victor of the Romanian Campaign. In any case, sometime after the fall of
Baghdad and before the arrival of von Falkenhayn in Turkey for staff
discussions on May 7, 1917, Enver was seized with the idea of retaking
Baghdad. He intended to accomplish this by forming the Yildirim Ordular
Grubunu, or the Thunderbolt Army Group. Enver envisioned this force
concentrating in upper Mesopotamia, perhaps centered on Mosul. From there,
 Strategic Pause 167

the Yildirim Army Group would conduct a grand offensive to retake Baghdad.
From there it would either complete the reconquest of lower Mesopotamia or
perhaps invade Persia. It was strategy on a grand scale and it appealed to
Enver's grandiose sense of high drama. In Enver's grand scheme, Halil's Sixth
Turkish Army would form one component of the Yildirim Group. The second
component would be a newly formed Seventh Army. Together with German
assistance, these two Turkish armies would take the offensive. Troops for the
new Seventh Army would come from the divisions returning to Turkey from
Galicia, Romania, and from Macedonia. In the First World War, these combat
hardened divisions represented Turkey's last strategic reserve. They could never
be replaced. With the Caucasus, Palestine, and Mesopotamia apparently
stabilized for the summer of 1917, the Turks now had a bit of strategic breathing
space and time, with which to regain the initiative at least in one theater of war.
The possibilities of retaking the offensive excited Enver Pasa and he visited
the Palestine front in June. There he told Cemal Pa§a that he was contemplating
an offensive to retake Baghdad and that he intended to form an army group
called the "Yildirim Group."14 Enver also told Cemal that he had decided which
divisions would be assigned to this force and that General von Falkenhayn
would command it. On June 24, 1917, Enver convened a meeting in Aleppo to
discuss his plans. Attending this meeting were Ahmet Izzet Pa§a, commanding
the Caucasus Army Group, Mustafa Kemal Pa§a, commanding the Second
Army, Cemal Pasa, commanding the Fourth Army, and Halil Pa§a, commanding
the Sixth Army. Also attending the meeting were Bronsart von Schellendorf of
the Turkish General Staff, staff officers from the Turkish General Staff and
Caucasus Army Group staff, and the chiefs of staff of the Third and the Fourth
Armies. At this meeting, Enver unveiled his plan to create a new Seventh Army
on the upper reaches of the Euphrates River using the divisions made available
by the conclusion of the European operations. Enver explained that Halil's Sixth
Army would attack south along the Tigris River while the Seventh Army
attacked east along the Euphrates River. The British, at Baghdad, would be
caught in a pincers and would be destroyed.15
Cemal Pasa was not at happy with this plan and pressed for a revision.16
Cemal felt that instead of aiming to retake Baghdad, the Turks should
concentrate their dwindling number of fresh divisions in the vicinity of Aleppo.
At Aleppo, Cemal reasoned, this force could act as a centrally positioned
strategic reserve and would be able to respond to threats in the Caucasus,
Palestine, or Mesopotamia. He also put forth the idea of maintaining troops in
the Adana region as insurance against an amphibious landing by the entente.
Cemal concluded his summary of the strategic situation by stating that an all-out
offensive against Baghdad was dangerous for the Turks. Once expended, it
became problematic whether this last Turkish strategic reserve could ever be
reconstituted. Enver replied that the Turkish General Staff had already decided
upon this course of action and had already provided the "best German General"
for it.17 Enver then told Cemal that the Germans would also provide a light
division of six infantry battalions, with a large number of machine guns. Izzet
Pasa, likewise, was uncomfortable with the plan and recommended that Enver
168 Ordered to Die

leave a division at Aleppo to act as a reserve contingency force. His appeals also
went unheeded. From that day forward, all priority of effort in the Caucasian,
Palestinian, and Mesopotamian theaters went towards the activation of the
Yildirim Army Group.
Later, Cemal Pa§a, who was a member of the inner circle of Young Turks,
cabled the grand vizier directly to express his concerns over this adventure. He
received replies which said that the decision had already been made in the
Council of Ministers, and that the grand vizier, personally, had requested the
services of von Falkenhayn from the Germans.
Cemal was apparently so incensed about the Yildirim idea that he journeyed
to Constantinople in mid-August 1917 to argue against the concept. Erich von
Falkenhayn was also having doubts about the feasibility of an offensive strategy
and expressed them in a memorandum to the German General Staff.18 Another
Council of War was held, at which Cemal, Enver, von Falkenhayn, Bronsart von
Schellendorf, and Cemal's chief of staff, Colonel Ali Fuad Bey, were present.
Cemal and his chief of staff presented their appreciation of the weakness of the
Fourth Army, then holding the Gaza-Beersheba line and concluded that the
retention of a theater reserve was vital to a successful defense. Cemal related19
that at this point in the meeting Enver and von Falkenhayn began conversing in
fluent German and began an animated discussion at the map boards. It was
apparent to Cemal that he had lost the argument. Afterwards, much to Cemal's
surprise, Enver explained that von Falkenhayn agreed with Cemal about the
vulnerable condition of the Fourth Army. Furthermore, von Falkenhayn now
advocated using the Yildirim Group to throw the British back across the Suez
Canal, before attempting to retake Baghdad. Cemal was uncomfortable with this
new proposal, preferring instead to simply abandon the Baghdad scheme and
maintain a theater reserve. If and when troops were needed to reinforce the
defense of Palestine, they would be readily available, Cemal was also very
uncomfortable that the Yildirim staff and the new Seventh Army staff would
deploy into his own strategic backyard. This would inevitably supercede his
authority and autonomy as commander in Palestine.
This strategic dispute at the highest levels continued until Cemal received an
invitation from Kaiser Wilhelm to visit Germany, which he promptly accepted.
Cemal went to Germany and visited the fleet at Kiel, the Krupp works, and the
headquarters at Bad Kreuznach. Everywhere he went, he was feted. However,
when he arrived at Bad Kreuznach, a cable from Enver reached him. This cable
informed Cemal that he was relieved of command in Palestine and that von
Falkenhayn would take over the war effort there. Cemal fired back a cable
predicting catastrophe and then made his way back to Constantinople. However,
he was too late to affect events. Cemal returned to Syria, taking the title of
commander of the armies in Syria and western Arabia and was reduced to
providing logistical support to von Falkenhayn.20 Unhappy with this turn of
events but willing to continue to serve in a diminished capacity, Cemal settled in
to a new headquarters in Damascus. There he observed the destruction of von
Falkenhayn's army during the next year. Cemal noted later in his memoirs that
there were continuous disputes between Mustafa Kemal and von Falkenhayn
 Strategic Pause 169

over command and policy issues in the Yildirim Group. Cemal further went on
record in stating that, were it not for von Falkenhayn, the Turks could have held
the Gaza-Beersheba line for years.21
The Germans came to refer to the Yildirim Army Group as Army Group F,
and von Falkenhayn arrived at the end of July 1917 to command it. As originally
configured, the staff of the Army Group would consist of sixty-five German and
nine Turkish staff officers. This scheme was presented to the Turks as being
easier for von Falkenhayn because the staff would not have to depend as much
on translators.22 It is doubtful that von Falkenhayn, who expressed the highest
admiration for the Turkish asker, ever trusted Turkish officers to carry out
general staff work to German standards. However, the Turks were not fooled by
this charade and, in any case, were not assigned important staff work, which
further cut them out of the decision cycle. The Germans also sent the "German
Asia Corps", which was in reality only a brigade-sized force, to help the new
Army Group. The Turks had expected to see some kind of light German infantry
divisions, and instead, received three infantry battalions, three machinegun
detachments, and three cavalry detachments. However, it was not in combat
troops that the Asia Corps proved most useful. Also accompanying the Asia
Corps were an artillery battalion, a squadron of aircraft for artillery spotting, two
heavy artillery sections, an infantry/artillery coordination section,
communications, and motor transport. Of particular value was a small air
component made up of four detachments of eight aircraft each.23
The disposition of Turkish forces in August 1917 is shown on Table 6.1. The
Turks began to funnel forces to Aleppo and by the month of September,
substantial forces were assembling there. In July the XV Corps headquarters
arrived from Galicia. Coming by train from Hungary, the divisions arrived in
Constantinople, where they staged for deployment south. Each day, for almost
one hundred days, a train carrying elements of the XV Corps departed for
Aleppo. By the end of August, the 19th Infantry Division had arrived, and its
sister division, the 20th Infantry Division arrived in September. A new III Corps
was activated and deployed, as were its subordinate units, the 50th Infantry
Division from Macedonia and the 59th Infantry Division from Aydin. Four or
five trains a day ran south to bring these formations into Syria. However, there
were severe problems beginning to appear indicating a gradually weakening
Turkish Army. In a report to the Yildirim Army headquarters in September
1917, von Kress noted that the 24th Infantry Division from Gallipoli had
departed from Hyderpasa train station with 10,000 men and that only 4,634
arrived fit for duty.24 In this division 19 percent were sick, 24 percent had gone
missing, and 3 percent were given permission to return home on leave. The
German Asia Corps was the last major unit to arrive in Syria, having come all
the way from its staging area in Neu Hammer in Silesia. Considering the poor
state of the Turkish railroads, the staging of the Seventh Army to Aleppo was a
considerable achievement. Once there, the Turkish General Staff planned to
move the army east by rail to the end of the railhead. From there, the 400 trucks
of the Asia Corps would transport the infantry divisions the last 160 kilometers
to assembly areas south of Mosul. It was a very ambitious undertaking.25
 Table 6.1
Disposition of Turkish Forces, August 1917
ROMANIA
VI Corps: 15, 25, 26 Inf. Div. CAUCASIA
Third Army Second Army
THRACE 1st Cauc. Corps: 9, 10, 36 Cauc. Inf. Div. II Corps: 1,42 Inf. Div.
First Army 2nd Cauc. Corps: 5, 11, 37 Cauc. Inf. Div. IV Corps: 11, 12, 48 Inf. Div.
I Corps: 42 Inf. Div. V Corps: Coastal Detachments XVI Corps: 5, 8 Inf. Div.
1 Cav. Bde. 2 Regular Cav. Div.
Van Jandarma (Inf) Div.
SYRIA-PALESTINE
GALLIPOLI Fourth Army
Fifth Army VIII Corps: 48 Inf. Div. Yildirim Army Group (SYRIA)
XIV Corps: 57 Inf. Div. XII Corps: 23, 44 Inf. Div. Seventh Army (SYRIA)
XIX Corps: 59 Inf. Div. XV Corps: 43 Inf. Div. III Corps: 24, 50 Inf. Div.
XXI Corps: 49 Inf. Div. XX Corps: 16, 54 Inf. Div. XV Corps: 19, 20 Inf. Div.
XXII Corps: 3, 7, 53 Inf. Div. Asia Corps (German)
WESTERN ANATOLIA
3 Cav. Div. Sixth Army (MESOPOTAMIA)
58 Inf. Div. XIII Corps: 2, 6 Inf. Div.
XVIII Corps: M, 51,52 Inf. Div.
Note: Units in boldface type indicate new formations, units
46 Inf. Div.
underlined indicate units redeployed since December 1916;
units in bold italic type indicate seriously understrength units.
ARABIA-YEMEN
Units inactivated: 4, 9, 10, 17, 18, 29, 31, 32, 34, 35, 38 Inf. Div.
VII Corps: 21, 22, 39, 40 Inf. Div.
units redesignated: 13, 28, 30, 33 Inf. Div.
 Strategic Pause 171

The Hayderpasa train station explosion of September 6, 1917, which

supposedly blew up large quantities of supplies necessary to sustain the
operations of the Yildirim Army, is not mentioned in any of the Turkish official
histories. Likewise any damage which may have been sustained by the railroad
infrastructure itself is not mentioned and apparently had no long term effect on
the eastward flow of supplies.
But by the middle of September 1917 the ambitious plan to retake Baghdad
was consigned to the scrap heap. Enver Pasa had, at last, made up his mind to
take von Falkenhayn's advice and send the Yildirim Army to Palestine first. He
may also have been spurred on by disturbing reports from von Kress concerning
the massive British offensive preparations then being observed opposite the
Gaza - Beersheba line. Furthermore, Enver was apparently uncomfortable with
the lingering influence of Cemal Pasa in Palestine and decided to do something
about that too. As a result, on September 26, 1917, Enver moved the Fourth
Army Headquarters north to Damascus.26 In the same order, he split the old
Fourth Army area, giving Cemal both Syria and West Arabia. He also ordered
the Yildirim Army Group and the Seventh Army to Palestine. In subsequent
orders, given on October 2, Enver changed the organization of the Palestine
command and activated the new Eighth Army, appointing von Kress to
command it. He then assigned both the Seventh and the Eighth Armies to
Falkenhayn's Yildirim Army Group. Falkenhayn also retained command and
control of the Sixth Army in Mesopotamia.
The Seventh Army was now commanded by Mustafa Kemal who was not at
all happy with the new command arrangements. In a long and strongly worded
letter sent directly to Enver Pa§a in late September 1917, Kemal advocated a
return to a defensive military policy within which every reserve unit was to be
guarded and carefully committed.27 He based this on the premise that superior
British lines of communications (ship and rail) would ensure their continued
numerical superiority in any theater that the Turks wished to contest. Therefore
it would be impossible for the Turks to gain the initiative with the Yildirim
Army anywhere. He also advocated the merging of the Seventh and the Eighth
Armies and offered to step down in favor of von Kress. Mustafa Kemal also
stressed the importance of strengthening the internal administration of the
country so that the army would have the people and the economy solidly behind
it.
In an emotional but rather poorly thought out conclusion to his letter, Kemal
bitterly condemned German influence in Turkish strategy and expressed his
concern that Turkey was becoming a "German colony." This letter led to the
resignation of Mustafa Kemal several weeks later, after which Fevzi Pasa took
command of the Seventh Army.
The headquarters and the infantry divisions near Aleppo began to move south
on September 30. Not all went south to Palestine. Recognizing the need to
reinforce Halil Pa§a with additional troops, the 50th Infantry Division was sent
eastward to Ramadiye in Mesopotamia. The 59th Infantry Division was then
inactivated and its troops used to fill out the other divisions departing the
Aleppo staging area. To make up for these lost forces, the Fifth Army was
172 Ordered to Die

ordered to send the 42nd Infantry Division to Syria, the Second Army was
ordered to send the 1st Infantry Division to Damascus, and the Third Army was
ordered to send the 2nd Caucasian Cavalry Division. However, it would be quite
sometime before these formations arrived in the Syria-Palestine area of
operations. Near the end of October, only the headquarters of the Seventh and
Eighth Armies would actually be in position to participate in combat operations
in Palestine. Time would run out for von Falkenhayn at dawn on October 31,
1917, when Allenby's long awaited offensive began.

THIRD GAZA

In its final prebattle deployment, the Yildirim Army Group held the Gaza-
Beersheba line with two field armies abreast. On the right flank, holding Gaza,
was the Eighth Army, commanded by von Kress, composed of the XXII Corps
(with the 3 rd and 53rd Infantry Divisions in a strongly fortified position around
Gaza) and the XX Corps (with the 26th and 54th Infantry Divisions holding the
line east, out into the desert). The Seventh Army held the Turkish left and the
decisive oasis town of Beersheba. This army, commanded by Mustafa Kemal
Pasa, held the line with the 16th Infantry Division and held Beersheba itself with
the III Corps (comprising the 27th Infantry Division and the 3 rd Cavalry
Division). By October 28 the 24th Infantry Division had arrived and was in
reserve behind the 16th Infantry Division, and the 19th Infantry Division was
detraining in an assembly area twenty kilometers behind the lines. The Turks
had expected an attack for some time and were well aware of the British
preparations. In terms of planning the defense, the Yildirim Army Group simply
took over the old Fourth Army plans in situ.28 The defense rested on a well-sited
defensive layout and relied on dug-in Turkish soldiers and counterattacks. The
keys to the defense were the towns of Gaza and Beersheba. Both were ringed by
entrenchments presenting an almost all-around defense. Defending the lynchpin
of Beersheba were just 4,400 riflemen, 60 machine guns, and 28 artillery pieces.
In British terms, this force amounted to about a brigade.
Allenby's attack began at dawn on October 31, 1917, and, at the tactical level
at least, caught some Turkish front-line troops by surprise. Two entire British
corps executed a massive attack on the well town of Beersheba. The British
Twentieth Corps attacked from the west and the Cavalry Corps enveloped and
attacked the Turkish III Corps in Beersheba from the east. In the concentric
battle, fighting lasted all day and finally the Australian Light Horse mounted a
successful charge directly into the Turkish defenses. It was a magnificent hour
for British and Imperial cavalry. With this, the defense of Beersheba crumbled
and the Turks began to pull back. The flow of reports coming from the front so
disturbed the army chief of staff that he personally went forward to verify the
bad news. The loss of Beersheba, in a single day, stunned the Yildirim Army
Group Commander and his staff. Nevertheless, he immediately ordered the
reconstitution of a defensive line just to the north of Beersheba and ordered the
famous 19th Infantry Division forward to hold the line once again.
 Strategic Pause 173

The next day, Allenby's army hit the Turkish right flank at Gaza, with a
heavy attack by a corps of three British infantry divisions. Defending Gaza, the
Turks had but 8,000 riflemen, but they were well supported by 116 cannons. The
British began with a coordinated bombardment from artillery on land and from
naval gunfire from the sea. The Turks were pounded mercilessly. On November
1 and 2 the Turkish 53rd and 7th Infantry Divisions were able to hold most of the
line and to conduct locally successful counterattacks. Remarkably, the British
only made limited progress on the extreme right flank (adjacent to the sea) of the
well-entrenched Turks.
After successfully drawing most of the Turkish reserves to the flanks, on
November 6 Allenby shifted his forces and attacked in the center. He made
startling progress and ordered his cavalry through the broken Turkish lines to
envelop Gaza. Allenby expected that the outnumbered and outgunned Turks
would fold completely and that his cavalry divisions would pursue them to
destruction. He was wrong.
Falkenhayn realized that the Yildirim Army Group would be destroyed if it
attempted to retrieve the tactical situation which was already lost. Instead, he
ordered the Eighth and the Seventh Armies to conduct a fighting withdrawal to a
new defensive line about ten kilometers to their rear. It was a dangerous
maneuver under any circumstances. Very skillfully, von Kress and Mustafa
Kemal began to disengage their forces, leaving small rear guards when
necessary. Many Turks died holding the line while larger forces withdrew and
much of the movement was done at night. In these extreme circumstances, many
Turks were taken prisoner. The Turkish 3 rd Cavalry Division screened the left
flank of the Seventh Army. The British main effort was now clearly identified in
the center and along the coast, and the Eighth Army had great difficulty
maintaining control and cohesion in the face of the massive British pursuit. By
November 9 the Eighth Army had been driven back twenty kilometers, but the
Seventh Army had lost hardly any ground and was conducting a masterfully
deliberate withdrawal. The headquarters of the Yildirim Group retired to
Jerusalem and the Seventh Army's headquarters retired to Bethlehem.

JERUSALEM

Allenby relentlessly continued his attack driving von Kress's Eighth Army
back even more on November 11. The attacks continued along the coast and
had the effect of making the forward position of the Seventh Army, now
commanded by Fevzi Pasa, vulnerable to a flanking attack. Fearing
encirclement, Fevzi was forced to withdraw. Maintaining his cavalry as a screen,
he pulled his scattered infantry formations tighter around Jerusalem. Between
November 19 and 21, 1917, the British wheeled again and attacked east toward
Jerusalem. On November 25th 1917, von Kress executed a counteroffensive
with the 3 rd and the 7th Infantry Divisions, driving the British back and restoring
the tactical situation along the coast. During the next week, the British shifted
their main effort towards the capture of Jerusalem, but Fevzi's Seventh Army
/ 74 Ordered to Die

fought them to a standstill. The 53 and the 27th Infantry Divisions of the XX
Corps absorbed punishing blows and took heavy casualties. For the first seven
days of 1918, Fevzi's XX Corps held out. Nevertheless, by dusk on January 8
the British were in the outskirts of the Holy City. That night, the battered but
intact XX Corps withdrew to new defensive positions four kilometers to the east
of Jerusalem. On December 8 Allenby entered the city.
Between October 31 and December 1, 1917, in the Eighth Army 59 officers
and 1,336 men were killed, 158 officers and 2,823 men were wounded, 81
officers and 5,694 men were taken prisoner, and 89 officers and 1,281 men were
missing. About 674 animals had been killed, 120 wounded, and a further 2,377
were lost. In late November, the army returns showed a total of 310 officers and
11,380 men remaining on the rolls.29 On December 1 the Eighth Army lost its
fighting commander Freiherr von Kress, who had been in Palestine since
September 27, 1914. The faithful Von Kress, now a brigadier general, was
finally relieved of his duties and was replaced by Turkish Brigadier General
Cevat Bey.
British attacks continued from December 13 through 17. The 2nd Caucasian
Cavalry Division arrived in Palestine on December 15 and went into reserve
positions behind the XXII Corps. The 3 rd Cavalry Division was also pulled out
of the line and put into reserve behind the 54th Infantry Division on December
16. The 1st Infantry Division arrived from the Caucasus and remained in reserve
at Nablus. The British continued to attack, making small gains along the coast,
where they could employ naval gunfire from the Royal Navy. By December 26
the British were fifteen kilometers north of Jaffa on the coast, and there was a
dangerous gap developing between the Eighth and the Seventh Armies,
Fortunately, the 3 rd Cavalry Division screened this gap and maintained contact
between the two armies. On December 27th, the 2nd Caucasian Cavalry Division
conducted a determined counterattack, which successfully restored the situation
along the coast. The new year found the Turks battered, but holding a solid line
anchored in the east on the Dead Sea and in the west on the Mediterranean Sea.
Every Turkish infantry division, which had begun the fight on October 31 on the
Gaza-Beersheba line, was intact and still fighting (although some were reduced
to cadre strength).
Screened by the Dead Sea and the Jordan River, the Turks still held the
railway from Dera to Medina, although this line was constantly being harassed
and cut by insurgent Arab bands. To the north, Cemal's VIII and XII Corps still
guarded the Levent coast with four infantry divisions. As 1917 came to an end,
so too did Allenby's offensive. Exhausted and living on lean logistical support,
his army ceased offensive operations. The battered Turks earned yet another
respite.
Casualties had been severe during the period from October 31 through
December 31, 1917, for both Yildirim armies. In the Seventh Army a grand total
of 110 officers and 1,886 men were killed, 213 officers and 5,488 men were
wounded, 79 officers and 393 men were captured, and 183 officers and 4,233
men were missing. Also lost were 1,762 animals, 7,305 rifles, 22 light and 73
heavy machine guns, and 29 artillery pieces. The Eighth Army was harder hit by
 Strategic Pause 175

the British and reported 70 officers and 1,474 men killed, 118 officers and 3,163
men wounded, 95 officers and 5,868 men captured, and 97 officers and 4,877
men missing. The army also reported 700 animals lost and 2,384 wounded.30
The total casualties for the Yildirim Army Group were 25,337 men killed,
wounded, captured, or missing. Although this number seems high, Allenby lost
about eighteen thousand men. In the eloquent words of British historian Cyril
Falls, "Considering that he [Allenby] had odds of well over two to one in
infantry and eight to one in cavalry, his achievement may not seem so
remarkable. In fact, it was hard and costly to turn Turkish troops out of
defensive positions in this hilly, rocky, country."31 Falls's tribute does not
include the massive artillery superiority that Allenby enjoyed, or the huge
logistical support that he amassed, nor does it attribute any advantage to the
Royal Navy. Considering all of these factors in combination, it is remarkable
that any Turks survived the onslaught at all. Indeed, not only did they survive,
but the fighting divisions of the Turkish Army retired in fair order to continue
the fight. All in all, the Turkish fighting withdrawal under intense British
pressure may be seen as a great accomplishment.

SYRIA AND WEST ARABIA

By 1917 the Arab Revolt was in full swing, financed and aided by the British.
There were four principal bands of armed Arabs, which operated mainly against
the Dera-Medina railway. In the north, Prince Faisal, operating out of Akaba,
conducted large-scale raids on January 25 and on July 23, 1917, against the
garrison towns of Tafile and Fulye, respectively. Farther south, the Emir Ali
operated against Tebuk, Abdullah operated against El Ala, and Sheriff Hussein
attacked the fortified city of Medina itself. Most of these Arab bands numbered
about three thousand to four thousand men. While these Arabs could not (and
would not) hold ground, they were capable of repeatedly cutting both the rail
and the telegraph lines extending south. While these raids were bothersome,
they were not militarily significant. Nevertheless, larger and larger numbers of
Turkish soldiers were called upon to guard the lines of communications south to
Medina.
After losing control of the Palestine front, Cemal Pasa's Fourth Army retained
control of Syria and West Arabia. This caused the Fourth Army's operational
area to become shaped like a large inverted "L," encompassing Syria in the
north and then running to the east of the Dead Sea and the Jordan River, and
finally south to Medina. The Fourth Army's headquarters was in the ancient city
of Damascus.
Cemal assigned the VIII Corps, headquartered in Dera, the responsibility to
protect this giant and sprawling sector of over seven hundred kilometers of rail
line. The VIII Corps had substantial forces at its disposal, however, with which
to accomplish this mission. The corps disposed an. infantry brigade near Dera
itself, the 48th Infantry Division in Amman, the 1st and the 2nd Provisional Forces
(which were infantry division equivalents) strung out along the railway, and the
176 Ordered to Die

58th Infantry Division guarding the southern portions at El Ala and at Hedye.
Medina was garrisoned by the Hijaz Expeditionary Force, which had strongly
fortified the city.
Cemal's other formation was the XII Corps, which had the responsibility to
protect the long Levant coastline and to provide security for the vital lines of
communications leading south from Anatolia into Syria. The XII Corps
deployed the 43rd Infantry Division around Beirut, the 41 st Infantry Division
around Antioch and Alexandretta, the 44th Infantry Division guarded the
Osmaniye Gap, and the 23rd Infantry Division garrisoned Adana and Mersin. It
was a substantial force, which could not really be spared simply to watch for an
invasion that never came. However, the Turks had little choice in the matter and
maintained strong forces in these locations until the end of the war.

PERSIA

There had been a lull in the Persian theater from August 1916, which lasted
the remainder of the year. The Turkish XIII Corps, with the 2nd, 4th, and 6th
Infantry Divisions, held the town of Hamadan and the surrounding frontier area
through the winter of 1916 to 1917. Although urged by Enver Pa§a and by Halil
Pasa to advance on Teheran, XIII Corps Commander, General Ali Insan, did not
feel strong enough to accomplish this task. The XIII Corps did receive some
meager reinforcements in the form of an Austrian 105 mm howitzer battery and
three battalions of Muslim ex-prisoners from French North African units.32
However, disease and desertions eroded Ali Insan's strength faster than the
incoming reinforcements could maintain it.
In spring 1917 events in Mesopotamia took a turn for the worse for the Turks,
as Halil's defense of Kut and Baghdad failed. The deteriorating situation along
the Tigris forced Halil to recall the XIII Corps from Persia and by mid-February
1917, the XIII Corps was ordered to retreat toward Baghdad. Ali Insan began to
withdraw his corps about February 22 and he withdrew it over a preplanned
route of retreat. Marching hard, the XIII Corps covered over four hundred
kilometers of extremely rough terrain in just three weeks. The Russians and the
British were hot on the Turk's heels but failed to pin the XIII Corps so that it
could be brought to ground and destroyed. Persia was now left to the Russians
and to the British.
By March 15 forward elements of the XIII Corps arrived on the upper Diyala
River. Baghdad having fallen, Halil Pa§a planned to deploy the corps on his left
flank against any Russian incursion into the Mesopotamian territory of the
Ottoman Empire. In late April 1917 the XIII Corps was concentrated on the
upper Tigris, with the 2nd and the 4th Infantry Divisions colocated with the corps
headquarters. The 6th Infantry Division occupied a froward position on the west
bank of the upper Diyala River, where it confronted both the Russians and the
English. The Turkish Persian adventure was finally over.
 Strategic Pause 177

NOTES

1. The correct modem Turkish spelling of this word is Yddinm~-the nearest English
equivalent is Yildirim. This is also the spelling used in the Turkish official histories for
the Turco-German army group. Early histories of the First World War, particularly
German and British, written prior to the implementation of the modern Turkish alphabet,
incorrectly transliterated the word from Ottoman script as Yilderim. This error has been
carried forward by many western historians into the present day. Sometimes the word is
translated as lightning, however, a more appropriate usage is thunderbolt, which implies a
powerful force hurled with purpose and direction rather than a random act of nature.
2. Turkish General Staff, Birinci Diinya Harbinde Turk Kafkas Cephesi 3ncu Ordu
Harekati Cilt //(Ankara: GK Basimevi, 1993), 413- 432.
3. Commandant M. Larcher, La Guerre Turque Dans La Guerre Mondiale (Paris:
Chiron & Berger-Levrault, 1926), 413.
4. W. E. D. Allen and Paul Muratoff, Caucasian Battlefields: A History of the Wars on
the Turco-Caucasian Border 1828-1921 (Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1953).
436-441. For additional vivid analysis of potential combined operations that the Russians
and the British might have enjoyed in the region in 1917, see Larcher, La Guerre Turque,
448-456.
5. Cemal Pasa, Memories of a Turkish Statesman-1913-1919 (London: Hutchinson,
n.d.), 171.
6. Ibid., 171.
7. Ibid., 180.
8. General Fahri Belen, Birinci Cihan Harbinde Turk Harbi 1917 Yili Hareketleri, IV
Ncu Cilt (Ankara: Gnkur. Basimevi, 1966), 111. There were no apparent effects from the
British gas attack. Dr. Yigal Sheffy suspects that adverse climatic conditions dissipated
the gas.
9. Ibid., 112. Actual reported Turkish casualties for the battle were 82 killed, 1,336
wounded, and 242 missing.
10. Turkish General Staff, Birinci Diinya Harbiinde Turk Harbi, Sina-Filistin
Cephesi, IV ncii Cilt 2nd Kasim (Ankara: Gnkur. Basimevi, 1986), 18.
11. Cemal, Memories of a Turkish Statesman-1913-1919, 184.
12. Cyril Falls, The Great War (New York: G. P. Putnam's Sons, 1959), 250.
13. Brigadier General F. J. Moberly, History of the Great War, based on Official
Documents, The Campaign in Mesopotamia 1914-1918, vol. 4 (London: HMSO, 1923),
1-8.
14. Cemal, Memories of a Turkish Statesman-1913-1919, 183.
15. Belen, 1917 Yili Hareketleri, 114, 115.
16. Cemal, Memories of a Turkish Statesman-1913-1919, 183.
17. Ibid., 184.
18. Moberly, Campaign in Mesopotamia, vol. 4, 65.
19. Cemal, Memories of a Turkish Statesman-1913-1919, 188.
20. Ibid., 190-192.
21. Ibid., 195.
22. Belen, 1917 Yili Harekatleri, 115.
23. Ibid., 116.
24. Ibid., 125.
25. Ibid., 117.
26. Turkish General Staff, Sina-Filistin Cephesi, 114, 115.
178 Ordered to Die

27. Letter from Commander, Seventh Army to Acting Commanding General, Belen,
1917 Yili Hareketleri, Document 2; Moberly, Campaign in Mesopotamia, vol. 4,
Appendix 42, 348-351. Belen gives the date of this letter as September 20, 1917, and
Moberly gives the date as September 30, 1917. It is possible that Belen used the Ottoman
date instead of the western date.
28. Turkish General Staff, Sina-Filistin Cephesi, 128.
29. Ibid., 389.
30. Ibid., 509.
31. Falls, The Great War, 326.
32. Larcher, La Guerre Turque, 444.
 7
End of Empire, January-November 1918

1918

Until late September 1918, the strategic situation for the Turks appeared
hopeful. There was an expectation that Liman von Sanders would repeat his
famous Gallipoli defense in Palestine and once again stem the British onslaught.
Mesopotamia was holding fast and in Caucasia the Turks were relentlessly
pushing forward toward the Caspian Sea. In comparison to their failing alliance
partners—Germany, Austria-Hungary, and Bulgaria—the Turks seemed to be
doing well. All of this changed in a matter of weeks with Allenby's final
offensives at Meggido and in Syria and with the collapse of the Salonika front
and Bulgaria. Although the Turks appeared able to accept the loss of Palestine
and Syria, they were unable to attempt a large-scale defense of Turkish Thrace
in late 1918.
For once, Enver's grandiose Caucasian expeditions met with success.
However, this success had more to do with the absence of the Russian Army
than it did with sound strategic planning and well executed operations. While
much territory was taken including Armenia, Azerbaijan, and much of Georgia,
the very success of these conquests inflamed Enver Pasa's imagination and
distracted him from more compelling strategic priorities.
The suddenness of the final realization that the war, at long last and at such
cost, was lost did not seem to demoralize the Turkish army. There were no mass
desertions nor did any units simply throw down their arms and come apart at the
seams. In fact, the Turkish high command began immediately to plan for
returning the defeated but proud army to a peacetime configuration.
180 Ordered to Die

ARMENIA

There had been a sort of an informal truce between the Turks and the
Russians along the Caucasian front since May 1917. On the Russian side, there
was a continual deterioration of the Russian Army because of the deleterious
effect of the revolution on troop morale. However, by the end of 1917 the
Russians still had four army corps guarding their conquests in Anatolia, none of
which were in any mood to fight. As W. E. D. Allen and Paul Muratoff put it1,
the Russian Army in the Caucasus "self-demobilized." Left behind to face the
Turks, as the Russians withdrew the remnants of their army, was the loosely
organized Trans-Caucasian Federation composed of the newly independent
states of Armenia, Azerbaijan, and Georgia. Unfortunately for these peoples, the
beleaguered Russians were focused on salvaging their nation from the grasping
German negotiators at the ongoing peace talks at Brest Litovsk. None of these
new countries were represented at the peace table nor did the Russians evince
any interest in safeguarding their future. Therefore, when the Treaty of Brest
Litovsk was signed, the continued existence of these states was not guaranteed
in the treaty by any major power and the Turks were not treaty bound to honor
their territorial integrity. This situation would create a serious power vacuum in
the Caucasus. Although these small states had armies of a sort, they could not
hope to withstand the power of the Turkish Army.
As the Russian threat to Central Anatolia dissipated, the Turks were able to
draw down their Caucasian military assets also. The Caucasian Army Group was
dissolved on December 16, 1917, and the Turkish Second Army was inactivated
as well on February 4, 1918. The IV Corps, with the 5th and the 12th Infantry
Divisions, were subsumed into the Third Army, which assumed the frontage and
the responsibilities of the inactivated Second Army. Table 7.1 shows the
disposition of Turkish Forces in January 1918. Vehip Pasa had been carefully
husbanding the strength of his Third Army for more than a year. His carefully
crafted reorganization of the army into Caucasian corps and divisions was
successfully completed during the previous year, and the rebuilt formations were
rested and combat-ready. However, he had not received any reinforcements or
many replacements either, because the Mesopotamian, Persian, and Palestinian
fronts had received strategic priority during 1917. In fact, Vehip Pasa actually
had to fend off requests from the Turkish General Staff to send some of his
infantry divisions to more active fronts. He was fairly successful in this
endeavor, losing only the 2nd Caucasian Cavalry Division to the Yildirim Army
Group. The depleted state of his army was reflected in the strength returns of the
1st Caucasian Corps on February 11, 1918, which reported 498 officers and
11,390 men present for duty.2 Additionally, the corps returns showed a total of
only 98 machine guns and 46 artillery pieces present on the same date. Indeed,
the total combined strength of both the 1st and the 2nd Caucasian Corps on New
Year's Day 1918, was 20,026 men, 186 machine guns, and 151 artillery pieces.
The total barely exceeded the combat strength of a single British infantry
division fighting on the western front. Under most circumstances, the Turkish
Third Army would be considered incapable of offensive action.
 Table 7.1
Disposition of Turkish Forces, January 1918
CAUCASIA
Third Army
THRACE
1st Cauc. Corps: 9, 10, 36 Cauc. Inf. Div.
First Army ANATOLIA
Second Army
2nd Cauc. Corps: 5, 11, 37 Cauc. Inf. Div.
1 Corps: 42 Inf. Div.
XV Corps: None IV Corps: 5, 8, 12 Inf. Div.
1 Cav. Bde. PALESTINE
15, 25 Inf. Div. 58 Inf. Div.
Yildirim Army Group
Seventh Army
GALLIPOLI III Corps: 1, 19, 24 Inf. Div.
Fifth Army SYRIA-WEST ARABIA XX Corps: 26, 53 Inf. Div.
XIV Corps: 57 Inf. Div. Fourth Army 3 Cav. Div. MESOPOTAMIA
XIX Corps: 59 Inf. Div. VIII Corps: 43, 48 Inf. Div. Asia Corps (German) Sixth Army
XXI Corps: 49 Inf. Div. XII Corps: 23, 41, 44 Inf. Div. Eighth Army XIII Corps: 2, 6 Div.
Hicaz Group: 58 Inf. Div. and XVIII Corps: 14, 51, 52 Inf. Div.
XXII Corps: 3, 7, 20 Inf. Div.
three Provisional Inf. Div.
16, 54 Inf. Div. 46 Inf. Div.
2 Cauc. Cav. Div.
Note: Units in boldface type indicate new formations; units
underlined indicate units redeployed since August 1917;
units in boldface italic type indicate seriously understrength units. ARABIA-YEMEN
Units inactivated: 4, 9, 10, 17, 18, 29, 31, 32, 34, 35, 38 Inf. Div.; VII Corps: 21, 22, 39,40 Inf. Div.
units redesignated: 13, 28, 30, 33 Inf. Div.
182 Ordered to Die

However, the fertile and aggressive mind of Enver Pa§a was always at work,
and he had been watching the situation in the Caucasus over the course of 1917.
In a December 1917 report from the Third Army, Captain Husamettin wrote that
the Russians were incapable of maintaining the front forvery much longer.3 The
Third Army also noted reports of British and French involvement in the Tiflis
region and the formation of large Armenian and Greek military units.
Furthermore, there was mention of massacres of Muslim Azerbaijanis by
Armenians. Finally, the report concluded with the information that Armenian
Tasnak committees were preparing to establish a breakaway republic in the
eastern Turkish vilayets.
After receiving the Third Army report on the Caucasian situation, Enver
invited the refugee leaders of the Azeri Muslim Assembly to Constantinople for
discussions on eastward expansion.4 Not content with simply maintaining the
status quo in a remarkably quiet sector, Enver Pa§a and the Turkish General
Staff began to consider the possibilities of a renewed offensive in the Caucasus.
Somewhere around New Year's Day 1918, Enver was seized with the idea of
taking the offensive to reclaim not the just the 1914 frontier but also the frontiers
lost in 1877, and he decided to reinforce Vehip's army. Enver issued official
orders to the Third Army on January 23, 1918, to begin planning and
preparations for offensive operations.5 The 15th Infantry Division, recently
returned from operations in Romania, 120 motor driven trucks, three Jandarma
battalions, and the 3,000-man 123rd Infantry Regiment were earmarked for
service with the Third Army. These forces were put on fast steamers on
February 9, and they began to arrive in the small Black Sea port of Giresun on
February 12, 1918 (the Russian Navy, by now, being reduced to inactivity). The
Turkish General Staff was now ably assisted in these endeavors by German
Major General Hans von Seeckt, who had replaced Bronsart von Schellendorf
on January 3, 1918 as the first assistant chief of the Turkish General Staff.
The Third Army was being brought to a condition of combat readiness. The
1st and the 2nd Caucasian Corps received orders assigning them objectives deep
within the territory occupied by both the Russians and the Armenians. In
concept, the plan envisioned a three pronged drive into Russian held territory.
The 2nd Caucasian Corps would drive along the northern Black Sea coast, with
the 37th Infantry Division, to reclaim Trabzond. The 1st Caucasian Corps would
seize Erzincan and then drive on toward Erzurum. The IV Corps received orders
to seize Malazgirt. The Caucasian front was about to explode into a renewal of
the contest for Eastern Anatolia.
Opposing the Third Army was the Armenian National Army, equipped with
cast-off Russian equipment. The Turks estimated that the Armenians could field
one rifle division, three infantry brigades, and three cavalry regiments. They also
estimated that the Armenians could field fifty thousand men.6 Post-war Russian
sources put the Armenian's strength as two rifle divisions, three brigades of
Armenian volunteers, and a cavalry brigade.7 The rifle divisions were made up
of veteran soldiers from the Druzhiny units, which had fought alongside the
Russians for almost four years. These were augmented by volunteers from the
local Armenian populations of Erzurum, Van, and the Eliskirt Valley. Contrary
 End of Empire 183

to the Turkish opinion, the Armenian National Army was rather well equipped,
since it was allowed to recover the best of the equipment left behind by the
decaying Russian Army. Allen and Muratoff state that the strength of the
Armenian National Army did not exceed sixteen thousand infantry, one
thousand cavalry, and four thousand volunteers. In any event, this small
Armenian force could not hope to stand against the power of the Turkish Third
Army.
On the morning of February 12, 1918, Vehip's troops went forward. Erzincan
was seized in short order and with it the Turks took tons of supplies, three
howitzers, twenty-five mortars, and substantial quantities of munitions. The
Armenian population in the area began immediately to flee toward the east. The
Third Army made rapid progress as the Armenian National Army began a
delaying retreat toward the rear. Concurrently with the Turkish offensive, peace
negotiations were being conducted between the Russians, the Trans-Caucasian
Federation, and the Turks. These highly political discussions added to the drama
and to the confusion, particularly for the Armenians and the Georgians.
Ultimately, the Turks gave up on negotiations when it became apparent in
March 1918 that there was no force, Russian, Armenian or otherwise, which
could hold the Caucasus against them. The important Black Sea port of
Trabzond fell on February 25. Incoming Turkish sea-borne reinforcements
immediately began to debark in this newly reacquired port.
Despite adverse weather and occasional Armenian resistance, Vehip Pasa
urged his troops forward. The Armenians attempted to hold the fortress of
Erzurum, but after several days of fighting, the 1st Caucasian Corps reclaimed
the city on March 12. Upon investigating Erzurum and the surrounding
hinterland, the Turks discovered numerous Muslim villages in which either the
Russians or the retreating Armenian National Army had massacred the
inhabitants.8 By March 25 the Turks were crossing the 1914 frontier. Malazgirt
fell to the 5th and the 12th Infantry Divisions on March 23 . Meanwhile, the 37th
Infantry Division continued to advance along the Black Sea coast. By the end of
March, the Turks estimated that the Armenian National Army had been worn
down to about fifteen thousand effectives. Vehip Pasa sent congratulatory
messages to Enver Pa§a and the Turkish General Staff and prepared to continue
the campaign eastwards to the 1877 frontier. But as the Turks pressed eagerly
forward they expected to encounter tough resistance from the Armenians.9
To accomplish what he believed would become a fast moving pursuit of
disintegrating Armenian forces, Vehip Pasa decided to reorganize his army once
again. Vehip formed what would be called in modern terminology an
"operational maneuver group," and transformed the headquarters of Yakup
§evki Pasa's 2nd Caucasian Corps into a group command, appropriately called
the §evki Pasa Group. Under this new command, Vehip assigned the entire 1st
Caucasian Corps and the 5th Caucasian Infantry Division. Vehip Pasa retained
the 11th Caucasian Infantry Division as an army reserve. The IV Corps
remained unaltered. In addition to the forces on hand, the commander and the
staff of the VI Corps were brought by fast steamer for assignment to the Third
Army. The VI Corps, commanded by Staff Colonel Kazim, received the 10th and
184 Ordered to Die

the 37th Caucasian Infantry Divisions. In the center the new §evki Pasa Group
would drive on Kars, lost in 1878, and the VI Corps would drive on the left
toward Batum. On the right flank the IV Corps would liberate Van and Bayazit.
The concept of operations was hugely ambitious and it was a remarkable
undertaking to reorganize the entire command structure on such a short and
unannounced basis. In spite of potential problems, the Turkish commanders
moved ahead and made it work. In the middle of all of this success, Enver Pasa
sent a message scolding Vehip for failing to take Batum quickly enough.
Vehip was mildly surprised but quickly turned to the business at hand. On April
3 Vehip replied to Enver saying that "today we took Sarikamis and tomorrow
we'll begin operations along the coast,"11 perhaps intending to remind Enver
that he had succeeded where Enver had failed in 1914. Vehip added that he
intended to liberate the Caucasus and help the Muslim peoples living there.
Significantly, Vehip also mentioned that he thought that the Caspian port of
Baku, then held by Armenians, was obtainable as well. The entire message was
drenched with optimism. Enver replied immediately on the same day, saying
that the difficulties and bloodletting of the preceding three years would be wiped
away like old wounds, and that he looked forward to the fact that Batum, Kars,
and Ardahan would soon be liberated. Actually, Vehip's troops were a little
behind schedule and finally took the city of Sarikamis on April 5 and then began
advancing on Kars. The memory of the bitter defeat of the winter of 1914 and
1915 had been avenged. The long-held city of Van was liberated on April 6 and
Dogubeyazit on April 14. The IV Corps maintained the tempo of its attack and
took the frontier town of Saray. However, it did not stop and drove into Persia,
taking Kotur (last held in the spring of 1915 by the Van Jandarma Division) on
April 20, 1918.
Along the coast, Armenians and local Greeks attempted to defend Batum, but
the VI Corps attacked with its two Turkish infantry divisions. The VI Corps had
about ten thousand to twelve thousand men to put into the fight and Batum fell
on April 14, 1918. Again, the Turks captured quantities of war material,
particularly much needed transport including two locomotives, automobiles, and
wagons. In the coastal regions, the Turks also discovered many Muslim villages
that were reduced to piles of burnt debris and their residents reduced to
dismembered corpses. The Turks attributed these atrocities to the local Christian
inhabitants rather than to the Russians.12 From Batum, the Turks fanned out to
the north taking Ozurgeli and to the south taking Ardahan by mid-April.
In the center, the Armenians attempted to hold the fortress city of Kars. The
Russian Army had heavily fortified Kars, captured from the Turks in 1878, in
the intervening fifty years. The Russians turned over the defenses intact to the
Armenians, and so Kars was potentially a place where the Third Army could
expect to encounter serious resistance. Kars was defended by ten thousand
Armenians; Table 7.2 breaks down the weapons available for the defense of the
fortress.13
 End ofEmpire 185

Table 7.2
The Fortress of Kars, April 30,1918

Weapons Number on Hand

Fixed artillery 154
Machine guns 46
Reserve artillery 66
Reserve machine guns 20
Source: Turkish General Staff, Birinci Diinya Harbinde Turk Harbi Kafkas Cephesi 3ncu
Ordu Harekati, Cilt II (Ankara: GK Basimevi, 1993), Kroki (Map) 79.

The §evki Group advanced on this heavily fortified city in early April 1918.
The Armenians tried to delay the Turks by establishing defensive lines in depth,
but Yakup §evki Pasa hammered them back. By April 24 the Turks had almost
encircled Kars and laid siege to the city. It was clear to all concerned that the
Turks had the means and the determination to take the city. The Armenians
frantically tried to negotiate their way out of having to fight for the city. Vehip
Pasa demanded the surrender of the fortress intact as the price for a peaceful
withdrawal. The Armenians had no choice but to accept. The next day at 9
A.M., the Turks entered the intact fortress of Kars with its abundant storehouse
of supplies and large quantities of weapons. The artillery park was captured in
its entirety and added significant combat power to the Turkish Army. Vehip's
men continued eastward and near the end of April 1918, the Third Army had
swept to the old 1877 frontier.
Turkish offensive operations continued into May of 1918. In the IV Corps
area of responsibility, the 5th Infantry Division advanced over fifty kilometers
into northern Persia and captured the city of Hoy on May 2. From there the
division moved south and by May 18 had reached the vicinity of Dilman. The
IV Corps pushed east into Persia from Dogubeyazit as well, taking the city of
Moko. The §evki Pasa Group pushed beyond the 1877 frontier on a broad front,
conducting offensive operations along the railway line toward the Caucasian city
of Tiflis. The local Armenian population continued to flee to the east and to the
north. By the end of May 1918 the §evki Pasa Group had taken Gumru and
Karakilis. The leading elements of the group were now about fifty kilometers
from Tiflis itself. It was a magnificent achievement, but it reenergized Enver
Pasa's grand idea of a Pan-Turanic empire stretching beyond the Caspian Sea.
The political situation continued to deteriorate and became very confusing.
The Turks, Russians, and delegates from the Trans-Caucasian Federation had
been trying to reach some sort of an agreement since February 23 at a
conference in the port city of Trabzond. The Russians were hoping for an end to
Turkish expansion into the Caucasus and the Georgians, Azeris, and Armenians
sought to gain legitimacy for their fledgling national states. In the middle of
these negotiations, Georgian nationalists in Tiflis proclaimed the complete
independence of the Trancaucasian Federative Republic.14 Soon afterwards, the
186 Ordered to Die

Diet of the new state proclaimed its commitment to a continued state of war with
the Ottoman Empire. The talks at Trabzond collapsed.
Peace discussions were resumed in Batum on May 11, 1918. This time, the
Turks held all of the cards and rather than to become involved in time
consuming negotiations, Vehip Pa§a simply issued an ultimatum. Vehip
demanded the occupation of the Georgian regions around the cities of
Akhaltzikhe and Aleksandropol, the transfer of control of the Aleksandropol-
Nahcivan railway to the Turks, and the free use of all Transcaucasian railways
as long as the war against Britain continued. While the delegates bickered, the
Third Army continued its relentless advance. On May 15 Vehip was able to
issue further ultimatums, this time demanding full rail access to the Caspian port
of Baku.
The German delegate to the conference, General Otto von Lossow, who had
formerly played an active part in the negotiations, was stunned by the Turkish
demands. The Germans were not at all happy with the continuing Turkish drive
into the former Russian Empire, and regarded the Turkish acquisition of the
Caucasus as bordering on a serious violation of the Treaty of Brest Litovsk. At
the highest diplomatic levels, the Germans were unable to dissuade Enver Pa§a
from attempting to realize his dream of a Pan Turanic Empire. Unfortunately for
the Germans, alliance politics required the maintenance of effective relations
with Enver Pasa. Therefore the Germans resorted to creatively devious methods
by which to halt the Turkish incursion into the Caucasus. Colonel Kress von
Kressenstein, having been released from his assignment commanding the
Turkish Eighth Army, was sent to Tiflis, along with German diplomat von
Schulenberg. These two Germans hastily conferred with the alarmed leaders of
the Transcaucasian Federated Republic to arrive at an odd, yet enormously
creative solution to the problem.
On May 27 the Georgian members of the federated republic announced the
creation of a separate Georgian state. Simultaneously, von Kress and von
Schulenberg announced the creation of a German protectorate for the newly
independent Georgian state. The Turks were furious, Vehip calling for an
immediate invasion of Georgia. Von Lossow departed the Batum Conference for
Berlin, cutting off debate. Almost immediately signs of German influence
appeared in Georgia, with German and Georgian flags flying everywhere
together. The German Army transported companies of infantry by sea from the
Crimea to the Georgian port of Poti. Additionally, Berlin recalled German
troops in Syria and from the Ukraine for service in Georgia. The survival of the
Georgian Republic appeared to be a fait accompli. Alarmed by the growing rift
between allies, Enver Pasa and his new first assistant chief of staff, General
Hans von Seeckt went to Batum on June 5 for discussions with the Germans.
While there, Vehip's troops came directly into contact with a combined German
and Georgian force on the main road to Tiflis. The Turks attacked and took
many prisoners.15 This incident resulted in Berlin officially threatening to
withdraw its troops and support from the Ottoman Empire! Tensions between
the Germans and the Turks were at an all-time high.
 End of Empire 187

In a moment unusual for the hot tempered Enver Pa§a, he and von Seeckt
decided to attempt to reduce tensions. Conceding to German pressure, the
northward expansion of the Turks into Georgia was, for the moment, finished.
However, Enver refused to relinquish his cherished dream of a Pan Turanic
Empire and almost overnight revised the command arrangements and the
mission of the Third Army. On June 7 Enver decided once again to reform his
Caucasian forces. From the units of the Third Army, Enver formed a new Ninth
Army, the headquarters of which would be provided by the §evki Pasa Group
staff made up of personnel from the 2nd Caucasian Corps, which he now
officially dissolved. To coordinate the activities of these two armies, Enver
formed the new Eastern Army Group. Vehip Pasa moved up to command the
new Eastern Army Group, Lieutenant General Esat Pasa moved up to command
the Third Army, and Yakup §evki Pasa was appointed to command the new
Ninth Army.16 The Third Army retained the VI Corps (the 3 rd and the 36th
Caucasian Infantry Divisions) and the 5th and the 37th Caucasian Infantry
Divisions. The new Ninth Army commanded the 1st Caucasian Corps (the 9th
and the 10th Caucasian Infantry Divisions, and the 15th Infantry Division), the IV
Corps (the 11th Caucasian Infantry Division and the 5th and the 12th Infantry
Divisions), and an independent cavalry brigade. Contrary to some histories of
the war, very few additional Ottoman forces were diverted to the Caucasus in
support of these operations (about one and a half infantry divisions altogether).
Table 7.3 shows the disposition of Turkish Forces in June 1918.
In orders issued to all formations on June 8, Enver's plan went into effect on
June 9. This was an incredible revision of the command arrangements on the
Caucasian front and reflected Enver's new strategic concept for eastern
expansion. Halted from northward movement into Georgia, Enver Pa§a now
reoriented the strategic direction of his Caucasian forces to the east and to the
south, or toward Azerbaijan and Persia. The new command structure of the
Eastern Army Group accommodated that change in strategic direction by
establishing separate two armies, which could operate on a wide front.17 Along
with the new command arrangements came new missions and objectives. The
Ninth Army was directed to attack into Persia and to seize Tabriz. The Third
Army was directed to continue the drive eastwards towards the Caspian Sea.
The Third Army staff hurried to move troops and equipment around the theater
to support the new command structure and the new missions.
In the wake of the ill feelings built up between the Turks and the Germans
over the Batum crisis in early June, Enver also determined to replace Vehip
Pasa. On June 29 Enver ordered Vehip home to Constantinople, and ordered
Halil Pa§a, the Sixth Army commander, up from Mosul to replace Vehip Pasa as
the commander of the Eastern Army Group. Enver hoped that the change in
command in the Turkish Caucasian forces would end any lingering animosity
between the Germans and the Turks.
By mid-June 1918, the Third Army was well under way with a renewed
advance eastward. This advance proceeded along a twin axis of approach toward
Baku. The 5X Infantry Division led the way and relentlessly pushed east along
the Akstafa-Baku road, and along the railroad leading to Alyat on the Caspian
 Table 7.3
Disposition of Turkish Forces, June 1918
CAUCASIA
THRACE Eastern Army Group
1 Corps: 42 Inf. Div. Third Army
1 Cav. Bde. VI Corps: 3, 36 Cauc. Inf. Div.
25 Inf. Div. ANATOLIA PALESTINE
5, 37 Cauc. Inf. Div.
Second Army Yildirim Army Group
XV Corps:None
Ninth Army
Seventh Army
58 Inf. Div. 1st Cauc. Corps: 9, 10 Cauc. Inf. Div.
GALLIPOLI III Corps: 1, 24 Inf. Div.,
and 15 Inf. Div.
Fifth Army and 3 Cav. Div. IV Corps: 5,11,12 Inf. Div.
XIV Corps: 57 Inf. Div. SYRIA-WEST ARABIA XX Corps: 26, 53 Inf. Div. Independent Cav. Bde.
XIX Corps: None Fourth Army 19 Inf. Div.
XXI Corps: 49 Inf. Div. VIII Corps: 43, 48 Inf. Div. Asia Corps (German)
XII Corps: 23,41,44 Inf. Div. Eighth Army
Hicaz Group: 58 Inf. Div. and XXII Corps: 3, 7, 20 Inf. Div. MESOPOTAMIA
16, 54 Inf. Div. Sixth Army
three Provisional Inf. Div.
2 Cauc. Cav. Div. XIII Corps: 2, 6 Inf. Div.
Note: Units in boldface type indicate new formations; XVIII Corps: 14, 51, 52 Inf. Div.
units underlined indicate units redeployed since January 1918; 46 Inf. Div.
Units in boldface italic type indicate seriously understrength units.
Units inactivated: 4, 9, 10, 17, 18, 27, 29, 31, 32, ARABIA-YEMEN
34, 35, 38, 54, 59 Inf. Div.; VII Corps: 21, 22, 39,40 Inf. Div.
units redesignated: 13, 28, 30, 33 Inf. Div.
 End of Empire 189

coast south of Baku. The Armenians and Azeris counterattacked the advancing
Turkish columns and attempted to establish a defensive line in the vicinity of
Kurdamir. However, the 5th Infantry Division drove through all opposition and
pushed onward towards Baku. On many days the Turks advanced fifteen
kilometers or more and by the 27 of July had advanced to the high ground
overlooking the city of Baku.
The rest of the Third Army labored to catch up with the 5th Infantry Division's
swift movements and there was a temporary lull in the tempo of operations. The
VI Corps, having been left far behind, was dissolved and its divisions assigned
directly to the Third Army. Other organizational developments were also in the
making. Enver Pasa could not resist the psychological lure of Pan-Turanism and
conceived yet another idea supporting his dreams of empire. In July 1918, he
began to put together the idea of an "Army of Islam."18 This Islamic army, with
a hard core of Turkish divisions, would mobilize Islamic supporters in the
Trans-Caspian and Caucasian regions, and would sweep down through Persia
and retake the Shaat Al Arab. There it would block and entrap the British forces
in Mesopotamia. From there, the establishment of a Pan-Turanic Empire was
just a short step away. Enver's agents went to work to establish ties with and
support from the Pahlevi family in Persia. On July 10, 1918, Enver ordered his
ideas into action and activated the new Army of Islam. The nucleus of this new
army was small—only the 5th Caucasian Infantry Division and the 15th Infantry
Division, plus an independent brigade and an independent regiment. Command
of the Army of Islam was given to Mirliva Fahri Ferik Nuri Pasa. To maintain
the strength of both the Ninth Army and the Army of Islam, the Third Army was
reduced in strength and was sent to garrison the coast at Batum and the Georgian
frontier. The Ninth Army headquarters maintained itself in Kars and now
assumed the theater responsibilities from Baku to Tebriz and on to Saray inside
the Ottoman Empire. The headquarters of the new Army of Islam began to
deploy toward the city of Baku, where it could pick up control of the offensive
there. Map 7.1 shows Turkish operations in the this region in the summer of
1918.
Meanwhile, along the roads in Georgia, and in the Balkans and Black Sea
ports as well, Turkish soldiers who had been Russian prisoners of war (POWs)
began to appear in the Turkish lines. By July 21, 1918, the Ottoman government
knew that 1,457 officers and 17,715 soldiers who had been captured by the
Russians had been reported alive in Russian POW camps.19 That summer these
men began to make their way by train, and then by foot or boat, home to Turkey.
Some of these POWs had been mixed in with German POWs in camps near
Moscow. Of these known prisoners, only 2,260 returned to Turkey. However, an
additional 6,750 unaccounted for prisoners and 2,250 civilians returned from
Russian camps. These returnees reported that 15 percent of their number had
been massacred while in convoy en route.20 The fate of the others remains
unknown.
Map 7.1
Third Army Operations, 1918

Source: Turkish General Staff, Birinci Diinya Harbinde Turk Harbi Kafkas Cephesi 3ncu
Ordu Harekati, Cilt II (Ankara: GK Basimevi, 1993), Kroki (Map) 20.
 End of Empire 191

AZERBAIJAN

One of the more interesting vignettes of the First World War occurred as the
Turks conquered Azerbaijan and approached Baku. In early January 1918, the
British became quite concerned about Turkish inroads into the Caucasuses and,
in particular, were concerned about a possible threat to British interests in
Persia. Major General L. C. Dunsterville, who was a boyhood friend of Rudyard
Kipling and the model for "Stalky" of Kipling's Stalky and Co. was appointed as
the Chief of the Military Mission to the Caucasus. Dunsterville began to
organize his expedition, now called "Dunsterforce" at Baghdad in the spring of
1918. Dunsterville had a rather fuzzy mission, which was to proceed into Persia
and enter the Caucasus via the Caspian Sea. Typically, Dunsterville was well
supplied with money and advice. Dunsterville reached Enzeli, on the Caspian
coast, in mid-February, and there formed a small army of Cossacks, Russians,
and Azeris. He narrowly escaped ambush several times and retired to Hamadan.
There, Dunsterville began training his force with his British officers and
noncommissioned officers and awaited events as they unfolded in Enzeli.
Worried by the developing Turkish threat to the Baku oil fields, the British
began to send reinforcements to Dunsterville in June 1918. Dunsterforce then
had to fight its way back to Enzeli, where Dunsterville coordinated future
combined operations with Bicherakov's Cossacks. In early July, the Cossacks
landed at Alyat and the main body of Dunsterforce began to debark in Baku on
August 20.
In the meantime, the Army of Islam had begun its attack on Baku. At 3:30
A.M. July 31, the Turks attacked Hill 905, to the northwest of Baku. The attack
continued until August 2, when the Turks called it to halt. Turkish
reinforcements, in the form of the 10th Caucasian Infantry Division, joined the
51 Infantry Division, as well as several batteries of artillery and a cavalry
regiment. Halil Pasa prepared a second assault and on August 5 this attack was
launched, again aimed at Hill 905. The attack also failed, with the Turks losing a
total of 547 officers and men killed and wounded. The commander of the Army
of Islam attributed his failure to a well-organized defense and to the fact that his
soldiers were tired.21 The 10th Caucasian Infantry Division was pulled off the
line and the 15th Infantry Division, which had seen little fighting since its
deployment to the Caucasus, arrived to take its place.
Compounding the problem for the Turks were the first reports that three
hundred British soldiers had arrived in Baku on August 5 and that a further five
thousand were awaiting transportation in Enzeli. To compensate for this, the
Ninth Army was directed to threaten Enzeli and Hamadan with the hopes that
the British troops would be retained in Persia. The worried staff of the Army of
Islam now considered that they would need an additional five thousand fresh
troops and several batteries of heavy artillery to take Baku. By August 17
Dunsterforce had three battalions of British infantry, some field artillery, and
192 Ordered to Die

three armored cars in Baku. However, Dunsterville was becoming more

discouraged every day as the Azeri and Armenian defense force began to fall
apart from the lack of dynamic leadership. The Turks began to plan for the final
assault on Baku, with the 15th Infantry Division coming in from the north and
the 5th Caucasian Infantry Division attacking from the west. The main attack
would be made on the northwest corner of the Baku defenses. The Army of
Islam began its attacks at 1:00 A.M. on September 14, 1918, and the Turks made
rapid progress against crumbling defenses. Dunsterforce, in withdrawal planning
reminiscent of the Gallipoli evacuation, had its transport ready. Dunsterville
realized that the defense was failing and decided about 11:00 A.M. that he must
withdraw his forces. While his rear guards protected the evacuation,
Dunsterforce loaded its personnel and equipment, and by 10:00 P.M. on
September 14 they set sail for Enzeli.
With the withdrawal of the British, chaos broke out amongst the Azeris, the
Cossacks, and the refugee Armenians. Throughout the night, as the Turks drove
in the remaining defenses, fires, pillaging and massacre broke out in Baku. The
Turks continued their artillery bombardment of the town throughout the night.
By the next day, perhaps as many as six thousand Armenians were dead, many
of them refugee civilians, slaughtered by the Azeris.22 The Turks took the town
on September 15, 1918.
In the final assault on Baku, the Turks lost about a thousand casualties. Halil
Pasa telegraphed Enver Pasa on September 16 to announce the capture of Baku.
The Turks were stunned by the internecine massacre of the Armenians, but
many regarded it as just punishment for the massacres of Turks in the Erzurum
vilayet, which had happened when the Armenian National Army pulled out in
March 1918.23
After a period of reorganization, the Army of Islam pushed the 15th Infantry
Division northwards along the Caspian Sea to the town of Derbent, where on
October 7 the advance was halted by determined resistance. Under heavy naval
gunfire by Russian fleet units, the Turks continued their attacks on October 20,
the running battle lasting until October 26, when the Turks shattered all
remaining resistance. The 15th Infantry Division then continued to drive
northwards along the Caspian coast, arriving at Petrovsk on October 28. The
division launched several attacks in early November, finally taking the city on
November 8, 1918. The 15th Infantry Division had the honor of conducting the
last Turkish offensive operation in the First World War. This operation was
successful and it also marked the northernmost point of the Turkish advance into
the Caucasus Mountains.

PERSIA

Yakub §evki Pasa's Ninth Army initially had six infantry divisions assigned
to its rolls when it received the mission to invade Persia and to take Tabriz. By
the end of June 1918, two divisions had been taken away for other theater
requirements. Nevertheless, §evki Pasa attacked with his remaining forces. His
 End of Empire 193

12th Infantry Division attacked south, taking Dilman on June 18. By July 27 the
division had beaten its way down to Rumiye, and a month later it had taken the
southern shore of the Rumiye lake. To the north, §evki Pasa began a two-
division attack, which bypassed Erivan and went straight toward Nahcivan. That
city fell on July 19, 1918. Continuing down the railway toward Tabriz, the 11th
Infantry Division took Tabriz on August 23.24 Confronting an increasing British
presence in Persia, the Ninth Army's offensive now ground to a halt. In
September, the Turks had consolidated their hold on Northern Persia and held a
line reaching from Astara on the Caspian Sea to Miane in Persia (about sixty
kilometers southeast of Tabriz) and on into the Ottoman Empire near
SuTeymaniye. The Turks held this territory until the Armistice.

MEGGIDO

In Palestine, torrential rainstorms in the last week of 1917 and an ever-

hardening Turkish defense brought Allenby's offensive to a halt north of
Jerusalem. Entering 1918, the Yildirim Army Group enjoyed a period of relative
calm after the storm of the British offensive. The Turks used this time to
reinforce the 1st and the 24th Infantry Divisions with additional infantry
battalions and to consolidate their defensive lines.
In February 1918 Allenby renewed his offensive by ordering an attack on
Jericho. The British hoped to force the Turkish XX Corps back across the
Jordan River. The attack began on February 19 and hit hard the 26th and the 53rd
Infantry Divisions. In just two days, the British broke into the Turkish defensive
system. The Turks ordered a withdrawal to the east bank of the Jordan River,
where the Seventh Army reestablished a solid defense.
February 1918 also brought an important change in the command structure of
the Yildirim Army Group—the relief of von Falkenhayn. Over the preceding four
months, the Turks, at all levels, had become increasingly dissatisfied with the
advice and command of General von Falkenhayn. His direction and dispositions
were thought to have resulted in the debacles at Gaza and Beersheba. Part of von
Falkenhayn's troubles were caused by his high-handed contempt for Turkish
officers and by his refusal to allow Turkish staff officers to participate in
planning combat operations. The reputation for success and credibility in
multinational combat operations that von Falkenhayn had built in Romania was
proving to be a disappointment in the eyes of Enver Pasa and the Turkish
General Staff. The Yildirim Army Commander found himself remembered for
his direction of Verdun and for his failure to hold the Gaza-Beersheba line,
rather than for his success in Romania. First assistant chief of staff von Seeckt
had visited von Falkenhayn's headquarters on February 6 and had come away
disappointed. Because of this loss of confidence, Enver Pasa, in consultation
with von Seeckt, was determined to relieve von Falkenhayn.25 As potential
replacements, there were several possibilities available in Constantinople,
particularly General von Lossow, Chief of the Military Mission and Liman von
Sanders Pasa (having been awarded this honorific after the successful Gallipoli
194 Ordered to Die

campaign), then commanding the Turkish First Army. In spite of their great
differences in opinion about Turkey's strategic direction of the war, Enver
retained great respect for the fighting abilities of Liman von Sanders (hereafter
called by his Turkish title of Liman Pasa). On February 19 Enver approached
Liman Pasa with an offer to command the Yildirim Army Group. Liman Pasa,
tired of being sidelined in Turkish Thrace, eagerly accepted Enver's offer. On
February 24, 1918, the Turkish General Staff issued orders stating the following:

1. By order of the German General Staff, Marshal von Falkenhayn is recalled

and is assigned to other duties. Marshal Liman von Sanders is assigned as
Commander of the Yildirim Army Group.
2. The officers of the First Army headquarters will embark from Bandirma (for
departure with Liman Pasa) and the Fifth Army will reorganize itself to
assume the responsibilities of the First Army.
3. The First Army is hereby inactivated and all assets and units will herewith fall
under the control of the Fifth Army.
4. The Second and Sixth Armies are reassigned to the control of the Turkish
General Staff.
5. The Second and Sixth Armies, and the Euphrates Group are relieved from
assignment to the Yildirim Army Group.
6. The Fourth Army will insure that it coordinates operations with the Seventh
and the Eighth Armies (author's note: effectively subordinating the Fourth
Army to the control of the Yildirim Army Group).
7. Under the authority of paragraph 1, Marshal Liman von Sanders will report
when he has assumed command. Paragraphs 2 through 4 will take effect on
March 1, 1918.26

This order had several far-reaching consequences. First, by dissolving the

First Army staff and by sending these officers with Liman Pasa, Enver ensured
that the composition of the Yildirim Army Group staff would become
predominately Turkish. Second, the wording in paragraph one of the order
transferred the onus of Falkenhayn's relief to the German General Staff, which
would assuage any residual bad feelings resulting from von Falkenhayn's relief.
Third, the order decoupled the Mesopotamian Theater from the Yildirim Army
Group, which would streamline and simplify its responsibilities. Finally, the
order directed Cemal's Fourth Army to coordinate its operations with Liman's
forces. Cemal would shortly thereafter give up command of the Fourth Army,
thus clearing the way for the full control of that army by Liman Pasa. This
insured that the Palestine front was finally brought under the control of a single
commander. Overall, these revisions were very carefully orchestrated and put to
rest several organizational problems which had afflicted the defense of
Palestine.
Liman Pasa turned over his responsibilities for the defense of Thrace to the
Commander of Fifth Army and departed immediately for his new posting. He
arrived in Syria with his staff on March 8 and immediately assumed command
of the Yildirim Army Group. There he consulted with von Falkenhayn about the
 End of Empire 195

defensive strategy for Palestine. Von Falkenhayn was an advocate of the active
defense27 and had set up a flexible defense, which allowed for both retreat and
for the surrender of ground. Liman Pasa, based on his unyielding defense of the
Gallipoli Peninsula, held to an opposite theory of tactical defense-that of
refusing to give up an inch of ground by compelling formations to defend terrain
at all costs. Unhappy with von Falkenhayn's plans and tactical instructions,
Liman Pa§a began immediately to reverse the operational and tactical direction
of the Yildirim Army Group. This would have serious consequences in the fall
of 1918.
Shortly after Liman Papa's arrival, the British conducted another offensive,
aimed again at establishing a bridgehead on the east bank of the Jordan. This
offensive was coordinated with large scale Arab raids on the Dera-Hejaz railway
and was preceded by diversionary attacks across the entire front. On March 21,
the British launched a major attack with two infantry divisions and two cavalry
divisions, which broke through the Jordan River line. The British advanced
against the Turkish 48th Infantry Division. By March 30, in a stunning advance,
the British had pushed the 48th Division back into the city of Amman, on the
Hejaz railway. For reasons not clearly explained either in the British official
campaign history or by Field Marshall Wavell in his biography of Allenby, the
British decided to withdraw on March 31. Certainly, the stated reason that the
Turks had brought up substantial reserves, which offset the numerical advantage
of the British, was not at all true. Possession of Amman would cut, once and for
all, the Dera-Hejaz railway and also outflanked the strong Turkish main
defensive lines. It was an important objective for the British and the
abandonment of their attack, and subsequent withdrawal, is not easily explained.
The Turks pursued the withdrawing British and continued to compress them into
the Jordan River valley. After a bloody repulse on April 11, the Turks halted
their counterattacks and began to dig in. The Turks called this the First Battle of
the Jordan.
The Second Battle of the Jordan began on April 30, with the British again
launching an attack from their bridgehead across the Jordan toward Amman. In
the intervening two weeks, the Turks had finally brought up strong forces (the
24t Infantry Division and the 3 rd Cavalry Division), which were available to
conduct a flank attack on the advancing British. Counterattacks by these Turkish
divisions were executed between May 2 and May 4 and brought the British
offensive to a quick termination. Further fighting broke out in this area in mid-
July 1918, but it was costly and failed to give either side any significant
advantage.
With the exception of these operations on the far-left flank of the Turkish line,
the Palestine theater was relatively quiet during the spring and summer of 1918.
The principal reason was that the gigantic Ludendorff Offensives in France
during the spring of 1918 forced the Imperial General Staff to tap Allenby's
Army for vitally needed reinforcements. Allenby was forced to send to France,
beginning in March, two infantry divisions, nine yeomanry (cavalry) regiments,
twenty-four British infantry battalions, five heavy artillery batteries and five
machine gun companies.28 In return, he received several Indian Army infantry
196 Ordered to Die

divisions from Mesopotamia, and a number of Indian cavalry regiments and

infantry battalions. Thus gutted, Allenby lost a significant portion of his trained
and experienced British Army combat power, and in return received less
welltrained Indian Army troops. This turn of events forced Allenby to spend the
summer engaged in a complete reorganization and retraining of his army. The
British were still left with seven full infantry divisions in Palestine, but the
national character of these formations had changed significantly. Only a single
all-British infantry division remained, four others being two-thirds Indian, and
the final two were entirely Indian Army infantry divisions. Only in mounted
strength did Allenby's situation actually improve, gaining one division, for a
total of four mounted divisions. Allenby still commanded a large and well-
equipped army with which to renew the offensive against the Yildirim Army
Group. Turkish intelligence estimated Allenby's effective and mobile combat
strength at 56,000 riflemen, 11,000 cavalry, and 552 artillery pieces.29
To oppose this collection of Imperial strength, in August 1918, the Yildirim
Army Group disposed 40,598 front line infantrymen, who were armed with
19,819 rifles, 273 light and 696 heavy machine guns.30 The number of Turkish
machine guns available to the Yildirim Army Group, in comparison with other
campaigns, seems unusually high and probably includes the assets of the
German Asia Corps. For the ninety-plus kilometer-wide front, the Turks had
twelve understrength divisions available for the defense. Cevat's Eighth Army
defended the coast with the XXII Corps (7th and 20th Infantry Divisions) and the
Left Wing Group, a corps-sized formation commanded by German Colonel von
Oppen (16th and 19th Infantry Divisions, and the German Asia Corps). The line
continued with Mustafa Kemal Pasa's Seventh Army of the III Corps (1 st and
11th Infantry Divisions) and the XX Corps (26th and 53rd Infantry Division).
Cemal's Fourth Army hooked south with the VIII Corps (the 48th Infantry
Division, a provisional division, and the division-sized §erstal Group), the §eria
Group or Jordan Group (3rd Cavalry and 24th Infantry Divisions), and the II
Corps (62nd Infantry Division). A significant asset for the Turks returned in the
person of Mustafa Kemal when he took command of the Seventh Army on
August 17. Liman Pasa and his subordinate commanders worked feverishly to
prepare the defense to receive what was expected to be a major British
offensive. In early September 1918, the signs of an impending British offensive
were undeniable, but Liman and the Turks were unable to pinpoint the exact
area where Allenby would strike. This was due to the superb tactical deception
measures which Allenby used. Consequently, the Yildirim Army Group
remained spread along the entire front in static defensive positions. The only
divisional formations available for reserve duty at the operational level were the
2nd Caucasian Cavalry Division in the Eighth Army area and the 3 rd Cavalry
Division in the Fourth Army area. In the event of a major British breakthrough,
Liman Pasa had few reserves and even fewer options. However, Liman's faith in
the fighting qualities of his well-dug-in Turkish infantry remained high. Table
7.4 shows the disposition of Turkish forces in September 1918.
Allenby's plan was the reverse of the Gaza-Beersheba plan of 1917. Instead
of feinting near the sea and then attacking inland at Beersheba, in 1918 Allenby
 Table 7.4
Disposition of Turkish Forces, September 1918
CAUCASIA
THRACE PALESTINE
Eastern Army Group
First Army Yildirim Army Group
Third Army
I Corps: 42 Inf. Div. Fourth Army
3,10, 36 Caucasian Inf. Div.
1 Cav. Bde. / / Corps: 62 Inf. Div.
Ninth Army
ANATOLIA + three Provisional Inf. Divs.
9,11 Caucasian Inf. Div.
Second Army Jordan Group: 24 Div., 3 Cav. Div.
12 Inf. Div.
XII Corps: 23 Inf. Div. VIII Corps: 48 Div., Provisional Inf. Div.
Independent Cav. Bde.
XV Corps: 41, 44 Inf. Div. Seventh Army
Army of Islam
GALLIPOLI 58 Inf. Div. / / / Corps: 1,11 Inf. Div.
5 Caucasian Inf. Div.
Fifth Army XX Corps: 26, 53 Inf. Div.
15 Inf. Div.
XIV Corps: 57 Inf. Div. Eighth Army
XIX Corps: None XXII Corps: 7, 20 Inf. Div.
XXI Corps: 49 Inf. Div. Left Wing Corps: 16,19 Inf. Div.
+ Asia Corps MESOPOTAMIA
2 Caucasian Cav. Div. Sixth Army
XIII Corps: 2, 6 Inf. Div.
XVIII Corps: 14, 46 Inf. Div.
Note: Units in boldface type indicate new formations; units underlined indicate units
redeployed since August 1918; units in bold italic type indicate seriously understrength
units. Units inactivated: 3,4, 8, 9, 10, 11, 17, 18, 25, 27, 29, 31, 32, 34, 35, 38, 50, 51, ARABIA-YEMEN
52, 54, 59 Infantry Divisions; 37 Caucasian Infantry Division; units redesignated: 13, VII Corps: 21, 22, 39, 40 Inf. Div.
28, 30, 33 Infantry Divisions.
198 Ordered to Die

chose to feint near the Jordan River (scene of his spring and summer offensives)
and then to smash his way through the Turkish defenses on a narrow avenue
next to the sea. Achieving a breakthrough, Allenby intended to pass his cavalry
corps through the breach and rupture the Turk's lines of communications. This
being accomplished, Allenby sought to envelop the remaining Turkish forces. It
was strategy on a grand scale.
The British offensive began with the Arabs and Colonel T. E. Lawrence
conducting railway cutting raids between Dera and Amman on September 16.
On September 17 and 18 the British Twentieth Corps began a diversionary
attack in the center of the Turkish front. These operations were designed to fix
the Turks in place and to deceive them as to the true location of the main attack.
The Turks were not deceived but their attention remained fixed on the hills near
Jerusalem where Liman von Sanders thought Allenby would strike.31 This was
reinforced by supporting Arab activity (primarily rail and bridge interdiction)
near Amman and by the aerial bombing of the Dera railroad station.32 Because
of allied air superiority, the Turks were unable to conduct air reconnaissance to
confirm Allenby's true intentions. By the evening of October 18, in reaction to
the British plan the reserves of the Yildirim Army Group were beginning to shift
to the east. At 4:30 A.M. on the morning of September 19 Allenby attacked with
a reinforced corps on a narrow twenty-kilometer-wide sector adjacent to the sea.
Here he massed 35,000 infantry, 9,000 cavalry, and 400 guns against the 8,000
infantry and 120 guns33 of the Turkish 7th and the 20th Infantry Divisions. What
the British would call the Battle of Meggido and the Turks would call the Battle
of the Nablus Plain had begun.
Because of Liman Pasa's tactical guidance, the Turks were prepared to fight
to the finish for their positions. Initially, very heavy British artillery fires
pounded the frontline positions of the regiments of the 7th and the 20th Infantry
Divisions. At 4:50 A.M., the British artillery firing had ceased. Allenby did not
believe in extended bombardments and the assaulting infantry came forward
almost immediately on the heels of the incoming artillery. By 5:45 A.M. the
Turk's telephone lines to the front were cut and by 5:50 A.M. all local Turkish
reserves had been committed to the fight.34 Modern Turkish military histories
report that there was very little barbed wire available on the Palestine front at
this time and indicate that the absence of heavy defensive wiring had a
significant effect on the rapidity of the British onslaught.35 Reports indicating an
imminent collapse poured into the Turkish XXII Corps Headquarters. By 7:00
A.M., the British had broken cleanly through the Turkish defenses and were
about to pass the waiting cavalry through the breach into the Turkish rear. The
first real reports about the conditions in the breakthrough area reached Liman
Pasa at 8:50 A.M. from the Eighth Army. These reports said that the 7th Infantry
Division was all but destroyed and the situation was very bad. Additionally, the
XXII Corps artillery had been lost. The army also reported that the adjacent 19th
Infantry Division was now under heavy attack. The report ended with an urgent
request for assistance.36 Two small rear guards, comprised of one hundred men,
two machine guns, and seventeen artillery pieces in the 7th Infantry Divisions
sector; and of 300 men, four machine guns, and seven artillery pieces in the 20th
 End of Empire 199

Infantry Division's sector, were desperately trying to keep the British from
breaking into the Turkish rear areas.37 To make matters worse, an Arab regiment
threw down their arms and deserted. Liman Pasa responded immediately
sending his only available large reserve, the 110th Infantry Regiment, forward to
help the Eighth Army. It was too little too late. By 10:00 A.M., the British had
passed two entire cavalry divisions through the huge hole blown open in the
Turkish defenses. These cavalry divisions were instructed to ride hard and
straight towards the Turkish rear. Deep objectives were chosen, including the
town of Nazareth, containing Liman Pasa's headquarters, Meggido, and the
northern exits of the Plain of Esdraelon. It was hoped that the cavalry would be
able to capture Liman Pasa himself. One of the last great cavalry operations in
the history of warfare was about to begin.
Disturbing reports from the center and the left wing began arriving at Liman
Pasa's headquarters throughout the day. Tire fell at 11:00 A.M. that day as well.
He quickly interpreted the devastating news correctly; his right wing was
destroyed and his flank exposed. He reacted promptly and ordered the Seventh
Army to begin withdrawing to the north in order to prevent the British from
conducting a short envelopment to the Jordan River. He also ordered the newly
arrived 46th Infantry Division forward towards Tire. Liman hoped that the
Fourth Army could hold firm and provide a solid anchor for his rapidly
disappearing army. By September 20, the British cavalry had taken Nazareth,
almost capturing the surprised Liman Pasa at 4:30 A.M. that morning. Reports
indicated that the XXII Corps had been reduced to one thousand to fifteen
hundred riflemen and three batteries (about twelve guns). The following day the
enemy had reached the shores of the Sea of Galilee and the upper Jordan River.
The Eighth Army headquarters had survived, but all contact with the remnants
of the 7th and 19th Infantry Divisions had been lost. For all practical purposes,
the Turkish XXII Corps was destroyed.
Under Mustafa Kemal Papa's sure grip, the Seventh Army was retiring
towards the Jordan River in fair order and the Fourth Army was holding firm on
the left flank. The remnants of the shattered Eighth Army were slowly retreating
but were now in danger of encirclement. However, the Yildirim Army Group
had absolutely no combat formations available to prevent Allenby's army from
advancing north along the coast. It was an impossible strategic and operational
situation for Liman Pasa. On September 21 through 23, the famous III Corps
fought a gallant rear guard action from Tubas to the Jordan River. This allowed
the retreating elements of the Eighth Army to block the developing British
encirclement. Together, these units bought enough time for the Turks to pull
back behind the Jordan River. By September 25, the great coastal cities of Haifa
and Acre fell, as did Meggido. Under these chaotic conditions, huge numbers of
prisoners were captured as the Allied cavalry swept up the beaten remnants of
many proud Turkish regiments. The operation was the swan song of the British
cavalry and went down in history as one of the great cavalry campaigns of
history. The slow marching British and Indian infantry struggled to catch up. By
September 27 the cavalry had broken the Jordan River line and pushed the Turks
200 Ordered to Die

back toward Dera. The British had now entered Syria. The Battle of Meggido,
which was really a series of battles within a campaign, had finally ended.
The Battle of the Nablus Plain ranks with Ludendorff s "Black Days" of the
German Army in the effect that it had on the consciousness of the Turkish
General Staff. It was now apparent to all but the most diehard nationalists that
the Turks were finished in the war. In spite of the great victories in Armenia and
in Azerbaijan, Turkey was now in an indefensible condition, which could not be
remedied with the resources on hand. It was also apparent that the disintegration
of the Bulgarian Army at Salonika and the dissolution of the Austro-Hungarian
Army spelled disaster and defeat for the Central Powers. From now until the
Armistice, the focus of Turkish strategy would be to retain as much Ottoman
territory as possible.
Why had Liman von Sanders's front collapsed so quickly? He had, after all,
the highest ratio of artillery and machine guns yet seen by a Turkish army
available to support his entrenched infantry. Additionally, his flanks were
solidify anchored on the sea and on the Jordan River heights. There were three
basic reasons, none of which had anything to do with the fighting attributes of
the Turkish soldiers themselves. First, at the strategic level, the terrain was
favorable for the attack, at least in comparison with Gallipoli or Caucasia.
Second, there was scope at the operational level for Allenby to shift corps-sized
formations around the battlefield for deception and concentration. Third, the
British Army had made mighty improvements in its tactical techniques at the
lower battlefield level in 1917 and 1918. Falkenhayn grasped these changes to a
greater degree than did Liman von Sanders. This was quite likely due to
Falkenhayn's greater and more recent European combat experience, when
compared with Liman von Sanders's rather limited Gallipoli experience, which
had occurred very early in the war against a tactically unsophisticated British
Army. Falkenhayn's ideas reflected contemporary German tactical thinking
about ceding ground followed by immediate and powerful counterattacks, rather
than holding every square inch at whatever the cost.
Whether the outcome of these battles would have been different had Falkenhayn's
ideas prevailed will never be known. However, it is likely that a more flexible
Turkish defense would not have resulted in the uniquely decisive and rapid
British breakthrough. A subsequent orderly fighting withdrawal, as at Gaza,
might have avoided the total destruction of division-level Turkish formations.
Although surely the British would have advanced in any case, the survival of the
infantry divisions on the Turkish right flank might have prevented the ruptured
lines that enabled the great British cavalry breakthrough leading to the Meggido
disaster.

SYRIA

Liman Pa§a and his subordinate Turkish officers fought valiantly to keep the
armies intact and in being, Allenby maintained relentless pressure and ordered
his fast-moving, powerful cavalry to seize Damascus. Liman Pasa shifted some
 End ofEmpire 201

of his few remaining combat formations northwards to deal with this threat and
assembled the 24th, 26th, and the 53rd Infantry Divisions and the 3 rd Cavalry
Division under the command of the III Corps for the defense of the city.
However, these units were badly worn down by combat and by retreat and could
not hold Damascus, which fell on October 1, 1918. The 3 rd Cavalry Division
fought a heroic rear guard action, which allowed the remainder of the Turkish
forces to escape northward. Liman's headquarters retired to Baalbek.
The strategic situation confronting Liman Pasa on October 6, 1918, was grim
to say the least. The Eighth Army had been destroyed and its headquarters
dissolved. The III Corps, with the 1st and the 11th Infantry Divisions was still
intact and conducting a fighting retreat, as was the XX Corps, and the 48th
Infantry Division. In addition to the lost divisions of infantry, the Yildirim Army
Group had lost most of its artillery. In early October the 43 rd Infantry Division
arrived and was immediately committed to the defense of Beirut. The situation
appeared hopeless.
Allenby's pressure never stopped, and the British took Beirut on October and
kept driving northward. On October 16 the Fourth Army headquarters was
encircled and destroyed in the city of Humus. The 48th Infantry Division
attempted to set up blocking positions at Hama, south of Aleppo, but was
thrown out of them on October 19. On October 25 Allenby's amy entered
Aleppo. The campaign for Syria was over.
On October 26, 1918, the headquarters of the Yildirim Army Group had fallen
back to the Anatolian city of Adana, where it was collocated with the Second
Army, XII Corps headquarters, and the headquarters of the 23 rd Infantry
Division which had its main body at Tarsus. The XV Corps was in Osmaniye
(41st and 44th Infantry Divisions). The Seventh Army was located in Raco and
maintained the III Corps at Alexandretta (11th and 24th Infantry Divisions), and
the XX Corps near Katma (1 st and 43 rd Infantry Divisions).
On October 30 the newly installed Turkish minister of war, Ahmet Izzet Pasa
recalled Liman Pasa to Constantinople. Mustafa Kemal Pasa was appointed to
command the Yildirim Army Group in his place and reported to the
headquarters at Adana the next day. Liman Pasa's farewell message to his
armies praised their performance at Ariburnu, Anafarta, and at subsequent
locations. He expressed how proud he was to command Turkish forces from the
first time he set foot in Turkey and he thanked the Turks for their hospitality.38
The tireless Mustafa Kemal went immediately to work planning for the defense
of the Anatolian homeland. Table 7.5 shows the disposition of Turkish Forces in
November 1918. The Turkish Official History of die Sinai-Palestine campaign
does not list the cost or the casualties that Turkey sustained in these campaigns.
General Wavell, in his biography of Allenby, states that the British took 75,000
prisoners and 360 guns in the six weeks campaign from September 18 through
October 31. Indeed, the Turkish official history of the campaign quotes these
British figures, possibly as a result of the loss of records caused by the
destruction of the Fourth and the Eighth Army headquarters. The cost to the
British was about six thousand men. Allenby's lopsided victory seemed near
complete; however, it must be pointed out that the Turkish Army was still in the
 Table 7.5
Disposition of Turkish Forces, November 1918
THRACE
Third Army HQS CAUCASIA
10 Cauc. Inf. Div (moving) Eastern Army Group
XXV Corps: None SYRIA Ninth Army
Yildirim Army Group 3, 9, 11 Cauc. Inf. Div., 12 Inf. Div.
GALLIPOLI Asia Corps (German) Independent Cav. Bde.
Fifth Army Second Army Army of Islam
I Corps: 55 Inf. Div. XII Corps: 23 Inf. Div. 5 Cauc. Inf. Div., 15 Inf. Div.
XIV Corps: 49, 60, 61 Inf. Div. XV Corps: 41, 44 Inf. Div.
Seventh Army
SYMRNA-WEST ANATOLIA III Corps: 11, 24 Inf. Div.
Eighth Army (reforming) XX Corps: 1, 43 Inf. Div.
XVII: 58 Inf. Div.
MESOPOTAMIA
XXI Corps: 57 Inf. Div.
Sixth Army
XIII Corps: 2, 6 Inf. Div.
Note: Units in boldface type indicate new formations;
units underlined indicate units redeployed since September 1918;
units in boldface italic indicate seriously understrength units. ARABIA-YEMEN
Units Inactivated: 3, 4, 8, 9, 10, 11, 17, 18, 25,27,29,31,32,34,35,38, VII Corps: 21, 22, 39, 40 Inf. Div.
50, 51, 52, 54, 59 Inf. Div; 36, 37 Cauc. Inf Div.;
units redesignated: 13, 28, 30, 33 Inf. Div.
 End of Empire 203

field and actively preparing its defense of the Anatolian heartland when the
Armistice was signed.

MESOPOTAMIA

For most of 1918 Mesopotamia remained a quiet backwater for both the
British and the Turks. The British stripped the theater in the spring of 1918 in
order to backfill troops to replace forces that Allenby had to send to France. The
Dunsterforce adventure further drained valuable resources from the theater. On
the Turkish side, the theater received no replacements and their forces slowly
wore away because of disease, desertions, and some small combat losses. The
British attacked in March 1918, attempting to outflank the XVIII Corps' line on
the Euphrates at Khan Baghdad. However, except for severe Turkish losses of
about five thousand men, the results were inconclusive. Then, beset by the
requirement to send reinforcements to Allenby, the British settled in to endure
the long Mesopotamian summer.
Nothing of importance happened in the theater until late September, when
suddenly, the War Cabinet directed General Marshall to advance up river. It was
apparent to London that the Turkish War would soon end and there was
belatedly great interest in the seizure of Mosul, with its oil resources. The
British began to prepare and outfit an expeditionary force to attack Mosul. On
October 2 General Marshall was "put on notice" to gain as much ground as
possible in the event of an armistice with Turkey. This acted as a stimulant to
the lethargic British command in Mesopotamia. The British began to advance
up-river and they met the XVIII Corps' 14th and 46th Infantry Divisions at their
defensive positions along the Tigris. The British attacked on October 23 and
forced the Turks to fall back to the Little Zab River. A British cavalry brigade
found a ford upstream and began a flanking maneuver, which forced the Turks
back once again. The Turkish Commander, Ismail Hakki Bey, retreated to a
position north of Sharqat, where he dug in. British cavalry again swept in from
behind and cut off the Turkish force. Hakki Bey was aware of the ongoing
Mudros peace talks and was in no mood to either fight or attempt to break out.
He, therefore, decided to surrender his force and at 7:30 A.M. on October 30,
1918, the Tigris Group surrendered. The British counted 11,322 prisoners and
51 guns taken. The British cavalry brigade made for the now totally undefended
city of Mosul and occupied it on November 1, 1918, in violation of the terms of
the armistice agreement. The Turkish Sixth Army and portions of the XIII Corps
remained in being, although possessing very little combat capability. The war in
Mesopotamia was over.

ARMISTICE AT MUDROS

It was not Allenby's success in Palestine and in Syria that convinced the
Turks to quit the war. Rather, it was the advance of General Milne's army from
204 Ordered to Die

Bulgaria, which threatened Thrace and Constantinople, that convinced them of

the empire's untenable position.39 The force pool which had been maintained so
carefully throughout the war in European Thrace had long been emptied to
support the compelling requirements of Palestine, Caucasia, and Mesopotamia,
leaving Constantinople almost undefended. The breakout of the Allies from the
Salonika beachhead created a strategic crisis for which there was no answer. On
October 5, 1918, Talat Pasa's cabinet decided to explore the possibility of an
armistice.
On October 13, 1918, the Turkish charge d'affaires in Madrid sought Spanish
assistance in requesting President Wilson's help in taking Turkey out of the war.
The Turks were impressed with Wilson's Fourteen Points and also by his
apparent magnanimity towards Turkey. When this failed to achieve the desired
results, the Turks sent out their highest-ranking British prisoner, Major General
Townshend, the defeated commander of Kut, to the island of Lesbos to
announce their intention to seek an armistice. This act galvanized the British and
provoked the French. Turkey and the Allies then entered into negotiations,
which took place on the island of Mudros at the mouth of the Dardanelles. There
was much dissension and rivalry between the victors. Ultimately, conditions
favored by the British were agreed to by the Turkish delegation and an armistice
was signed on the deck of the battleship Agamemnon on October 30, 1918.40
Turkey was out of the war.
But what of the Turkish Army? Although battered and ground down, the
Turkish Army was still in the field on October 31, 1918. It counted on its rolls
twenty-five numbered infantry divisions, four fortress commands, and three
provisional infantry divisions. The command and control structure of the
Turkish Army was still intact and remained capable of conducting combat
operations with approximately one million men still under arms. Although it was
bloodied, the Turkish Army still retained possession of the Anatolian heartland
and most of the Russian Caucasian provinces. The British felt that the Turkish
Army was on the verge of collapse, but there is almost no question that the army
would have continued to fight until the very end.41

NOTES

1. W. E. D. Allen and Paul Muratoff, Caucasian Battlefields: A History of the Wars on

the Turco-Caucasian Border 1828-1921 (Cambridge: Cambridge University Press,
1953), 457.
2. Turkish General Staff, Birinci Diinya Harbinde Turk Harbi Kafkas Cephesi 3ncu
Ordu Harekati, Cilt II (Ankara: GK Basimevi, 1993), 441.
3. General Fahri Belen, Birinci Cihan Harbinde Turk Harbi 1918 Yili Hareketleri, V
Cilt (Ankara: GK Basimevi, 1967), 149-150.
4. Ibid., 150.
5. Ibid., 151.
 End of Empire 205

6. Turkish General Staff, 3ncu Ordu Harekati, 442.

7. W. E D. Allen and Paul Muratoff, Caucasian Battlefields, p. 458.
8. ATASE, Commander, Ciphered Report, Operations of 13-14 March, from Third
Army Commander to Acting Commanding General, March 21, 1918. Numerous dead
Muslim Turks were discovered in the area between Erzincan and Erzurum, including
children. However, the Third Army troops had not gotten off the main roads and into the
villages yet, and larger numbers of the dead were expected to turn up. Archive 4/3671,
Cabinet 163, Drawer 5, File 2947, Section 628, Index 31-, 3-3.
ATASE, Cipher to Fourth Army, April 1, 1918. In the city of Erzurum 2,127 dead
Muslim Turkish males were found. The only people there at the time were the Armenians
(the Russians having previously departed). Archive 4/3671, Cabinet 163, Drawer 5, File
2947, Section 628, Index 3-4.
9. ATASE, Ciphered message from the Operations Division, Headquarters, Third
Army to the 1st and 2nd Caucasian Corps Commanders, March 25, 1918. "Prepare to
move onwards to Oltu and Kars. You can expect to find armed resistance in the villages
from Armenians and Greeks, including artillery and machine guns." Archive 4/3671,
Cabinet 161, Drawer 1, File 2914, Section 477, Index 67-2, 67-3.
10. Turkish General Staff, 3ncu Ordu Harekati All.
11. Ibid., 478.
12. ATASE, Ciphered message from the 2nd Division (Intelligence), Headquarters,
Third Army to the Turkish General Staff, May 1, 1918. This report identifies villages
between Trabzon and Erzincan. It also noted that in Erzincan that Muslims were not only
slaughtered but that they had been dismembered into pieces. Archive 1 /2, Cabinet 109,
Drawer 4, File 359, Section 1023, Index 3-36.
13. Turkish General Staff, 3ncu Ordu Hareketleri, Kroki (Map) 79.
14. Allen and Muratoff, Caucasian Battlefields, 466.
15. Ibid., 478.
16. Contrary to the information presented by Allen and Muratoff, Vehip Pasa was not
immediately fired and replaced by Halil Pasa.
17. Turkish General Staff, 3ncu Ordu Harekati, 526.
18. Ibid., 544.
19. Turkish General Staff, Turk Silahli Kuvvetleri Tarihi Osmanli Devri Birinci Diinya
Harbi Idari Faaliyetler ve Lojistik, Xncu Cilt, (Ankara: Gnkur Basimevi, 1985), 507.
20. Ibid., 507.
21. Turkish General staff, 3ncu Ordu Harekati, 580, 581.
22. Allen and Muratoff, Caucasian Battlefields, 495.
23. Turkish General Staff, 3ncu Ordu Harekati, 592.
24. Ibid., 544.
25. Turkish General Staff, Birinci Diinya Harbinde Turk Harbi Sina-Filistin Cephesi
IV Cilt 2ncu Kisim (Ankara: GK Basimevi, 1986), 536.
26. Ibid., 538.
27. Ibid., 540.
28. General Sir Arcihbald Wavell, Allenby: A Study in Greatness (New York: Oxford
University Press, 1941), 249-250.
29. Turkish General Staff, Sina-Filistin Cephesi, 615.
30. Ibid., 617.
31. Belen, 1918 Yili Hareketleri, 69.
32. Belen, 1918 Yili Hareketleri, 71.
33. Wavell, Allenby: A Study in Greatness, 269.
34. Turkish General Staff, Sina-Filistin Cephesi, 626.
206 Ordered to Die

35. Belen, 1918 Yili Hareketleri, 72.

36. Turkish General Staff, Sina-Filistin Cephesi, 627.
37. Belen, 1918 Yili Hareketleri, 72.
38. Turkish General Staff, Sina-Filistin Cephesi, 731.
39. Belen, 1918 Yili Hareketleri, 206.
40. Busch, Briton Cooper. Mudros to Lausanne: Britain's Frontier in West Asia, 1918-
1923 (Albany: State University of New York Press, 1976), 10-20.
41. Turkish General Staff, Turk Istiklal Harbi I, Mondros Miitarekesi ve Tatbikati
(Ankara: Genelkurmay Basimevi, 1999), 11-20. At the tactical level, the Turkish armies
in the field were preparing to continue the fight into the winter of 1918-1919.
 8
Conclusion

AFTER MUDROS

The armistice found the Turkish Army in the midst of three important actions:
(1) the Yildirim Army was preparing for a determined defense of the Anatolian
heartland immediately to the north of Aleppo, (2) the Ninth Army was
withdrawing forces from the Caucasian front for service in Thrace, and (3) a re-
created Third Army was working on plans to establish a defense of
Constantinople.1 The armistice ended these endeavors and the Turkish General
Staff went immediately to work to return the army to a peacetime environment.
As planned, the new postwar Turkish Army would have just twenty infantry
divisions (down from a 1914 peacetime total of thirty-six infantry divisions).2
Instead of renumbering or reconstructing the entire force structure, the Turks
simply maintained the surviving divisional base. Most of the surviving infantry
divisions were comprised of ethnic Turks from the Anatolian heartland and the
divisions which did not meet this criteria were dissolved. Although this left the
Turks with a rather untidy lot of unconsecutively numbered infantry divisions, it
left them with their hard core of tough combat infantry divisions intact.
Mirroring their prewar military policies, the Turks immediately began to
downsize their formations by going back to a cadre structure of undermanned
infantry divisions. Within these infantry divisions, every infantry regiment
would maintain one battalion at 50 percent strength and two battalions at 25
percent strength. The divisions would also maintain four artillery batteries each
and keep thirty-six machine guns operational (or 33 percent of their normal
wartime authorizations).
By January 27, 1919, the Turks were well into the implementation of this
plan, much to the discomfort of the British commanders trying to occupy
Constantinople and its surrounding environs.3 Under this cadre plan the Turkish
Army planned to maintain about 40,000 infantrymen under arms supported at
divisional level by 240 cannons. There were more men assigned to the Jandarma
and to the supply services. This force had 48,000 rifles on hand and an
208 Ordered to Die

additional 791,000 stored in depots. Additionally, there were about 4,000

machine guns and 945 artillery pieces stored in depots in the Anatolian
heartland.4
The postwar army was garrisoned more or less evenly throughout what is now
the modern Republic of Turkey. Table 8.2 shows the disposition of Turkish
Forces in January 1919. As the regiments reoccupied their garrison homes, the
British occupied the Dardanelles and Constantinople, the Italians occupied
enclaves around the southern Mediterranean littoral, the French occupied the
southeast, the Armenians reclaimed Kars, and the Greeks occupied Smyrna and
the central hinterland. There were confrontations and tension in these areas as
the victorious allies sought to impose further restrictions on the Turkish Army.
However, the tough core of emergent Turkish leadership seasoned in the
cauldron of war held the army together until it was needed again.

THE COST

The cost of defeat in the First World War for Turkey remains hard to
calculate. In spite of meticulous records keeping by the wartime Turkish staffs,
none of Turkey's official histories contain consolidated casualty statistics for the
entire war. 5 Contradictory figures abound, especially concerning the number of
civilian casualties. Generally, a total count of 325,000 Ottoman military dead is
the number most commonly used for the past seventy-five years. This number
seems to have originated in Commandant Larcher's book written in 1926 and
from early Turkish General Staff accounts (Table 8.1 shows casualty statistics
typical of the Turkish official histories compared to Larcher's casualty statistics).
Early twentieth-century Encyclopaedia Britannica's list the same figures and
attributes them to a U.S. War Department estimate. These numbers vastly
understate the true number of Ottoman casualties.

Table 8.1
The Cost of Defeat—Commonly Used Figures
Category Turkish Histories Larcher
Number of men mobilized 2,608,000 2,850,000
Killed 50,000 50,000
Died of wounds 35,000 35,000
Died of diseases 240,000 240,000
Wounded 400,000 not available
Wounded, permanently disabled not available 400,000
Sick, Deserters, Missing, or POW 1,565,000 1,560,000

Sources: Turkish General Staff, Turk Silahli Kuvvetleri Tarihi Osmanli Devri Birinci
Diinya Harbi Idari Faaliyetler ve Lojistik, (Ankara: Gnkur. Basimevi, 1985), 509, and
Commandant M. Larcher, La Guerre Turque Dans La Guerre Mondiale (Paris:
Mondiale. Chiron/Berger-Levrault & Co. 1926), 602 - 604.
 Table 8.2
Disposition of Turkish Forces, January 1919

THRACE
CAUCASIA
I Corps: 49, 60 Inf. Div.
ANATOLIA XV Corps: 3, 12 Inf. Div. and
XXV Corps: 1 Div., 10 Cauc. Inf.
XX Corps: 23, 24 Inf. Div. 8, 11 Cauc. Inf. Div.
Div.
Ill Corps: 15 Inf. Div., 5 Cauc. Inf. Div.
XII Corps: 11,41 Inf. Div. and
GALLIPOLI 7, 20 Cav. Regt.
XIV Corps: 55, 61 Inf. Div. XVII Corps: 56, 57 Inf. Div. SYRIAN BORDER
XIII Corps: 2, 5 Inf. Div. and
12 Cav. Regt.
210 Ordered to Die

If Larcher's figures are accurate, every fourth male mobilized died or became
a permanent casualty. However, more modern writers such as Niall Ferguson
suggest far larger numbers of Ottoman dead. In his recent The Pity of War,
Ferguson calculates that Turkey lost 804,000 dead, 400,000 wounded, and
250,000 prisoners.6 He also states that this total of 1,454,000 is the best modern
estimate, and that a maximum (maxima) Turkish total may be as high as
2,290,000 and a minimum (minima) Turkish total to be as low as 970,000.
Furthermore, Ferguson concluded that Turkish total killed as a percentage of
men mobilized was 26.8 percent7 and his ratio of Turkish dead to wounded was
two dead to one wounded.
The truth probably lies somewhere in the middle. Obviously the Turk's and
Larcher's figures for the dead are too low (the dead of Gallipoli alone numbered
around fifty-five thousand) and Ferguson's figures are probably too high. Since
the Turks never published postwar statistics, most estimates of their casualties
are based on supposition and flawed perceptions of Turkish losses. Sarikamis, in
particular, stands out as an example in this regard. The Turkish General Staffs
official campaign histories list definite numbers of killed for the following
campaigns, Sarakamis, Sinai 1915, Gallipoli, Ctesiphon, Second Kut,
First/Third Gaza, Jerusalem, and Second Jordan. They list combined figures of
killed and wounded for Tortum/Van/Malazgirt, the Eliskirt valley, Shaiba, First
Kut, the seige of Kut, Koprukoy, Erzurum, Bayburt, Erzincan, the 1916 Second
Army offensive, Sinai 1916, and Second Gaza. Other campaigns can only be
estimated, with the high loss leaders: Meggido and Galicia, and others with few
casualties: the early Mesopotamian campaign, Macedonia, Persia, and 1st and 2nd
Gaza. In very few cases did the total number of killed exceed the number of
wounded by a substantial margin. The author's estimates of Turkish casualties
appear in Table 8.3 and a fuller explanation of the methodology and data may be
found in Appendix F.
Regardless of the method of calculation, Turkey suffered enormously in the
First World War. Using the author's estimates, the Ottoman Empire suffered a
death rate of 10.6 percent (as a percentage of men mobilized) of men who were
either killed or missing in action, or who died of combat wounds. This rate is
plausible and reflects the known loss rates suffered on the Ottoman fronts,
which were lower than on the European fronts due to the lower intensity of
combat operations. However, when the horrific numbers of men who died of
disease are considered, the death rate skyrockets to confirm Ferguson's
astounding 26.9 percent of men mobilized. When the wounded whom suffered
permanent injury are considered, every third man mobilized died or became
crippled. The Ottoman wounded outnumbered the dead and missing in a ratio of
two to one (reversing Ferguson's ratio) and mirroring casualty ratios experienced
by other combatants. Of course these figures only present military losses. To the
military losses must be added the huge loss of life and productivity of the
Muslim, Armenian, and other Ottoman civilians killed or injured during the war.
 Conclusion 211

Table 8.3
Ottoman Casualties (Author's Estimates)
Category Number Remarks
Number of men mobilized 2,873,000 includes Jandarma and navy
Combat dead 243,598 includes died of wounds
Missing in action 61,487
Died of diseases 466,759
Seriously wounded 303,150 permanent loss
Total wounded 763,753 includes the seriously wounded plus all
others
POWs 145,104 does not include 1918 returnees from
Russia
Estimated Deserters 500,000 based on Yalman
Total dead or missing 771,844

Sources: See Appendix F for detailed notes on sources.

In geographic terms, the Turks began the war with 2,410,000 square
kilometers of territory inhabited by about 22 million people, and after Mudros,
they retained 1,283,000 square kilometers of territory inhabited by about 10
million people. The heavily fought over eastern provinces in Caucasia were
devastated in physical and human terms and the local infrastructure was almost
completely destroyed. Hundreds of thousands of deserters roamed the
hinterlands. The empire's productive Armenian population was largely gone.
Substantial parts of the most productive area of the empire were occupied by
foreign powers. The economy was ruined and coal production had fallen to
almost nothing. Moreover, Turkey's former enemies were bent on carving even
more territory from her, particularly the Greeks. By any standard, Turkey was
absolutely crushed by the First World War.

TURKISH MILITARY PERFORMANCE

Is there a standard by which to measure Turkish military performance during

the First World War? Certainly when compared against the collapse of the
Russian and Bulgarian Armies, and perhaps against the 1917 mutinies in the
French Army, the Turkish Army fares well. Even in the end, at the time of the
Mudros Armistice, the Turkish Army remained in the field and under competent
command authority. It was, in spite of horrific losses, still a fighting army. What
then, could be said about the army's performance over the four years of war? On
the positive side of the military ledger appear the following points
First, without doubt, the Turkish Army almost invariably fought at a
numerical disadvantage in every theater and campaign in which it engaged. This
disadvantage usually included men, artillery, munitions, and logistical support.
Although there were times when the Turks were able to achieve local superiority
212 Ordered to Die

for temporary periods, this quantitative inferiority persisted throughout the entire
war. Despite this, the Turks often won battles. Therefore, the combat-
effectiveness of the Turkish Army must be judged with this in mind and
consequently must be judged as fairly high.
Second, the combat formations comprising primarily ethnic Turks were
notable for their superb fighting spirit, high morale, and tactical capability. Dr.
Yigal Sheffy found that the British Army's intelligence assessments of the
Ottoman Army in Palestine in the early days of the war characterized Anatolian
infantry divisions as "elite" or "crack."8 However, in the case of non-Turkish
formations, particularly after 1916, the weaknesses and indiscipline frequently
demonstrated by these units tended to become a liability at the tactical and
operational level. Increasingly as the war went on, the Turks came to rely on a
hard core of Anatolian ethnically Turkish combat infantry divisions. Among the
best of the Turkish infantry divisions were the 1st, 3 rd , 5th, 7th, 8th, 9th, 10th', 19th,
51 st , and 52nd.
Third, the Turkish Army displayed a remarkable ability to sustain itself under
extremely adverse conditions. Furthermore, its soldiers proved resilient and
capable of great feats of endurance. When allowed to dig-in and entrench
themselves, the army proved almost impossible to force out of its lines. The cost
of defeating the Turkish Army was usually high. The hard-fighting Askers
needed very little of the service support that western armies viewed as essential
military requirements. As a result, the Turkish Army was never "top heavy"
with support units and was able to put more soldiers into the front lines as a
result. The army was also able to conduct offensive operations on a shoestring of
support and the marching capacity of the Turkish infantry was astounding. The
Sarikamis, the Romanian, and the Azerbaijan Campaigns standout in this regard.
Fourth, at the strategic and operational level, the Turkish Army proved
capable of rapid reorganization and demonstrated a great ability to task organize
combat groups at the operational level. At Gallipoli in 1915, in Mesopotamia in
1916, in the Caucasian campaigns of 1916 and 1918, and in Palestine in the
spring of 1918, this ability greatly increased combat effectiveness. This was
combined with a great recuperative capability to reorganize the army tactically
and under combat conditions. The Yildirim Army, as late as October 1918,
showcases this capacity.
Fifth, the Turkish Army produced many great combat commanders
throughout the war. Among these were Mustafa Kemal Pasa, Esat Pasa, §evki
Pasa, Izzet Pasa, Halil Pasa, Fevzi Pasa, and Vehip Pasa. As a group, they were
aggressive and well trained. They possessed active imaginations and the will to
act. They were superb organizers and also worked well with their German
comrades-in-arms when the situation required. The ability of these men to use
the instruments at their command significantly increased the effectiveness of the
Turkish Army. Stacked against this line-up of outstanding high commanders are
the inept Mahmut Kamil Pasa, who lost Erzurum and Erzincan, the indolent
Cemal Pasa, and Cevit Pa§a, who allowed the British to gain an easy foothold in
Mesopotamia. The remainder of senior Turkish commanders were generally
competent, especially while on the defense.
 Conclusion 213

Sixth, the Turks displayed a great willingness to conduct alliance warfare,

even when their national interests were clearly not at stake. Often, as was the
case in the initial Caucasian campaigns, in the European campaigns of 1916, and
in the planning of the Yildirim Army operations, the Turks put their interests
second to the needs of their allies. There was continuous dialogue and
cooperation between Turks and Germans, at all levels, throughout the war. The
Turks remained loyal partners of the Germans and the Austrians far beyond any
prospect of a reasonable conclusion of peace on favorable terms.
On the negative side of the balance sheet, there were also tally marks. First,
the decision to bring the Ottoman Empire into a position risking war with the
Great Powers was a tremendous mistake. The empire was exhausted from the
Balkan Wars and was unprepared to engage in a World War. The mobilization
effort and concentration plan delivered ill-prepared forces to locations where the
Ottoman Army was incapable achieving of decisive results. Compounding this
mistake was the flawed campaign plan demanding simultaneous offensives on
widely separated fronts.
Second, the emergence of Enver Pasa as the directing force behind Turkey's
war strategy greatly impaired the war effort. Enver's amateurish strategic vision
led to his continual insistence on offensive operations and wildly optimistic
plans. Beginning with Sarikamis in 1914 and lasting until the Islam Army's
operations in 1918, Enver consistently overestimated the military means
necessary to accomplish the tasks he assigned. Perhaps his plans for the Yildirim
Army and the Army of Islam are the best examples of this tendency. This forced
Turkey to dissipate its strategic reserves in many ill-advised operations.
Third, Enver and the Turkish General Staff failed to prioritize particular
strategic theaters and consequently failed to mass adequate forces at decisive
points. This led to the failure to maintain the initiative when favorable
conditions would have permitted offensive operations. In particular, the weak
opening attacks in 1914, the Third Army's attacks in 1915, and the Second
Army's attacks in 1916 stand out as evidence of this problem. Additionally, the
overestimation of troops-to-task ensured that many operations were launched
with forces insufficient to guarantee success.
Fourth, the Turks consistently overestimated of the ability of the Turkish lines
of communications to support strategic movements. Beginning with the
abysmally slow concentration of the army in 1914 the transportation problem
continued until the end of the war. The failure of the Turkish General Staff to
move rapidly the Second Army east in 1916 was one of the worst mistakes made
during the war. While continuous efforts were made to improve the railroads by
both the Turks and the Germans, this remained a problem throughout the war.
Improvements to the empire's infrastructure (as suggested by Mustafa Kemal in
September 1917) would have significantly improved Turkey's ability to conduct
the war.
There are many myths about the Turks and their army, which should be laid
to rest. These were generally created over time as a result of inaccuracies and
exaggerations.
214 Ordered to Die

Myth 1: The Germans commanded or planned most of the Ottoman Army's

operations. With the exception of the Fifth Army at Gallipoli (Liman von
Sanders) and the Yildirim Army in Palestine (von Falkenhayn and von Kress),
but discounting von der Goltz, who had little real impact in Mesopotamia,
Germans rarely commanded large-scale Turkish forces in combat. At corps level
and below, command and staff was almost an exclusively Turkish affair,
although again there were exceptions: von Sodernstern at Gallipoli and von
Oppen in Palestine. At division level and below, Stange, Nicolai, and Willmer
must receive praise for their determined tactical leadership of Turkish soldiers.
As is sometimes presented, Bronsart von Schellendorf and von Seeckt never
served as the Chief of the Turkish General Staff, although a strong case can be
made that they functioned as de facto chiefs. Although many armies had
German chiefs of staff like the Third Army's Colonel Guse, most of the
planning work was done by highly trained Turkish General Staff officers.
Myth 2: The Turks kept poor records. In fact, the exact opposite is true, the
Ottomans literally invented bureaucracy and red tape, and they kept most of
their records no matter how trivial. The Turkish General Staff Archives alone
contain 1.5 million documents on the First World War (out of total holdings of
over 8 million documents). The other Turkish national archives contain many
millions more. However, the vast bulk of these records, particularly those
dealing with sensitive political and military issues, are unavailable to
researchers.
Myth 3: Ottoman units were prone to desertion and disintegration under the
pressure of combat. There may be some grain of truth to this if the Meggido and
Syrian campaigns are used as a model. However, Megiddo was an envelopment
battle followed by a pursuit, ideal conditions for the gathering of large numbers
of prisoners. These two battles were unique and do not characterize the nature of
combat on the Ottoman fronts. Although there were minor instances of collapse,
these were rare and, in any case, were not unique to the Ottoman Army and none
involved the wholesale rupture of a particular battle zone. The Turkish Army
was far more characterized by its ability to conduct skillful fighting withdrawals
successfully under intense enemy pressure. The units, which did suffer mass
disintegration, were generally non-Turkish formations of regimental strength
and below. Desertions occurred primarily during unit movements across the
empire, during lulls in action, and from hospitals in the rear areas.
Myth 4: Enver Pasa and the CUP sought to regain Ottoman territory lost in
previous wars, especially areas occupied by fellow Turkic peoples.
Unquestionably Pan-Turanism was a dominant theme in the thinking of Enver
Pasa, but it is equally clear this idea was never an initial war aim nor did it ever
really dominate Turkish strategic thinking. This is illustrated by the fact that the
recovery of irredentist territory in Caucasia or in the former Turkey-in-Europe
never appeared in the prewar campaign planning process. The startling advance
to Baku in 1918 was more of a unique opportunity to seize a momentary
advantage rather than the conclusion of Pan-Turanic strategic objectives. That
the Russian collapse happened to open the door to the Caucasus for Enver was
coincidence more than a preconceived Turkish strategy to reclaim the area.
 Conclusion 215

Subsequent planning for Yildirim Army operations were likewise opportunistic

and dwelt mainly with the recovery of territory actually lost during the war
itself.
Myth 5: The Ottoman Army suffered unusually large casualties in combat.
This argument stems mainly from erroneously high Russian estimates from the
Sarikamis campaign, including abnormally high loss rates from exposure and
frostbite. The Gallipoli campaign also contributed to this idea as the Allies
struggled to rationalize their horrific casualties. It is important to remember that
the tempo of combat operations on the Ottoman fronts was generally lower than
on the European fronts. There were some exceptions like Gallipoli, however,
most of the battles in this theater were not of long duration nor did they involve
sustained artillery bombardments. Very importantly, the levels of combat
intensity in these campaigns were lower than in Europe, primarily due to the
lower ratios of artillery and machineguns (the real killers of the First World War
battlefields). Likewise, gas was literally unknown on these fronts. Finally, much
of the campaigning was done on a seasonal basis; thereby cutting down on the
continuous nature of combat operations commonly experienced in Europe. The
actual combat related loss rate (10.6 percent) was similar to that of other
combatants. Disease was the great killer of men, particularly in Mesopotamia
and in Caucasia.

ORDERED TO DIE

Overall, the story of the Turkish Army in the First World War is a remarkable
saga. Given its exhausted condition in 1913, its lack of resources, its poor lines
of communications, and the fact that it faced powerful enemies on multiple
fronts, it is a story of success against great odds. Incredibly, the Turks were still
on their feet at the end of the war.
Time and again Turkish commanders and staffs sent the army into combat on
operations doomed to defeat. In many cases the army was literally ordered to
die—in deep snows, in arid deserts, in malarial swamps, and in rugged terrain.
The staggering overall casualty statistics, including disease, insured that the
army was bled white over the course of the war.
Could Turkey have done better? Perhaps, but only by the accidental or
intentional exit of Enver Pasa. The active presence of this aggressive and
opportunistic nationalist in the master planning of Turkey's wartime strategy
doomed her to defeat. Time and again, Enver forced his excessively optimistic
ideas on the Turkish General Staff, and time and again, these ideas brought
disaster to Turkish arms. Remarkably, the empire and its army weathered these
disasters and sustained its will to victory. At the highest levels, the Turks never
seemed to become infected with defeatism. In Enver, the Turks enjoyed a
perpetual optimist who continually attempted to seize the strategic initiative
when the opportunity presented itself. They might have done worse.
Consistently underestimated by their enemies, the Turks fought on until the
bitter end of the war. After the Armistice at Mudros, Turkey's enemies would
216 Ordered to Die

attempt to dismember the country forever. However, once again, the

underestimated leaders and soldiers of the Turkish Army would arise from the
ashes of disaster to astound and defeat their enemies.

NOTES

1. General Fahri Belen, Birinci Cihan Harbinde Turk Harbi 1918 Yili Hareketleri Vnci
Cilt (Ankara: GK Basimevi, 1967), 217-236.
2. Ibid., 237.
3. Ibid. 238.
4. Turkish General Staff, Turk Silahli Kuvvetleri Tarihi Osmanli Devri Birinci Diinya
Harbi Idari Faaliyetler ve Lojistik (Ankara: Gnkur. Basimevi, 1985), 583.
5. The massive five volume set of books called Sehitlerimiz (Our Dead), published by
T. C. Milli Savunma Baskanhgi, Ankara, 1998, contains comprehensive lists of war
casualties. The books start with the Russo-Turkish War of 1877 to 1878 and runs through
1998 with security operations against the PKK. Unfortunately for researchers, these
books list the dead individually by name and by province and village, and the total
numbers are never tallied.
6. Niall Ferguson, The Pity of War (New York: Basic Books, 1999), 295.
7. Ibid., 299.
8. Yigal Sheffy, British Intelligence in the Palestine Campaign 1914-1918 (London:
Frank Cass, 1998), 47-51. Dr. Sheffy noted that the 8th and 10th Infantry Divisions were
made up of Anatolian troops were regarded as higher quality infantry divisions than the
locally recruited 23rd, 25th, and 27th Infantry Divisions (made up mostly Arabs).
 Appendix A
Commanders' Biographies

Parentheses indicate the acquisition of a last name during the postwar period

CEMAL 1881-1922

Late 1890's-Served in the Operations Division, Turkish General Staff

1899-Served in Salonika with Talat
1910-Promoted to General Staff major
1908-CUP member (Young Turk)
1912-Served as commander of a reserve infantry division and fought at (^atalca
January 23, 1914-Appointed as the minister of the marine
August 2, 1914-Served as commander, Fourth Army, Syria-Palestine
1918-Resigned command of the Fourth Army
1922-Killed in Tiflis by Armenian terrorists

Remarks: Cemal was neither particularly aggressive nor professionally

competent. He tended to leave command issues up to his German chief of staff
except when his position as an army commander was threatened by intrigues
from Constantinople. Essentially, he was more of a political animal than a
soldier. Cemal stands accused of conducting an extensive campaign of genocide
against the Armenians.

ENVER 1881-1922

1899-Commissioned as a lieutenant
1903-Graduated from the War Academy
1908-Served in Salonika, CUP member (Young Turk)
1909-Served as military attache in Berlin
1911-Served in Libyan War
1913-Served in First Balkan Wars as chief of staff, X Corps, §arkoy amphibious
operation
218 Commanders' Biograph ies

January 23,1913-Participated in the raid on the Sublime Porte

July 21, 1913-Orchestrated the seizure of Adrianople
January 1914-Appointed as the minister of war and chief of the Turkish General Staff
October 1918-Resigned
1922-Killed while leading a cavalry charge in Southern Russia

Remarks: Enver was an extremely aggressive nationalist, who was prone to

making hasty and ill-advised decisions with incomplete information. His
personality was flamboyant, volitile, and charismatic. He consistently
overestimated both his own abilities and the capabilities of the forces under his
command, although it could be argued that he matured considerably during the
course of the war in his understanding and application of strategy. He was
extremely cordial with his German allies and maintained excellent alliance
relations with all of the Central Powers throughout the course of the war. Enver,
with Talat and Cemal, also stands accused as one of the principal architects of
the Armenian genocide.

ESAT (BULKANT) 1862-1938

1890s-Graduated from the War Academy and aide-de-camp to General Colmar von der
Goltz
1897-Served as corps commander, Turkish-Greek War
1899-Served as instructor, Military School
1907-Served as chief of staff, III Corps, £orlu
1911-Served as commander 5X Infantry Division, Gallipoli
1912/1913-Served in the First Balkan War as commander, Yanya Corps, Jannina, Greece
1914-Served as commander, III Corps, Gallipoli
1916-Served as commander, First Army, Thrace
1917-Served as commander, Second Army, Caucasia
Postwar-cabinet minister

Remarks: Esat was the brother of Vehip (Kaci). He was the product of the
Ottoman General Staff system and had progressively important assignments. His
outstanding performance in Greece during the First Balkan War earned him
promotion and honors. Esat's performance as a corps commander and group
commander at Gallipoli was brilliant. He was extremely hard working,
professional, and was highly regarded by the Germans. Sidelined for the
remainder of the war, Esat never had the opportunity to show what he could do
in command of larger forces.

MUSTAFA FEVZI (QAKMAK) 1876-1950

December 1898-Graduated from the War Academy

1912-Served as commander, 21 st Infantry Division
1913-Served in the First Balkan War as commander, Ankara Reserve Infantry Division,
Qatalca
 Commanders' Biograph ies 219

March 2, 1914-Promoted to major general

December 22, 1914-Served as commmander, V Corps, eastern Marmara region
December 6, 1915-Served as commander, Anafarta Group, Gallipoli
April 1916-Served as wing commander, Third Army, Caucasia
September 7, 1916-Served as commander, 2nd Caucasian Corps, Caucasia
July 5, 1917 - Served as commander, Second Army, Caucasia
October 9, 1917-Served as commander, Seventh Army, Palestine
July 28, 1918-Promoted to lieutenant general
December 24, 1918-Appointed chief of the Turkish General Staff
Postwar-Served as army commander in the War of Independence

Remarks: Fevzi was a solid peformer who commanded successfully at all levels
during the war. He was very highly regarded by the Turks themselves and was
appointed as the chief of the Turkish General Staff in 1918. Much of his fighting
reputation rests on laurals earned in later campaigns against the Greeks in the
War of Independence.

HALIL (KUT) 1882-1957

1905-Graduated from the War Academy

1909-Served in Libya
1912-Served in the Balkan Wars
1914-Served in First Army as commander, Constantinople Area Command
1915-Served as commander, 5st Expeditionary Force, Caucasia
1915-Served as commander, XVIII Corps, Mesopotamia
1915-Served as commander, Sixth Army, Mesopotamia
1917-Served as commander, Eastern Army, Caucasia
1918-Served as commander, Caucasus Army Group
1918-Rerurned to Constantinople
Postwar-Served in the War of Independence

Remarks: Halil was the uncle of Enver Pa§a and a genuine military hero to the
Turkish people. He later claimed the surname Kut to commerate his victory over
the British at Kut al Amara. One of the few Turks who was successful while on
the offense, his performance in Mesopotamia and in the offensive Caucasian
campaigns in 1918 was excellent. He was later accused of war crimes and
genocide against the Armenians during operations around the city of Van during
the spring of 1915.

AHMET IZZET ( F U R G A Q 1864-1937

Early 1890s-Served in Guards Cavalry Regiment and aide de camp for General Colmar
von der Goltz
Mid-1890s-Sent to Germany for two years and served with troops in Palestine
1897-Plans & preparations officer, Qatalca Fortified Zone staff
1902-Served in Yemen
1903-Promoted to Mirliva and served an additional three and one half years in Yemen
220 Commanders' Biographies

1909-CUP member (Young Turk)

1912-Served as commander, Second Army, Balkans
1916-Served as commander, Second Army, Caucasia
October 4, 1918-Appointed as the minister of war and chief of the Turkish General Staff
Postwar-Served as commander in the War of Independence

Remarks: Izzet was generally a competent commander but shares the

responsibility for the disastrous 1916 campaigns in Caucasia. He withheld the
Second Army while its sister army, the Third, was destroyed. His subsequent
counteroffensive was badly planned and poorly executed. He was, however,
highly regarded by the Turks but much of his reputation rests on his
performance in the War of Independence.

MUSTAFA KEMAL (ATATURK) 1881-1938

1902-lieutenant
1905-Graduated from the War Academy
1908-Served with "Action Army," CUP member (Young Turk),
1912-Served in the Libyan War
1913-Served in Balkan Wars as chief of operations, Gallipoli Army (Bulair front)
1914-Served as military attache in Belgrade
March 1, 1914-Promoted to lieutenant colonel
January 20, 1915-Served as commander, 19th Infantry Division, Tekirdag
April 25, 1915-Led counterattacks at Gallipoli
June 1, 1915-Promoted to colonel
July 28, 1915-Served as commander, XV Corps, Gallipoli
August 8, 1915-Served as commander, Anafarta Group and XVI Corps, Gallipoli
January 27, 1916-Assigned to Adrianople Fortress
August 1916-Served as commander, XVI Corps, Second Army offensive, Caucasia
March 7, 1917-Served as commander, Second Army, Caucasia
July 5, 1917-Served as commander, Seventh Army, Palestine
November 7, 1917-Assigned to the Turkish General Staff
December 20, 1917-Sent to Germany
August 7, 1918-Reassigned to and served as commander, Seventh Army, Palestine
October 31, 1918-Served as commander, Yildirim Army Group
November 7, 1918-Yildirim Army Group dissolved, returned to Constantinople
Postwar-Commander of Turkish Forces during the War of Independence, and later as
president of the Turkish Republic

Remarks: Without question the finest commander produced by the Ottoman

Empire in the First World War. He was an ardent nationalist and spoke German
and French. Kemal was personally fearless in combat and relentless in his ability
to drive his troops to victory. His savage counterattacks on the Anzac beach
head on April 25, 1915 catapulted him to international fame. However, his
successful fighting withdrawal under intense enemy pressure in Palestine in
1918 was arguably his finest military achievement. He performed well at all
levels. Kemal was a soldier's soldier with the instincts of a political infighter. A
competitor for the political leadership of the CUP with Enver, Cemal, and Talat,
 Commanders' Biographies 221

he was ambitious and continually had to avoid being marginalized in

unimportant assignments. Kemal continuously advocated a rational strategic
posture for the empire based on a defense backed by substantial reserves.

YAKUP §EVKI (SUBA§I) 1876-1939

1900-Graduated from the War Academy

1912-Served as staff officer, Second Army, Balkans
1912-Promoted to lieutenant colonel
1913-Served as chief of staff, Qatalca Fortified Zone Artillery
1914-Served as commander, Bosphorus Fortified Zone
August 31, 1915-Served as commander, 19th Infantry Division, Gallipoli
November 15, 1915-Served as commander, III Corps, Gallipoli
March 1916-Served as commander, XV Corps, Galicia
November 5, 1916-Promoted to colonel
August 10, 1917-Served as commander, 2nd Caucasian Corps, Caucasia
October 17, 1917-Served as commander, Second Army, Caucasia
June 8, 1918-Served as commander, Ninth Army, Azerbaijan and Georgia
Postwar-Served in the War of Independence

Remarks: Yakup §evki was an unusually bright man who spoke French,
English, German, Russian, Pharsee, Arabic, Syrian, Kurdish, and Serbo-
Croatian. He was highly regarded as one of the "brains" of the Turkish Army.
He performed very well at all levels and was hand picked to lead Turkish troops
against the Russians in Galicia. His performance in command of the Ninth Army
in 1918 proved him to be an aggressive and relentless commander. He was one
of the few Turkish commanders to be successful on both the offensive and the
defensive.

MEHMET VEHIP (KA£I) 1877-1940

1890s-Graduated from the War Academy

Early 1900s-Served as chief of staff, Diyirbakir Infantry Division and as commander,
Erzincan Military School
1909-Promoted to General Staff major
1913-Served as corps commander, Balkan Wars
1914-Served as commander, 22nd Infantry Division, Hicaz
Spring 1915-Served as chief of staff, Second Army, eastern Marmara region
July 1915-Served as commander, Southern Group (Cape Helles), Gallipoli
September 1915-Served as commander, Second Army, eastern Marmara region
1917-Served as commander, Third Army, Caucasia
June 7, 1918-Served as commander, Eastern Army Group, Caucasia
June 29, 1918-Reassigned to Constantinople
Postwar - Served as front commander, War of Independence
222 Commanders' Biograph ies

Remarks: Vehip was a well-balanced and professional officer, who performed

well as both a commander and as a chief of staff. After a long and distinguished
career in the Ottoman and Republican Armies, Vehip ended his military career
by travelling to Africa to advise the Ethiopians against the Italians in 1936.
 Appendix B
The Ottoman General Staff,
Summer 1914
This page intentionally left blank
 Appendix C
Ottoman Army Organization, 1914
This page intentionally left blank
 Appendix D
The Ottoman Aviation Inspectorate
and Aviation Squadrons

At the war's beginning, the Ottoman Air Force was simply known as the
Ye§ilkoy Tayyare Mektebi (Aviation School) and was under the direct control of
the Ba§komutanlik Vekaleti (Office of the Supreme Military Command). Upon
mobilization in August 1914, the Turkish military had a total of eight airplanes
assigned to operational units and a further four assigned to the flying school in
Yesilkoy (San Stefano on the outskirts of Constantinople). Of these aircraft,
only six were operational; two were sent to eastern Turkey and four remained at
Ye§ilkoy. Although the Turks had used aircraft for several years and had seen
them used in for military purposes in the Libyan and Balkan Wars, the cost of
aircraft acquisition prohibited expansion.
The military aviation structure of the Ottoman Army was largely
decentralized. The Ottoman aviation units were organized into formations called
Tayyare Bolugu (flying detachments or the rough equivalent of European
aviation squadrons). Each Tayyare Bolugu normally had between two to eight
aircraft assigned, as this was the maximum that the primitive logistics system
could support. When deployed, the Tayyare Bolugu did not come under any
system of centralized control but were under the tactical command of the army
or corps responsible for a tactical area. Later fighter squadrons (Av Bolugu)
were established under the same system.
The lack of a centralized air command greatly hampered Ottoman air
operations since the fighting units fell under the tactical command of the local
commander, were controlled operationally by the area army commander, and
finally were responsible to the staffs in Constantinople for administrative and
logistical matters. In essence, the aviation arm of the Turkish Army was always
a branch of the general staff structure and it never matured into an independent
arm or corps as it did in other countries. Indeed, the very term Ottoman Air
Force is a gross exaggeration and the term Osmanli Havakuwetleri (Ottoman
Air Force) unfortunately is often repeated in contemporary Turkish sources.
228 Ottoman A viation

In January 1915, Oberleutnant Erich Serno arrived with a staff of twelve

German aviation personnel to organize an air force. In order to make up pilot
and observer shortfalls in Ottoman squadrons, Serno's men were rapidly sent out
and assigned directly to Ottoman squadrons. Early operations were conducted
mostly in the west and south where favorable weather conditions generally
favored flying. In the spring and summer of 1915 most Turkish air operations
consisted of reconnaissance flights. In particular, during the Gallipoli campaign,
the Turks frequently flew over the British naval bases on Limnos and Imroz
Islands. These sorties were flown to support Liman von Sanders' urgent requests
to investigate British preparations and amphibious landing capabilities. By late
1915 there were a total of seven flying squadrons in the Turkish Air Force at the
following stations:

Table D.l
Aviation Squadrons, late 1915

Squadron Number Location

1 and 6 Gallipoli
2 Mesopotamia
3 Uzunkopru (Western Thrace)
4 Adana
5 Second Army (Constantinople area)
7 Third Army, Caucasia

To man these squadrons, the Turks had seven army pilots, three navy pilots,
and three civilian pilots. There were also eleven Ottoman observers on duty and
twenty-three Ottoman personnel receiving training at Yesilkoy. To make up the
desperately shortage of Ottoman aviation personnel, the squadrons at Gallipoli
grew decidedly heavy with German flyers. For example, the 6nci Av Bolugu
was composed solely of German personnel and the lnci Tayyare Boluk had only
one Ottoman (an observer) among its personnel. All German aviators at this
time wore Ottoman uniforms when on duty.
At the end of 1915, an office, the 9ncu §ube (9th Branch) was established and
attached to the Harbiye Dairesi (Office of the Minister of War) to administer
aviation matters. In parallel, the 13ncu §ube-Umuru Havaiye (13th Branch -
Aviation Affairs), a staff division of the Karargahi Umumi (Turkish General
Staff headquarters) was organized to coordinate training, acquisition, operations,
meteorological support, and repair work. Serno was appointed as the
commander of the Umuru Havaiye Mufettisligi (Inspectorate of Aviation
Affairs). Although the 13th Branch was organizationally higher in the chain of
command, many of its duties and responsibilities overlapped and conflicted with
the 9th Branch.
By 1916 the Turkish Air Force had grown to eighty-one pilots and observers,
and about ninety aircraft, as German military assistance began to provide
 Ottoman Aviation 229

increasing numbers of aircraft and technical assistance. In use at this time were
Albatross B.I, C.I, C.III; Rumpler B.I; LVG B.I; Fokker E.I, E.III; Gotha LD.2,
WD.I, WD.2; Pfalz All and a variety of captured types. The total number of
operational Turkish squadrons had grown to twelve in 1916 (including one naval
aviation unit) as well. By this time, tactical air operations in the mountainous
Third Army area were being carried out on a routine basis.
Also, in March 1916, the German aviation detachment Fliegerabteilung (FA)
300 was established and became fully operational the following month. The
detachment had twelve pilots and six observers. Initially FA 300 had six aircraft
initially assigned to it, but grew to twelve operational aircraft in 1917. However,
the addition of German aircraft and pilots failed to solve the growing
organizational dilemma caused by the complex command relationships
embedded in the Ottoman air hierarchy. As a result of the conflicts between the
13th Branch and the 9th Branch, new regulations were announced on December
31, 1916, which separated the authorities and duties of the two branches.
Effectively, the 13th Branch of the Ottoman General Staff won the organizational
battle and now managed aviation affairs. Concurrently, Serno was elevated in
authority equal to that of a divisional commander (major general).
On April 22, 1917, the Turks had five aircraft in the First Army, five aircraft
in the Second Army, six aircraft in the Third Army, five aircraft in the Fourth
Army, nine aircraft in the Fifth Army, and thirteen aircraft in the Sixth Army
(these totals reflect operational aircraft only). The German FA 300 squadron
also deployed sixteen operational aircraft in the Fourth Army area at this time.
Numerically, the emphasis in the air in 1917 was predominately against the
British in Palestine (Fourth Army) and in Mesopotamia (Sixth Army), and
against possible British operations in Gallipoli (Fifth Army).
As a result of the ongoing Turco-German military cooperation agreements
aimed at establishing the Yildirim Army Group, an additional four German
squadrons were organized in Germany in July and August of 1917 for service in
the Ottoman Empire. These detachments were FA 301 - 304 and they became
operational in the Middle East in November 1917. Collectively, these four FA
were referred to as the Yildirim Abteilungen, and the previously deployed FA
300 became known as the Pa§a Abteilung.
By 1918, the Turks had received substantial numbers of German aircraft:
thirty-seven in 1915, seventy-two in 1916, one hundred eight in 1917, and
seventy-nine in 1918 (figures for 1917 and 1918 include aircraft handed over
directly from German to Ottoman aviation units). In July 1918, Serno's office
was renamed as Kuva-i Havaiye Mufettisi Umumiligi (General Inspectorate of
the Air Force). The title reflects the fact that Serno achieved the authority of an
air force inspector, however, he did not enjoy operational command of the
individual Tayyare Bolugu.
Additionally, the German Navy belatedly sent six seaplanes (LVG SF5s and a
single Hansa Brandenburg NM-1) to Turkey in 1918. Air operations in the
Turkish theaters would remain lowkey when compared with the western front
and most of the Turk's air operations revolved around reconnaissance and some
230 Ottoman Aviation

limited bombing. On January 20, 1918, the battlecruiser Yavuz (ex-

S.M.S.Goeben) enjoyed air support for its ill-fated sortie from the Dardanelles.
Of particular note was the loss of air parity on the Palestine front in late
summer 1918. During Allenby's great offensives at Meggido and in Syria, the
British paid special attention to denying the Turks the capability to conduct
aerial reconnaissance. This greatly damaged Liman von Sanders's ability to
accurately gauge Allenby's deception operations of September 17 and 18, 1918.
Unable to observe, the Yildirim aerial squadrons were likewise unable to protect
the army from Allied air attacks. Consequently, retreating Ottoman forces were
hammered mercilessly from the air.
Throughout the course of the war, the Turks flew primarily LVGB.ls;
Albatross B.I, C.I, C.III, D.II, D.III, D.V, D.Va types; Rumpler B.I and C.I
types; Halberstadt D.Vs; Fokker E.Is and E.IIIs, Fokker D.Is and D.VIIs; Pfalz
A.IIs; Gotha LD.2, WD.I, WD.2 types; and AEG C.IVs. The Turks captured
and flew one Farman MF.73, three Caudron G.3 and one Caudron G.4, one
Bristol Bullet, two Voisin, one Morane-Saulnier Parasol, two Nieuport 17, two
DeHavilland DH.4, and one Gregorivitch G.5. At the end of the war the Turks
had approximately two hundred aircraft in varying conditions of operability.
Although no Ottoman pilots became aces, both pilots and observers did shoot
down numerous enemy aircraft throughout the war.
 Appendix E
German Military Assistance

German military assistance to the Ottoman Empire began after the Russo-
Turkish War and grew slowly over the years. By 1914 German influence was
substantial as a result of the presence of the German Military Mission, however
material assistance was minimal. This changed as Germany sought to bring
Turkey into the Central Alliance. In September the Germans attempted to
influence Enver Pa§a and sent him a large payment of gold. Later in the fall, the
Germans sent several hundred coastal defense specialists to help with the
upgrading of the Dardanelles and Bosphorus defenses. Immediately after the
outbreak of the war, the lack of continuous lines of communications with
Germany reduced assistance to a trickle until the conquest of Serbia in
November 1915. German aid then resumed as howitzers and ammunition were
rushed south to support the Gallipoli campaign. As the war progressed, German
aid would continue to increase.
The Turks had never been particularly comfortable with the terms of the
Secret Treaty of Alliance with Germany and on January 11, 1915, they
renegotiated another treaty with the Germans. The new treaty obligated
Germany to help defend the empire against the British, French, and Balkan
powers (the original treaty being more or less operative against only the
Russians). Subsequent diplomatic treaties would continue to develop this
relationship substantially in the Turk's favor.
In August 1916, there were approximately 640 German officers and 5,900
German soldiers in Ottoman territory. About a thousand of these were
permanently assigned duties at the Dardanelles defenses. Actual German combat
strength was minimal: there were eight machine gun detachments, one artillery
training detachment, seven heavy artillery batteries, six air detachments, and one
light artillery battery assigned to assist the Turkish Army. By far the most
valuable contribution that Germany made to the Turkish war effort was in its
continued willingness to provide highly trained General Staff officers to assist
the Turkish staffs. Of special importance were two Special Railroad Companies
232 German Military Assistance

and two Special Railroad Communications Detachments, which the Germans

sent to help the Turks streamline their inefficient railway operations. Included in
this railway package were personnel, equipment, and funding to complete the
Taurus and Amanus tunnel complexes.
By late September 1916 German presence and influence had grown to such
proportions that both sides felt the need to once again renegotiate the diplomatic
agreement. On September 23, 1916, Halil Bey and Ambassador von Jagow
signed a Turco-German Agreement which had two major provisions. First, both
parties agreed to establish joint conditions to end the war. Second, both pledged
to maintain the strength and harmony of cooperative relationship that the two
countries had developed. This agreement was also the result of a gathering
consciousness in both Germany and in Turkey that the war was going to drag
out for a long time and that the eventual peace agreement would necessarily be a
joint alliance document.
German aid began to pour into the empire as 1916 and 1917 progressed.
Advocates of greater cooperation ensured that as Turks went north to serve in
Europe, more and more German and Austrian equipment flowed south. There
were two subsequent Turco-German Agreements in 1917. The first on January
11, 1917 was another secret agreement which formally ended the much-despised
capitulations. This agreement used the previous (September 28, 1916) treaty's
recognition of the Ottoman Empire as an equal war partner as the legal basis for
this action. A subsequent and wide-ranging Turkish-German Military
Cooperation Agreement was signed on October 18, 1917. This agreement had
ten clauses, the most important of which pledged the two powers to jointly plan
strategy and the associated disposition of military forces. In particular, both
sides committed themselves to the formation of joint large-scale combat groups.
The Germans also promised to provide an additional five years of training
assistance. Provisions were also made for the military punishment of soldiers
committing crimes in each other's countries, operations management, and
mandatory consultations. Finally, both parties pledged secrecy. The importance
of this treaty was that it opened the way for the establishment and the integration
of German and Turkish forces into the Yildirim Army Group. Generally,
cooperation between the Turks and the Germans remained excellent throughout
the war, except for brief periods in 1918.
In the late summer and early fall of 1917, units of the German Army made
their way from Germany to Palestine to support the commitments made by the
German General Staff. The principal units involved were the so-called 701, 702,
and 703 Pa§a Infantry Battalions. Later, these units were consolidated under the
grandiose title of the "German Asia Corps" (the composition and the
deployment of this force is detailed in Chapter 6). The Turks had expected to see
several German light infantry divisions of some sort and received instead a
brigade group. Although this force was extremely useful, it was never an army
corps, nor did it contain the command elements of an army corps headquarters.
In modern doctrinal military terms, the German Asia Corps would be called a
"corps force multiplier task-force." It was never designed to fight independently,
rather it was designed to augment and rectify the deficiencies of the Turkish
 German Military Assistance 233

Army, most notably in communications, in transportation, and in machine guns.

Properly employed, the German Asia Corps greatly enhanced (or multiplied) the
effectiveness of the Turkish Army in Palestine. Occasionally, and erroneously,
the German Asia Corps is shown in modern histories as an actual army corps
headquarters controlling Turkish infantry divisions. Additionally, in November
1917, the 146th Infantry Regiment in Macedonia received orders to reorganize
for shipment to Palestine. The regiment arrived in May and June 1918, and
participated in the Megiddo and Syrian campaigns. Altogether, including the
701-703 Pa§a Infantry Battalions, the 146th Infantry Regiment, and assorted field
artillery batteries, the total German ground combat strength in the Ottoman
Empire amounted to about two thirds of a normal German infantry division.
A German expeditionary force was sent to the Caucasus in the summer of
1918. Its purpose was not to assist the Turks, but rather to oppose their conquest
of Georgia. This small force was composed of the 29th Bavarian Infantry
Regiment (7th and 9th Jaeger Battalions), the 10th Strum Battalion, 1 machine-
gun detachment, and the 176th Mortar Company.
Belatedly in 1918, significant German aid dedicated towards the revitalization
of the Turkish railway system arrived in the empire. Thus by midyear, there
were twenty-five railroad staff officer specialists, there were five Military
Railway Groups, three Special Railway Companies, eleven Special Railway
Commands, and four German railway equipment repair workshops actively
working in the empire. These staff officers and units specialized in the planning
of railway operations and the rapid switching of assets to ensure continuous and
efficient operations. Additionally, work on closing the Pozanti Gap and the
Osmaniye Gap was progressing steadily as the Germans and the Turks worked
to complete the Taurus and the Amanus tunnels. The thirty-six-kilometer
Amanus Tunnel complex had been completed in February 1917 and the more
difficult fifty-four-kilometer Taurus Tunnel complex finally completed eighteen
months later at the beginning of October 1918.
By the end of the war, total German aid had been substantial. The Germans
provided 559 cannons, 557,000 rifles, 100,000 carbines, 1,570 light and 30
heavy machine guns, 200,000 shrapnel shells with 500,000 fuses, 930 million
rifle cartridges, almost 300 aircraft, and 30 flame-throwers. The total numbers of
nonlethal equipment sent to the Turks had also been substantial as well; 1,000
vehicles, 16,000 gasmasks, 244 field telephones, 20 military telephone
switchboards, surveying equipment, and a host of other kinds of gear. Germany
also sent 120 railroad steam engines to alleviate the crippling shortage of
operational Turkish rolling stock. At the end of the war, there may have been as
many as twenty thousand Germans in the empire; however, this number
included military and thousands of civilians and their families who had been
brought in to increase the efficiency of the empire's economy and infrastructure.
A further major source of equipment although non-German, which must also
be considered as significant, was that of captured enemy equipment. During the
successful campaigns in Romania in 1916 and in the Trans-Caucasus's regions
in 1918, the Turks captured large amounts of enemy equipment. A case in point
234 German Military Assistance

is artillery. The official Turkish logistical history of the war lists 1,314 pieces of
artillery ranging in caliber from 57 mm quick-firing guns to 253 mm howitzers
(most are in the 87 mm to 122 mm range) as captured inventory. Accompanying
this large number of cannons were approximately 360,000 shells of various
calibers. Most of this material was Russian, but some Romanian, German, and
Japanese models were also included. This was a significant addition to the
Turkish army's combat power, especially when considered that large numbers of
machine-guns, communications equipment, and other supplies were obviously
captured as well.
The importance of the assignment of German general officers to command
positions within the Ottoman Army has often been overstated. Certainly Liman
von Sanders played a vital role at Gallipoli, but his subsequent performance at
Megiddo left much to be desired. Additionally, he twice refused command of the
Third Army which was probably the front where the Turks needed him the most.
Von der Goltz died before accomplishing anything of substance in
Mesopotamia. Von Falkenhayn's performance in Palestine was, arguably, less
than brilliant. At corps level and below, German commanders tended to do very
well, however no more so than many of the better Turkish commanders. The
most effective use of the highly trained Germans seems to have been in their
assignment as general staff, army, and corps chiefs of staff. It was here that their
finely tuned staff skills seemed to provide the most return on investment.
Overall, German assistance was a substantial asset to the Turk's ability to
prosecute the war. Taken as a total percentage of the actual German wartime
production and military strength, the levels of German assistance were small.
Unquestionably, the German military aid and equipment packages enabled the
Turks to sustain themselves for a much longer period that they could have
without such assistance. However, the greatest benefit that the Ottoman Empire
received from the Germans was in the area of military and industrial technical
assistance. This ranged from highly trained German General Staff officers
working on high-level Turkish military staffs to German railway engineering
officials specializing in the repair of rolling stock. This German expertise
enabled the Turks to gain greater efficiency out of their own thin military,
infrastructure, and industrial assets. It was in this area that Germany made its
weight felt by enabling the Turks to prolong the war.
The relationship between Germany and the Ottoman Empire proved to be
very effective. It was difficult for the Germans to logistically support combat
operations deep within the Ottoman Empire. Therefore, most German assistance
was in the form of technical support and equipment rather than in German
combat forces. Germany achieved its objective of keeping the Turks in the war
for as long as possible and with minimal investment. On their part, the Turks
effectively used the German aid to multiply and sustain their own combat
power. Once in the war, the Turks were very careful in managing their treaty
obligations with Germany. After the initial secret treaty in 1914, diplomatic
treaties negotiated between the Germans and the Turks tended to favor the
Ottoman Empire. These treaties advanced the Turk's economic and political
agendas as the Ottoman Empire moved to end the capitulations and edged
 German Military Assistance 235

towards establishing itself as an equal partner in the alliance. Clearly this

relationship was not dominated by Germany and could be characterized as
complementary rather than as one-sided.
This page intentionally left blank
 Appendix F
Ottoman Casualties

The purpose of this appendix is to attempt a reconciliation of Ottoman casualties from the First World War using known points of
reported information from Turkish sources to build tabular data. This appendix is not meant to be a definitive statement of Ottoman
casualties but rather is intended to be holistic view of when, where, and how Ottoman soldiers became casualties.

Table F.l
Ottoman Battle Casualties

Total reported
Campaign/Battle KIA/WIA KIA WIA MIA POW Text Pages
NE Frontiers 1914 (defensive) 1,983 6,170 3,070 72
Basra 1914 (defensive) {100} {200} 1,200 67
Qurna 1914 (defensive) {150} {300} 1,045 68
Sarikamis 1915 (offensive) 23,000 10,000 7,000 59-60
1st Persia 1915 (offensive) {200} {400}
Sinai 1915 (offensive) 192 381 [—727-—]{400} 71
Gallipoli 1915/16 (defensive) 56,643 97,007 11,178 94-95
Tortum/Van/Malazgirt 1915 (defensive) 58,000 (19,000) (39,000) 107
Eliskirt Valley 1915 (offensive) 10,000 (4,000) (6,000) 6,000 108
Shaiba 1915 (offensive) 6,000 (2,000) (4,000) 700 110
1st Kut 1915 (defensive) 4,000 (1,600) (2,400) 1,200 112
 Total
Campaign KIA/WIA K1A W1A MIA POW Text Pages
Ctesiphon 19] 5 (defensive) 4,500 9,000 1,200 113
Siege ofKut 1915/16 (offensive) 4,000 (1,600) (2,400) 113
Koprukoy 1916 (defensive) 10,000 (4,000) (6,000) 5,000 a 122
Erzurum 1916 (defensive) 10,000 (4,000) (6,000) 5,000 127
Trabzon/Lazistan 1916 (offensive) {3,000} {6,000}
Bayburt/Erzincan J916 (defensive) 17,000 (5,600) (11,400) 17,000 131
2nd Army Offensive |9]6 (offensive) 30<m (WiQQO) (20;OOQ) 133

Galicia 1916 (defensive) {5,000} {10,000} {3,000}

Romania 1916 (offensive) 2,676 10,613 2,972 145
Macedonia 1916/17 (defensive) {600} {1,200}
Relief ofKut 1916 (defensive) 619 1,585 1,337 150
2 nd Invasion Persia j g j ^ (offensive) 05 276 68 152
Sinai 1916 (offensive) 1,000 (250) (750) 155
|S , Gaza 19 , 7 (defensive) 300 75Q 60Q m
2 ndGaza 19]? (defensive) 82 1)336 242 , 63
2nd Kut/Baghdad 1917 (defensive) {2,000} {4,000}
3rd Gaza'Jerusalem 1917 (defensive) 3<540 8<982 ^^ 6j435 m
2nd Jordan 1918 (defensive) 11,000} {2,000}
Armenia'Azerbaijan 1918 (offensive) {1,500} {3,000}
Persia 1918 (defensive) {500} (1,000}
Megiddo/Syria 1918 (defensive) 10,000s {20,000} 71,300 201
Mesopotamia 1918 (defensive) {500} {1,000} 11,322 203
Yemen/Asir/Hedjaz 1914-1918 (defensive) {5,000} {10,000}
Unreported missing {30,000}"
Un reported POWs {20,000}c
Returned POWs from Kut, 1916 +1,095 151
Returned POWs from Russia 1918 +9,010 189

TOTAL 175,220 303,150'' 61,487 145,104

KEY Total KIA/WIA: Total combined killed and wounded (permanently disabled) in action
KIA: Killed in Action
WIA: Wounded in Action (permanently disabled)
MIA: Missing in Action
POW: Prisoners of War
Text Pages: Information on sources may be found on these pages of the main text

Notes: Methodology—Ottoman casualties are reported in about two thirds of contemporary official Turkish campaign histories. These numbers
provided the baseline and also became the known points of information. General estimates were then established based on the trends of campaigns
and battles selected as representative of combat conditions in various theaters. Numbers in boldface type reflect published Turkish historical data
(or data taken from Turkish sources) and the sources may be found in the text. Numbers shown in brackets (XXX) are the author's estimated
breakdowns of casualties reported solely as totals, calculated in a ratio of .4 KIA/ .6 WIA. Numbers shown in italicized brackets {XXX} are the
author's own estimates based on the number of troops involved, the intensity and duration of combat, and the offensive or defensive posture of the
forces involved.
a. POW figures from Koprukoy 1916 are found in W. E. D. Allen & Paul Muratoff, Caucasian Battlefields, page 342. The KIA figures from
Megiddo/Syria are found in Charles F. Home, The Great Events of the Great War, vol. 4, 1918, "The Fall of Turkey" by W.T. Massey, page 334.
Both sources closely follow Turkish sources for these particular periods, and the author believes these numbers to be congruent with Turkish data.
b. Rather than estimate the amount of missing by campaign, the number of unreported missing is a cumulative total estimated by the author to be an
amount equal to the number of accurately reported missing.
c. Like the number of estimated missing in note b, the author estimates the number of unreported POW's to be an amount equal to the number of
accurately reported POWs during ordinary campaigning. The Palestine and Mesopotamian campaigns of 1918 and the Erzurum campaign of 1916
were aberrations and do not reflect the army's POW rates from other theaters. By deleting these particular campaigns and battles, the author is left
with about 20,000 POWs lost during ordinary campaigning, which is used as the number of unreported POWs.
d. These totals are the reported wounded (yarah). The author interprets this to mean permanently disabled or otherwise seriously incapacitated (as
opposed to lightly wounded and returned to duty).
Table F.2
Other Ottoman Casualty Figures

Total sick 3,515,471

Total died of disease 466,759
Total wounded 763,753
Total died of wounds 68,378

Notes: Dr. Yalman's numbers were based on direct access to an unpublished official source. Yalman's unpublished primary source, the Turkish
Ministry of War's The Sanitary History of the War was apparently never published. Yalman's total of wounded is approximately twice the author's
estimated number of dead and missing. Although Yalman's total number of wounded conflicts with the author's estimate, Yalman's figures very
likely include all categories of wounded, including the lightly wounded and injured in non-combat accidents.

Source: Emin Ahmed Yalman, Turkey in the World War, (New Haven: Yale University Press, 1930), 252-254.

Table F.3
Consolidated Summary of Ottoman Losses in the First World War (Author's Estimates)

Category Total Source

Killed 175,220 Table F.l
Missing 61,487 Table F.l
Total died of wounds 68,378 Table F.2
Total combat dead and missing 305,085 Table F.l

Total wounded 763,753 Table F.2

Total wounded, permanent loss 303,150 Table F.l
Total sick 3,515,471 Table F.2
Total died of disease 466,759 Table F.2
Prisoners of war 145,104 Table F.l
Table F.4
Consolidated Ottoman Losses By Year of the War (Author's Estimates)

Year KIA MIA Died/wounds Died/disease POW WIA (perm) WIA (all)

1st Year 112,850 25,000 22,441 77,667 20,464 174,858 234,532

2 nd Year 37,430 12,927 31,110 155,757 32,891 72,413 351,112
3 rd Year 6,440 9,534 8,180 137,889 12,084 18,943 50,635
4th Year 18,500 14,026 7,647 95,446 79,665 36,936 127,475

Total 175,220 61,487 68,378 466,759 145,104 303,150 763,753

Notes: These estimates consolidate the author's campaign estimates (Table F.l)and Dr. Yalman's annual army losses (pages 252-253 of Turkey in
the World War). Author's conclusions based these numbers:
(1) The first year of the war was by far the worst year for actual battlefield combat losses, however, some prewar medical capacity or
stockages of medicine obviously reduced the number of Ottoman soldiers dying of disease.
(2) Acute medical shortages in the second year of the war probably increased the number of men dying of disease. Thereafter, increasing
amounts of German aid probably caused the reduction of this number seen in the last two years of the war.
(3) 1917 was a year of badly needed respite on the battlefield caused by inactivity on the Caucasian front and by lower levels of combat on the
fronts facing the British.
(4) The worst year for POW losses was 1918 due to the massive British envelopment operations in Palestine.
Table F.5
Ottoman Army Strength 1918

January 1,1918 September 1,1918

Army Assigned Strength Rifles MG Artillery Assigned Strength
First Army 237,300 52,918 0 284 50,000a
Second Army 140,016b 67,250 79 64 249,730
Third Army 147,390 46,925 24 180 10,000
Fourth Army 190,898 94,815 138 179 190,000
Fifth Army 220,286 126,811 511 548 200,000
Sixth Army 79,360 32,216 135 122 54,109
Seventh Army 35,065 11,099 279 86 40,000
Eighth Army 32,000 12,799 338 126 39,783
Ninth Army - June 1918 80,000 21,791 307 136 120,000 c
Other Areas 14,000 not reported 14,000
TOTAL 1,096,315d 466,624d l,504d l,589d 1,027,622

Notes: Numbers in Italics are the author's estimates.

a. Although the First Army was inactivated in the spring of 1918, the capital garrison and surrounding fortresses are included in this number.
b. The Second, Fourth, and Fifth Armies had substantial numbers of labor troops (amele) supporting the empire's lines of communications. The
only army reporting such troops as a separate line included in total assigned strength was the Second Army which reported 41,931 labor troops. It
highly likely that the Second and Fourth Armies had similar numbers of labor troops.
c. Ninth Army totals include the Army of Islam.
d. The total does not include the Ninth Army- June 1918 totals (because this army was organized in the summer of 1918).
e. In January 1918, the Yildirim Army had an additional 172,591 rifles stored in depots.
f. At the armistice, the Ottoman Army probably had about 930,000 men on its rolls, the Ottoman Navy probably had about 15,000 men on its rolls
(1908 strength: 5,451 officers, 7,419 seamen), the Ottoman Jandarma probably had about 150,000 men on its rolls (1914 strength: 250,000 men of
which 40,000 were in mobile regiments and battalions). Therefore, the author's estimate of total armed forces at Armistice is 1,095,000 men.

Source: Turkish General Staff, Turk Silahli Kuvvetleri Tarihi Osmanli Devri Birinci Diinya Harbi Idari Faaliyetler ve Lojistik, Xncu Cilt (Ankara:
Basimevi, 1985), 544-550.
Table F.6
Consolidated Ottoman Battle and Non-Battle Losses (Author's Estimates)

Category Total Source

Combat dead or missing 305,085 Table F.3
Died of disease 466,759 Table F.2
POWs 145,104 Table F.l
Wounded - permanent loss 303,150 Table F.l
Deserters 500,000 Yalman, page 255, see note b.

Total Wartime Losses 1,720,098 Author's estimate

Total men under arms at armistice 1,095,000 Table F.5, note f.

Men mobilized, Army 2,608,000 Table F.5, note f.

Jandarma 250,000 Table F.5, note f.
Navy 15,000 Table F.5, note f.
Men Mobilized, Total 2,873,000 Author's estimate, see note a.

Men unaccounted for: 57,902

Percent of men unaccounted for: 2%

Notes:
a. Yalman claimed that the empire mobilized a total of 2,998,321 men and Commandant Larcher used a figure of 2,850,000 men mobilized during
the war.
b. Liman von Sanders estimated that in 1916, there were 300,000 deserters at large in the Ottoman Empire. Yalman cited a similar number for
1916, and furthermore claimed that the number of deserters in 1918 was 500,000.
c. Some POW estimates for the Ottoman Army in the First World War range as high as 220,000 to 250,000 men, although the author found no
reliable data to suggest such high figures. The total British POW count was probably about 100,000 Turks and the total Russian POW count was
probably about 50,000 Turks (returnees would reduce these totals somewhat).
d. The "unaccounted for" men are most likely distributed across the data fields in various battles and campaigns as yet unreported by the Turks.
This page intentionally left blank
 Appendix G
Turkey in the
First World War-Chronology
1 DATE CAUCASUS / EUROPE AND PALESTINE MESOPOTAMIA 1
EASTERN THE BALKANS
ANATOLIA
AUG 1914 (2) Turco- (10) Goeben &
German Secret Treaty Breslau enter
j of Alliance Dardanelles
SEP

OCT (28) Black Sea Raids

NOV Russian Offensive at (3) Initial Naval Defense behind Suez (6) Initial Landing &
Koprukoy Bombardment of Canal Bridgehead
Gallipoli (17) Turks routed
DEC (22) Third Army (9) Al Quirna occupied 1
Offensive in Caucasia
LW1M5(11)2#I5 (9) Third Army defeat 1st Turkish attack on 1st Turkish Invasion of
1 Turco-German Treaty at Sarikamis canal Persia
FEB (19) 1st Naval Attack British defense of
canal & minor raids
1 MAR | (18) 2d Naval Attack \ 1st British Advance
„ _
APR (14) Van Rebellion | (25) GALLIPOLI \ Turks withdraw from
Landing at Cape | Persia |
Armenian Rebellion Helles and Anzac | (12) Battle of Shaiba
(28) 1st Krithia
MAY (6) Russian Offensive (1) Turkish j British occupy Amara
at Tortum & Erzurum Counterattack
(2) Baby 700
Armenian Rebellion (6-8) 2d Krithia
(19) Turkish
Counterattack at
Anzac
JUN Armenian Rebellion (4) 3d Krithia
Armenian deportations (28/29) British attack
begin at Anzac
|JUL (10) Russian Offensive (12/13) British
northwest of Lake Van offensive at Helles

AUG (5) Turkish Counter- (2) British Offensive

Offensive -Eliskirt (6) 2d British Landing
valley at Suvla Bay
(22) Russian Offensive (6) Lone Pine
halted at Malzgirt (7) Sari Bair
(10) Turkish
.,.- ._ - _J counterattack
1 SEP (28) 1st Battle of Kut 1
OCT
NOV (21) Battle of
Ctesiphon
DEC (18-20) Evacuation of (7) Siege of Kut
Suvla & Anzac

Siege of Kut
JAN 1916 Russian Offensive at (8/9) Evacuation of
Koprukoy Cape Helles
FEB Russians storm Siege of Kut
Erzurum
MAR Second Army forms at Siege of Kut
Bitlis
[APR (18) Trabzon falls (23) Battle of Katia (28) Surrender of Kut

MAY (29) Russian offensive British Advance

from Erzurum
JUN Turks attack in Pontic Clearing of Sinai 2nd Turkish Invasion
Alps of Persia
JUL (2) Yudenich ROMANIA Clearing of Sinai
Offensive at Bayburt VI Corps deploys
(25) Russians capture GALICIA
Erzincan XV Corps deploys
I AUG (2) Second Army Romanian Offensive (4) Turkish attack at
Offensive Bir Romani
| Ataturk captures Mus
& Bitlis
SEP (23) Turco- Restructuring of the (1) Danube Army 2nd British Advance 1
1 German Military Third Army Offensive into Dobruja
j Agreement
OCT 2nd British Advance
NOV 2nd British Advance
DEC (5) Bucharest falls (23) British attack El
(6) Ploesti falls Arish
MACEDONIA
(6) XX Corps deploys
to Drama

JAN 1917 (ll)Twrco- (7) ROMANIA Turks (9) British arrive at

German Treaty ending closed on Isman on the Turkish frontier
| capitulations Danube River
FEB (22) 2nd Battle of Kut
MAR Russian Revolution (26) 1st Battle of Gaza (11) Capture of
Baghdad
Turks retreat from
Persia
APR (17) 2d Battle of Gaza
MAY
JXJN
JUL
AUG (22) GALICIA Yildirim Army Group
XX Corps returns formed
SEP
OCT (18) Joint Turco- (31) 3d Battle of Gaza
German Military & Beersheba
Cooperation
Agreement
NOV British advance to
Tikrit
DEC Russian Armistice (11) Capture of
Jerusalem
(26) Turkish
counterattacks
JAN 1918
FEB Third Army Offensive
MAR Treaty of Brest-
Litovsk
Turks retake Trabzon
APR Turkish Recovery of (30) 2nd Battle of the
Armenia, Batum and Jordan
Kars
[MAY
JUN (4) Turkish Azerbajian Turks take Tabriz in
Offensive Persia
JUL Siege of Baku
AUG Siege of Baku (4) British take Enzeli
(20) British arrive in
Baku
SEP (17) Turks seize Baku (19) Battle of
Meggido/Mt Carmel
Pursuit
(27) Dera falls
1 OCT (10) Capture of
Damascus & Beirut
(16) Capture of Homs
(25) Capture of
Aleppo
NOV 1918(1) (1) Advance to Mosul 1
| Armistice at Mudros

Note:
a. Italics indicate Turkish actions.
b. Numbers in parentheses indicate day of the month.
 Selected Bibliography

ARCHIVAL SOURCES

Ankara: Askeri Tarihi ve Stratejik Etut Baskanhgi (ATASE) - Turkish General Staff
Archives
1 12 Headquarters, Ministry of the Interior
1 l\ Office of the Acting Commanding General
1/131 Jandarma Headquarters, Constantinople (Istanbul)
1/131 Operations Division, Headquarters, Turkish General Staff
4/3671 Headquarters, Turkish Third Army
4/8749 Headquarters, Turkish Fifth Army
1/65 Headquarters, §evki Group

OFFICIAL DOCUMENTS AND HISTORIES

Akbay, Cemal. Birinci Diinya Harbinde Turk Harbi, lnci Cilt, Osmanli
Imparatorlugu 'nun Siyasi ve Askeri Hazirliklari ve Harbe Girisi. Ankara:
Genelkurmay Basimevi, 1991.
Ari, Kemal, Birinci Diinya Savasi Kronoiojisi. Ankara: Genelkurmay Basimevi, 1997.
Aspinall-Oglander, Brig.-Gen. C. F. History of the Great War, based on Official
Documents: Military Operations Gallipoli, vol. 1-2. London: HMSO, 1924-1930.
Bean, C. E. W. Official History of Australia in the War of1914-1918: The Story of
ANZAC, vol. 1-2. Queensland: University of Queensland Press, 1981 (reprint of
1942 edition).
Belen, General Fahri. Birinci Cihan Harbinde Turk Harbi 1914, 1915, 1916, 1916, 1918
Yili Hareketleri, I-V Cilt. (five volumes) Ankara: Genelkurmay Basimevi, 1965-
1967.
Demirel, Muammer. Birinci Diinya Harbinde Erzurum ve Cevresinde Ermeni Harekatleri
(1814-1918). Ankara: Genelkurmay Basimevi, 1996.
Falls, Captain Cyril. History of the Great War, based on Official Documents, Military
Operations Egypt and Palestine, 1914-191'8, vol. 1. London: HMSO, 1930.
Gooch, G. P. and Harold Temperley, eds. British Documents on the Origins of the War,
1898-1914, vol. 11. London: HMSO, 1926.
Hurewitz, J. C. Diplomacy in the Near and Middle East: A Documentary Record: 1535-
1914, vol. 1 and 1914-1956, vol. 2. Princeton, NJ: Van Nostrand Company, 1956.
252 Selected Bibliography

Intelligence Section, Cairo, British Army, Handbook of the Turkish Army. 8th Provisional
ed., February 1916, Nashville: Battery Press, (reprint).
Moberly, Brig.-Gen. F. J. History of the Great War, Based on Official Documents, The
Campaign in Mesopotamia 1914-1918, vol. 1. London: HMSO, 1923.
Sukru, Mahmut Nedim, Eilistin Savasi (1914-1918). Ankara: Genelkurmay Basimevi,
1995.
Thomazi, Albay A., Qanakkale Deniz Savasi. Ankara: Genelkurmay Basimevi, 1997.
Turkish Air Force, Turk Havacilik Tarihi 1912-1914 (Birinci Kitap), Eskisehir: Ucus
Okullari Basimevi, 1950.
Turkish Air Force. Turk Havacilik Tarihi 1914-1916 (Ikinci Kitap), Eskisehir: Ucus
Okkullari Basimevi, 1951.
Turkish Air Force. Turk Havacilik Tarihi 1917-1918 (Ikinci Kitap Ikinci Cilt), Eskisehir:
Ucus Okkullari Basimevi, 1951.
Turkish Air Force. Istiklal Harbi, 1918-1923 (III Cilt Ikinci Kitap), Eskisehir, Ucus
Okkullari Basimevi, 1953.
Turkish Air Force. Havacilik Tarihi Turkler I, Etimisgut: Hava Kuvvetleri Basimevi,
1971.
Turkish General Staff. Turk Istiklal Harbi I Mondros Mutarekesi ve Tatbikati. Ankara:
Genelkurmay Basimevi, 1962.
Turkish General Staff. Birinci Diinya Harbi IXncu Cilt Turk Hava Harekati, Ankara,
Genelkurmay Basimevi, 1969.
Turkish General Staff. Turk Silahli Kuvvetleri Tarihi Illncu Cilt 6nci Kisim (1908-1920)
1 nci Kitap. Ankara: Genelkurmay Basimevi, 1971.
Turkish General Staff. Birinci Diinya Harbinde Turk Harbi Vncu Cilt Qanakkale
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Turkish General Staff. Birinci Diinya Harbinde Turk Harbi Illncu Cilt Irak-Iran Cephesi,
1914-1918, Inci Kisim. Ankara: Genelkurmay Basimevi, 1979.
Turkish General Staff Turk Silahi Kuvvetleri Tarihi Osmanli Devri Birinci Dunya
Harbinde Turk Harbi Vncu Cilt 3ncu Kitap Canakkale Cephesi Harekati (Haziran
1915-Ocak 1916), Ankara: Genelkurmay Basimevi, 1980.
Turkish General Staff. Askeri Tarih Yayinlari Belgelerle Ermeni Sorunu. Ankara:
Genelkurmay Basimevi, 1983.
Turkish General Staff. Turk Silahli Kuvvetleri Tarihi Osmanli Devri Birinci Dunya Harbi
Idari Faaliyetler ve Lojistik Xncu Cilt. Ankara, Genelkurmay Basimevi, 1985.
Turkish General Staff. Turk Silahi Kuvvetleri Tarihi Osmanli Devri Birinci Dunya
Harbinde Turk Harbi Vncu Cilt 3ncu Kitap Canakkale Cephesi Harekati (Haziran
Turkish General Staff. Turk Istiklal Harbi 'ne Kalilan Tumen ve Daha Ust Kademelerdeki
Komutanlarin Biyografileri. Ankara: Genelkurmay Basimevi, 1989.
Turkish General Staff. Balkan Harbi (1912-1913). Ankara: Genelkurmay Basimevi,
1993.
Turkish General Staff. Birinci Diinya Harbinde Turk Harbi Kafkas Cephesi 3ncu Ordu
Harekati, Cilt I and II. Ankara: Genelkurmay Basimevi, 1993.
Turkish General Staff. Birinci Diinya Harbinde Turk Harbi, Vnvi Cilt, Qanakkale
Cephesi Harekati, Inci Kitap (Haziran 1914- 25 Nisan 1915). Ankara:
Genelkurmay Basimevi, 1993.
Turkish General Staff. Turk Silahli Kuvvetleri Tarihi, Balkan Harbi (1912-1913), II Cilt,
Edirne Kalesi Etrafindaki Muharebeler. Ankara: Genelkurmay Basimevi, 1993.
Turkish General Staff. Turk Silahli Kuvvetleri Tarihi, Balkan Harbi (1912-1913), III Cilt,
Garp Ordusu Vardar Ordusu ve Ustruma Kolordusu. Ankara: Genelkurmay
Basimevi, 1993.
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Turkish General Staff. Birinci Diinya Harbinde Turk Harbi Avrupa Cepheleri (Ozet).
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Turkish General Staff. Birinci Diinya Harbinde Turk Harbi V. Cilt Qanakkale Cephesi
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Turkish General Staff. Birinci Diinya ve Istiklal Harbinde Sehit Olan Subay, Askeri
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Turkish General Staff, Turk Istiklal Harbi I, Mondros Miitarekesi ve Tatbikati, Ankara:
Genelkurmay Basimevi, 1999.
Turkish Military Museum, Askeri Muze Resim Koleksiyonu, Istanbul: Harbiye, Askeri
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Turkish Ministry of Culture. Cephelerden Kurtulus Savasina Imparatorluktari
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Turkish Ministry of Defense. Sehitlerimiz 1-5 Cilt, Ankara: TC Milli Savunma Bakanligi,
1998.
Yuceer, Nasir. Birinci Diinya Savas 'inda Osmanli Ordusu 'nun Azerbaycan ve Dagistan
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Genelkurmay Basimevi, 1996.

MEMOIRS

DeNogales, Rafael. Four Years beneath the Crescent. New York: Charles Scribner's
Sons, 1926.
Djemal Pasha. Memories of a Turkish Statesman-1913-1919. London: Hutchinson, n.d.
Lawrence, T. E. Revolt in the Desert. Garden City, N.Y.: Doubleday, 1927.
Lawrence, T. E. Seven Pillars of Wisdom: a Triumph. Stockholm: Alb. Bonniers, 1946.
Liman von Sanders, General of Cavalry. Five Years in Turkey. London: Bailliere, Tindall
& Cox, 1928.
Morgenthau, Henry. Ambassador Morgenthau's Story. Garden City, N.Y.: Doubleday
Press, 1918.
Von Falkenhayn, Erich. General Headquarters 1914-1916 and its Critical Decisions.
London: Hutchinson, n.d.

BOOKS

Albertini, Luigi. The Origins of the War of 1914. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1952.
Allen, W. E. D., and Paul Muratoff. Caucasian Battlefields: A History of the Wars on the
Turco-Caucasian Border, 1828-1921. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press,
1953.
Atasu, Remzi, Demiryollarinin Askeri Rolled ve Yarina Hazirlanislari, Istanbul: Askeri
Matbaa, 1939.
Busch, Briton Cooper. Mudros to Lausanne: Britain's Frontier in West Asia, 1918-1923.
Albany: State University of New York Press, 1976.
Churchill, Winston S. The World Crisis. New York: Charles Scribners, Sons, 1931.
Dadrian, Vakhakn N. Warrant for Genocide: Key Elements of the Turko-Armenian
Conflict. New Brunswick, N.J.: Transaction Publishers, 1999.
Esposito, Brig. General Vincent J., ed. The West Point Atlas of American Wars, vol 2:
1900-1953. New York: Praeger, 1964.
Falls, Cyril. The Great War. New York: G. P. Putnam's Sons, 1959.
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Ferguson, Niall. The Pity of War. New York: Basic Books, 1999.
Freyberg, Paul. Bernard Freyberg V.C.: Soldier of Two Nations. London: Hodder and
Stoughton, 1991.
Haythornthwaite. Phillip J. Gallipoli 1915. London: Ospry Press, n.d.
Herwig, Holger H. The First World War, Germany and Austria-Hungary, 1914-1918.
London: Arnold, 1997.
Hovannisian, Richard G., ed. Rememberance and Denial. Detroit: Wayne State Press,
1998.
Hovannisian, Richard G. The Armenian Holocaust: A Bibliography Relating to the
Deportations, Massacres, and the Dispersion of the Armenian People, 1915-1923
2d ed. Cambridge, Mass: Armenian Heritage Press, 1980.
Hickey, Michael. Gallipoli. London: John Murray, 1995.
James, Robert Rhodes. Gallipoli, New York: Macmillan, 1965.
Johnstone, Tom. Orange, Green and Khaki, The Story of the Irish Regiments in the Great
War, 1914-1918. Dublin: Gill and Macmillan, 1992.
Keegan, John, The First World War. New York: Alfred A. Knopf, 1999.
Kent, Marian, ed. The Great Powers and the End of the Ottoman Empire. London:
George Allen & Unwin, 1984.
Kiraly, Bela K., and Nandor F. Dreisziger, eds. East Central European Society in World
War I. New York: Columbia University Press, 1985.
Langensiepen, Bernd, and Ahmet Guleryuz. The Ottoman Steam Navy. Annapolis Md.;
Naval Institute Press, 1995.
Larcher, Commandant M. La Guerre Turque Dans La Guerre Mondiale. Paris: Chiron &
Berger-Levrault, 1926.
Macfie, A. L. The End of the Ottoman Empire 1908-1923. London: Longman, 1998.
McCarthy, Justin. Muslims and Minorities, The Population of Ottoman Anatolia and the
End of the Empire. New York: London Press, 1983.
Millar, Ronald. Death of an Army, The Siege of Kut 1915-1916. Boston: Houghton
Mifflin, 1970.
Miller, Geoffrey. Straits: British policy towards the Ottoman Empire and the origins of
the Dardanelles Campaign. Hull: University of Hull Press, 1997.
Miller, Geoffrey. Superior Force: the conspiracy behind the escape of the Goeben and
Breslau. Hull: University of Hull Press, 1996.
Moorehead, Alan. Gallipoli. New York: Harper & Row, 1956.
Moorhouse, Geoffrey. Hell's Foundations: A Town, Its Myths & Gallipoli, Bury St.
Edmund: Hodder and Stoughton, 1992.
Nicolle, David. The Ottoman Army 1914-1918. London: Reed International Books, 1996.
Nicolle, David. Lawrence and the Arab Revolts. Oxford: Osprey, 1998
Perrett, Bryan. Megiddo 1918: The Last Great Cavalry Victory. Oxford: Osprey
Publishing, 1999.
Shaw, Stanford J. History of the Ottoman Empire and Modern Turkey, vol. 1.
Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1976.
Shaw, Stanford J. and Ezel Kural Shaw. History? of the Ottoman Empire and Modern
Turkey, vol. 2. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1977.
Sheffy, Yigal. British Military Intelligence in the Palestine Campaign, 1914-1918.
London: Frank Cass, 1998.
Steel, Nigel, and Peter Hart. Defeat at Gallipoli. London: Macmillan, 1994.
Stevenson, David. Armaments and the Coming of War: Europe, 1904-1914. Oxford:
Clarendon Press, 1996.
Stone, Norman. The Eastern Front, 1914-1917. New York: Charles Scribner's Sons,
1975
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Taylor, Phil, and Pam Cupper. Gallipoli:A Battlefield Guide. Kenthurst, Australia:
Kangaroo Press, 1989.
Trumpener, Ulrich. Germany and the Ottoman Empire. Princeton, N.J.: Princeton
University Press, 1968.
Wavell, General Sir Archibald. Allenby: A Study in Greatness. New York: Oxford
University Press, 1941.
Weber, Frank G. Eagles on the Crescent: Germany Austria, and the Diplomacy of the
Turkish Alliance, 1914-1918. Ithaca, NY.: Cornell University Press, 1970.
Westlake, Ray. British Regiments at Gallipoli. London: Leo Cooper, 1996.
World Press. The World Almanac and Encyclopedia 1914. New York: Press Publishing,
1913.
Yalman, Ahmed Emin. Turkey in the World War. New Haven, Conn.: Yale University
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Yilmaz, Veli. Birinci Diinya Harbinde Turk-Alman Ittifaki ve Askeri Yardimlari.
Istanbul: Gem Offset, 1993.

ARTICLES

Doyle, Peter and Matthew R. Bennett. "Military Geography: the influence of terrain in
the outcome of the Gallipoli Campaign, 1915. " The Geographical Journal, 165
(1999): 12-36.
Dyer, Gwynne. "The Origins of the 'Nationalist' group of officers in Turkey 1908-1918."
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Kocabas, Siileyman. "Birinci Diinya Harbi'nde Bogazlar Meselesi." Askeri Tarih Biilteni,
39 (1995): 90-97.
Kurkcuoglu, Omer. "An Evaluation of the Ottoman Empire's Entry into the World War."
Ankara Universitesi Siyasal Bilgiler Fakeultesi, 38 (1983): 227-243.
Seyhun, Mehmet Arif. "Yemen Savas Anilari (5 May 1914-5 March \9\9)." Askeri Tarih
Biilteni, 42 (1997): 1-51.
Wolf, John B. "The Diplomatic History of the Bagdad Railroad." The University of
Missouri Studies: A Quarterly of Research, 11 (2) (1936): 1-107.
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 Index

Abdulkerim, Brigadier General, 148 Aras River valley, 107-108

Abdul Karim Pasa, 107, 108, 122, 127 Ardahan, 54, 65, 184
Acre, 199 Ari Burnu, 83
Action Army, 2 Armenian National Army, 182-183,
Adana, 99, 129, 130, 167, 176, 201 184,192
Adrianople, 3, 5-7, 9, 10, 23, 37, 45, Armenian Rebellion, 95-104, 153
79, 80, 124, 144 Armenians, 52, 62, 80, 107, 153, 184,
Afghanistan, 39 192;Dasnaks,96, 101;
Agri, 105 deportation orders 100, 102;
Ahmet Fevzi, 53, 55, 128-129, 136 Druzhiny, 99, 102; Erzurum
Ahmet Izzet Pasa, 5, 128, 131-133, Congress, 97; Huncaks, 101;
135, 137, 167, 201; biography 219- Patriarch, 98; population, 96;
220 reports of abuses 104; Ta§naks, 97,
Akaba, 175 182; weapons, 96, 100
Alaaddin, Colonel, 53 Australian cavalry 172, 198
Albania, 148 Austria-Hungary, 39, 119, 120, 137-
Albertini, Luigi, The Origins of the 138, 143
War of1914, 31 Austro-Hungarian Army, 91, 93, 137,
Aleppo, 63, 98, 99, 167, 169, 171, 201 143, 153, 155, 176
Alexandretta, 201 Aylmer, General, 149
Ali, Captain, 79 Azerbaijan, 39, 62, 180, 182, 187, 191-
AliFuadBey, 168 192; Azeri Muslim Assembly 182
Ali Insan Pasa, 55, 59, 152, 176
Ali Remzi, 93 Baghdad, 66, 101, 111-112, 114, 152,
Allen, W. E. D. and Paul Muratoff, 159-160, 164-168, 171, 176
Caucasian Battlefields: A History of Baku, 186-189, 191-192; battle of, 191-
the Wars on the Turco-Russian 192
Border 1828-1921, 22, 32, 105, 107, Balkan League, 2
160, 180 Balkan Wars, 2-4, 7, 9-10,41,45, 96,
Allenby, General Edmund, 160, 164, 101; defense of the Dardanelles, 82;
172-174, 193, 195, 196, 198-203 First Balkan War, 2; Second Balkan
Amman, 175, 195, 198 War, 3, 33-23, 32-33
Anzac, 69, 83, 87, 89, 91; withdrawal Baratov, General, 152
93, Basra, 45, 63, 66-67, 100,114
Arabia, 9, 32, 119, 168, 175-176 Batum, 55, 147, 184-186
Arab Revolt, 175-176 Bayburt, 131
258 Index

Beersheba, 70, 153, 161, 163-164, 168, 63,80, 121, 130, 138, 169, 182,203
172-173; loss of, 172 Costanza, 147
Beyazit, 99, 184 Cost of the war, 207-211
Bingol, 133 Ctesiphon, 112-115, 149; battle of 112-
Bir Romani, 155; battle of, 155 115
Bitlis, 97-98, 131
Black Sea, 34, 55, 128, 130, 182; Black Catalca, 2, 5, 7, 10, 37, 42, 45, 80, 82
Sea raids, 35-36 Corlu, 138
Bosphorus, 5, 7, 42, 80 Coruh, 55, 125, 131
Breslau SMS, (Midilli), 27, 33, 35, 130
British Army, 69-71, 91, 110, 124, 147, Damascus, 171, 200
149-151, 153, 155, 161-167, 171- Dardanelles, 5, 33, 42, 76, 78-80, 85,
174, 191-203; use of tanks, 163; use 94; Bulair, 81-84; Ecabet, 81-82;
of gas, 163 Erenkoy minefeld, 79, Kum Kale,
Bronsart von Schellendorf, 12, 29, 32, 78-79, 82-84; Seddelbahir, 78-79,
35-36, 39, 44, 45, 55, 59, 68, 167- 89,91
168 Danube River, 145-147
Brusilov offensive, 137 Dead Sea, 174-175
Bucharest, 143, 146 Delamain, General, 66
Bulgaria, 31-32, 37, 39-40, 78, 91, 143 DeNogales, Rafael, 100, 104
Bulgarian Army, 142-148 Dera, 174-175,195, 198
Second Army, 148 Derbent, 192
Third Army, 143, 146 DeRoebeck, Admiral, 78, attacks on the
6th Infantry Division, 144 Dardanelles, 79-80
10th Infantry Division, 148 Dilman, 185, 192
1st Cavalry Division, 144 Diyala River, 165, 176
Diyarbakir, 62-63, 99, 128-130
Cape Helles, 82, 85, 89, 89, 93; Ay Dobruja, 143-146
Tepe/Gozubaba Tepe, 84; Krithia, Dogubeyazit, 105, 184-185
85, 87; Mai Tepe, 84; V Beach, 84; Dortyol, 98
withdrawal 93 Drama, 148-149
Capitulations, 27 Dunsterforce, 191-192,203
Caspian Sea, 186-187, 191, 192 Dunsterville, Major General L. C , 191-
Casualties, Ottoman, 208, 210-211 192
Caucasia (Caucasus Mountains), 9-10,
37, 39, 42, 45, 52, 66, 101, 103-108, El Arish, 71, 161
119-138, 147,159-161, 167-168, Eliskirt valley, 97, 105, 107-108, 131,
179-189, 191; Second Army 182; battle of, 107-108, see also,
offensive (1916), 131-136; Turkish Ottoman Army Plans, Bull's Eye
offensive (1918) 182-190 Directive
Cemal Pasa, 1, 3, 28-30, 34-35, 52, 69, Emir Ali, 175
71,95, 153,155, 161, 163, 167-171, Enver Pasa, 2, 4-5, 25, 28-34, 36-37,
174-176, 194; biography, 217 46, 52-55, 58-65, 68, 80-81, 85, 88-
CevatPasa, 5,65, 78, 81,94, 141, 174, 89,93-96, 100-103, 107-108, 114,
196 119-123, 127-129, 131, 135, 138,
Cevid Bey, 1, 28, 36, 65-66, 93, 113 143, 146, 148,150, 152-153,159-
Churchill, Winston, 33 161, 163, 166-168,171, 176, 179-
Committee of Union and Progress 189, 192-193, 194; biography, 217-
(CUP), 1,3-4, 29, 96. See also 218; secret orders, 48
Young Turks Enzeli, 191-192
Constantinople, 5, 8-9, 12, 37, 42, 45, Erivan, 97,193
 Index 259

Erzincan, 98, 104, 119-120, 131, 133, 228th Infantry Regiment

135, 183 Asia Corps, 169, 196,232;
Erzurum, 5, 6, 39, 41, 54-55, 62-64, 79, composition of, 169
98-99, 101, 104-105, 107, 199-123, German General Staff, 6, 138, 148
127-128, 130, 133, 138, 182, 183; German military assistance, 231-234;
fall of, 124-128; fortress of, 123-124; treaties, 231-234
forts: Cobandede and Dalangoz, 125 German Military Mission, 11-12; 1914
Esat Pasa, 76, 81-85, 87, 90-91, 187; staffing, 11
biography 218 Giers, Ambassador, 31, 46
Euphrates River, 42, 66, 100, 110-115, Giresun, 182
164-167,203 Goeben, SMS, 27, 33, 35, 64
Goltz, Marshal von der, 8-9, 46, 81, 91,
Fahri Ferik Nuri Pasa, 189 114-115, 150-151
Fahri Pasa, 155 Graf von Bothmer, General, 139-140
Faik Pasa, 89 Greece, 32, 33, 39, 146-149
Falkenhayn, Field Marshal Erich von, Greeks, Ottoman, 52, 82, 96, 100, 182,
123, 138, 142-143, 147, 159, 166- 184
169, 171-173, 193-195,200 Guse, Major, 53-54, 59, 104, 120, 127
Feldman, Major, 55
Ferit, Major, 53 Hafif Hakki Bey, 35, 39, 40, 46, 54-55,
Fethi Bey, 4, 30 59, 61-62, 68, 104; campaign plans
Fevzi Pasa, 171, 173, 174; biography of 39; death of, 104
218-219 Haifa, 199
France, influence of, 98, 99, 147-148, Halil Pasa, 62-63, 150-151, 164-167,
182 171, 176, 187, 191-192; biography,
Frankenberg, Colonel von, 69 219
Halit, Major, 79
Galicia, 137-142, 169 Hamadan, 152, 153, 176, 191
Gallipoli, 10,76-95, 101, 103, 108, Hamdi, Lieutenant Colonel, 144
119, 121, 123, 127; battle of, 75-95; Hamidiye (cruiser), 64
casualties, 94-95; Canakkale Harput, 62
Fortified Area Command, 76, 77, 78, Harsova, 146
81, 89, 94; Italian intervention, 93 Haspi, Major, 79
Gas attacks, Galicia, 141; Second Gaza, Hassan Izzet Pa§a, 53
163 Hedjaz railway, 155, 195
Gaza, 45, 161-164, 167-169, 171-173; Herwig, Holger H., The First World
battle of Third Gaza, 172-173; War, Germany and Austria-
battles of First and Second Gaza, Hungary, 1914-1918, 137
161-164 Hinis, 126
Geehl, Lieutenant Colonel, 115 Humus, 201
Georgia, 183, 185, 187, 189 Husamettin, Major, 182
German Army, 153, 155, 167, 169, 186 Hiiseyin Husnii, 2, 144
Army Group F, 168 Hyderpasa, 169, 171
Army South, 139
Danube Army, 143 Indian Army, 67, 71, 110-115, 149-
Ninth Army, 143, 147 151, 164, 195-196; effect on
1st Reserve Division (Bavarian), 139 Allenby's army, 196
36th Infantry Division, 140 6th (Poona) Infantry Division, 67,
55th Infantry Division, 139 113,149-151
146th Infantry Regiment, 232 Ismail Hakki Bey, 203
185th Infantry Regiment, 140
260 Index

Jaffa, 174 Mahmut Kamil Pasa, 104, 121-122,

Jandarma, 6, 30, 37, 96, 100, 103-104, 124, 127; relief of 127
111; 1914 strength, 5 Mahmut §evket Pasa, 2, 3, 29, 96
Jerusalem, 160, 173-174, 198; capture Malazgirt, 104-105, 107-108, 125, 131,
of, 174 136, 183; battle of, 105-106
Jordan River, 174, 193, 195-196, 198- Marshall, General, 203
199; battle of First Jordan, 195; Maude, General Stanley, 160, 164-166
battle of Second Jordan, 195 MaummerBey, 100
Mecidiye (cruiser), 54, 64
Kaiser Wilhelm, 168 Medina, 155, 174-175
Kantara, 155 Meggido, 198-199, battle of, 198-199
Karakilis, 184 Mehmed Fazil Pa§a, 68
Karasu River, 131 Mehmet Ali Pa§a, 91
Karind, 152 Mehmet Vehip Pasa, 89-91, 93, 127-
Kars, 54, 97, 131, 184-185,189; 129, 131, 135, 180, 182-184,186-
seizure of, 185 187; biography, 221-222
Katia, 155; battle of, 155 Mersin, 176
Katma, 130 Mesopotamia, 39,42, 62-68, 99, 101,
Kayseri, 98 103, 110-115, 121,123,128,138,
Kazim Bey, 30, 63, 81, 165 142, 149-152, 159,164-168,171,
Kermansah, 152 176,180,194,203
Konya, 99 Milne, General, 203-204, effect on
Koprukoy, 46, 96, 121-123, battle of, Ottomans, 203-204
121-122 Ministry of the Interior, Ottoman, 5, 98,
Kornes, 124; incident at, 124 101-104; Intelligence Division of, 98
Kotur, 65, 184 Ministry of War, Ottoman, 4, 5, 35,
Kress von Kressenstein, Colonel, 69, 100, 104
71,153,155,161,169,171-174, 186 Morgenthau, Ambassador Henry, 33
Kurds, 99, 104, 133 Mosul, 64, 66, 112, 152, 164, 166, 169,
Kut Al Amara, 110-112, 128, 152; 187,203
battle of First Kut, 110-112; battle of Mudros, Armistace at, 203-204
Second Kut, 164-166; siege of Muhammed Amin, 66
Kut, 149-151; surrender of, 151 Muhlmann, Carl, Deutschland und Die
Turkei, 26
Lange, Major, 53 MusaDag, 103
Lawrence, T. E., 198 Muslims, 70, 182; massacres of, 103,
Lazistan, 125, 128-129; V Corps 182, 183; refugees, 101
offensive in the Pontic Alps, 129-131 Mustafa Hilmi Pasa, 91, 143, 147
Libyan War, 2 Mustafa Kemal Pasa, 2, 4, 28, 30, 78,
Liman von Sanders, General Otto, 5, 83,85,90-91, 128-129, 133, 135,
11-12, 23, 25, 28-30, 34,46, 62, 80- 167-168, 171-173, 196, 199,201;
85, 87-91, 93-94, 138-139, 193, 193- biography, 220-221
196, 198-201 Mus,97, 105, 106,133
Limpus, Admiral Arthur, 30
Lossow, Otto von, 186, 193 Nablus, 174, 198, 199
Ludendorf Offensive, 195, 199 Nazareth, 199
Neu Hammer (Silesia), 169
Macedonia, 147-149, 169 Nikolai, Lieutenant Colonel, 12, 84-85
Mackensen, Field Marshal August von, Nurettin Pasa, 111-114, 149, 150
143-147
Mahit Fahri, Lieutenant Colonel, 146 Oltu, 58, 61, 64, 105
 Index 261

Oppen, Colonel von, 196 II Corps, 10, 39-40, 44, 76-78, 81-
Osmaniye Gap, 63, 130, 176, 201 82,85,98,130-131,133,169,172,
Ottoman Army: Gonullu systemi, 9; 196, 200-201; strength (1914), 77
Ihtiyat 8; maneuvers (1910), 6; IV Corps, 40, 46, 62, 80, 98, 130-
mobilization, 7-11, 22, 32-34, 40; 131, 133, 180, 182-185, 187
Nizamiye, 8; organization, 225; V Corps, 39, 46, 62, 87, 90, 98, 127-
Redif, 8; structure, 5; reconstitution 130, 135
(1914) 33-40, retirement of officers VI Corps: 12, 32, 42, 44, 46, 68, 91,
(1913), 72 94, 142-147, 183-184, 187, 189
Anatolian Army Group, 135 VII Corps, 40
Caucasus Army Group, 167, 180 VIII Corps, 39, 69-71, 153, 174-175,
Eastern Army Group, 187 196
$evki Pasa Group, 183-185, 187 IX Corps, 40, 42, 53-55, 57-59, 61,
Yildirim Army Group, 159-160, 166- 64, 105-109, 121-122, 124, 127,
174, 180, 193-203, 207; activation 129,131,135
of, 193-195; treaties supporting, X Corps, 12, 40,42, 53-59, 61, 64,
232; See also German Army 105-109, 121-122, 124, 127, 129,
Group F 131,135
First Army, 9-10, 12, 20, 41, 52, 80- XI Corps, 42, 53-59, 61, 64, 105-
81,85,91, 104,121, 139, 193,194 109, 121-122, 124, 127, 129, 131,
Second Army, 9, 12, 20, 41, 52, 68, 135
80,85,89-91,93, 104, 121, 127- XII Corps, 3, 39, 42,46, 66-68, 153,
129,131-133, 135, 161, 172, 180, 174,176,201
194,201 XIII Corps, 39, 42, 46, 66-67, 110,
Third Army, 10, 12, 39-41, 44, 46, 114,149-153,164, 176
52-55, 58-65, 97-99, 102, 104, 105- XIV Corps, 90, 94, 144
109, 120-138, 149, 160-161, 172, XV Corps, 81, 82, 139-142, 169, 201
180,182,184-185, 187, 189; Right XVI Corps, 90-91, 128-131, 133,
Wing Group of, 107; First, Second, 135
Third Regions of, 129; regions XVII Corps, 91, 144
divided into zones, 136 XVIII, 110, 149-153, 164-165, 203
Fourth Army, 41, 47, 69, 71, 98-99, XX Corps, 148-149, 163, 172, 174,
153, 160-161, 163, 167-168, 171, 193, 196,201
175, 194, 196 XXII Corps, 163, 172, 174, 196,
Fifth Army, 81-95, 119, 143, 171; 198-199
activated, 81; ammunition 1st Caucasian Corps, 135-136, 180,
expenditures, 88; Anafarta Group, 182-184, 187
91; Ari Burnu Group, 91, Asia 2nd Caucasian Corps, 135-136, 180,
Group 91, Seddelbahir Group 91, 182-184, 187
Southern Group, 90, Willmer 1st Infantry Division, 90, 130-131,
Group, 91 172,174,193,196,201
Sixth Army, 66, 110-115, 149-151, 2nd Infantry Division, 87, 90, 150,
164-167, 171, 187, 194,203; 152-153, 176
activation of, 110 3 rd Infantry Division, 12, 54, 63, 81,
Seventh Army, 167, 168, 171-174, 84-85,87-88,155,161,163, 172
196,199,201 4th Infantry Division, 87, 90, 152,
Eighth Army, 171-174, 196, 198-199 176
Ninth Army, 187, 189, 191-193 5th Infantry Division, 12, 81, 82, 84-
Army of Islam, 189, 191-192 85,88,128,130-131, 180, 183,
I Corps, 10, 12,39,40,63,91,98 185, 187, 189, 191
II Corps, 10,40, 63, 80, 98, 131, 196 6th Infantry Division, 90, 152-153,
262 Index

176 149-150, 152, 164

7th Infantry Division, 10, 76-78, 81- 36th Infantry Division, 104, 106-107,
82,84-85,90-91, 130-131, 163, 121, 125, 135
173, 196, 198-199 37th Infantry Division, 66, 105, 182-
8th Infantry Division, 10, 68-69, 71, 183
76-77,90, 130-131, 153 38th Infantry Division, 9, 66-68, 111-
9th Infantry Division, 10, 76-77, 81- 114, 125, 164
83,85,87,90, 130, 136 41 st Infantry Division, 72, 94, 176,
10th Infantry Division, 12, 68-71, 90, 201
127, 136, 153 42nd Infantry Division, 172
11th Infantry Division, 81, 84-85, 87- 43 rd Infantry Division, 72, 176, 201
89, 131, 193,201 44th Infantry Division, 72, 176, 201
12th Infantry Division, 87, 90-91, 45th Infantry Division, 111-114, 149-
130-131, 180, 183, 187, 192 150, 165
13th Infantry Division, 87, 89-90, 46th Infantry Division, 148-149, 164,
127, 130-135 203
14th Infantry Division, 90, 130, 131, 47th Infantry Division, 130-131
165,203 48th Infantry Division, 130-131, 175,
15th Infantry Division, 87, 90-91, 195-196,201
143-147, 182, 189, 191-192 49th Infantry Division, 130
16th Infantry Division, 87, 90, 161, 50th Infantry Division, 148-149, 169,
163, 172, 196 171
17th Infantry Division, 59, 107, 136 51st Infantry Division, 111-114, 149-
18th Infantry Division, 53, 122, 136 150, 164-165
19th Infantry Division, 77-78, 81-83, 52nd Infantry Division, 111-114, 149-
85, 139-142, 169, 172, 196, 198- 150, 152,164-165
199 53rd Infantry Division, 130-131, 163,
20th Infantry Division, 139-142, 169, 172-174, 193, 196,200
196, 198 54th Infantry Division, 163, 172, 174
22nd Infantry Division, 69 58th Infantry Division, 176
23rd Infantry Division, 69-70, 176, 59th Infantry Division, 169, 171
201 5th Caucasian Infantry Division, 135-
24th Infantry Division, 91, 94, 169, 136, 182, 187, 189, 192
172, 193,195-196,200 9th Caucasian Infantry Division, 135-
25th Infantry Division, 69-71, 91, 94, 136, 187
144-147, 153 10th Caucasian Infantry Division,
26th Infantry Division, 91, 94, 146- 136, 183, 187, 191
147, 193, 196,200 11th Caucasian Infantry Division,
27th Infantry Division, 69-70, 172, 136, 182, 187
174 36th Caucasian Infantry Division,
28th Infantry Division, 59, 99, 107, 136,187
135 37th Caucasian Infantry Division,
29th Infantry Division, 58-59, 107, 136, 183, 187
136 Van Jandarma (Infantry) Division,
30th Infantry Division, 135 39,42,53,65,99, 105-108, 184;
31 st Infantry Division, 136 composition, 53
32nd Infantry Division, 59, 136 1st Expeditionary Force, 63-65, 99,
33rd Infantry Division, 54, 122, 135 105-107, 112, 121
34th Infantry Division, 54, 122, 127, 5th Expeditionary Force, 62-65, 105-
136 107, 112, 121
35th Infantry Division, 68, 111-114, Hejaz Expeditionary Force, 176
 Index 263

1st Provisional Force, 175 Irak Area Command, 66, 68, 98, 101,
2nd Provisional Force, 175 112
Desert Force, 153 Bis divisions, 9
Left Wing Group, 196 $tanke Bey Detachment, 55-57
Mosul Group, 152-153 Ledabor Detachment, 140-141
River Group, 165 Ottoman Army Plans: Concentration
§eria Group, 196 Plan, 42-46; Bull's Eye Directive,
§erstal Group, 196 107; Mobilization Plan, 37-
2nd Regular Cavalry Division, 55-56, 41, 64; Primary Campaign Plan, 37-
58,61,64, 105-107, 121, 125, 129 40; Primary Mission Continues
3 rd Regular Cavalry Division, 130- Plan, 64; restructuring the army
131, 161, 163, 172-174, 195-196, 1919, 207-208; Sarikamis, 54-57;
201 war plans, 37-47
2nd Caucasian Cavalry Division, 172, Ottoman Empire: communications, 19;
174, 180, 196 economic conditions, 13-17;
1st Reserve Cavalry Division, 9, 37, resources, 13-17; war aims, 25-27
39, 42, 53, 64 Ottoman General Staff, 4-7, 29, 32, 35,
2nd Reserve Cavalry Division, 9, 37, 40-41, 45-46, 54, 63, 76, 80, 88-89,
39, 42, 53, 64 93-94,97-101, 104, 110, 119-123,
3 rd Reserve Cavalry Division, 9, 37, 128, 130, 138, 142, 144, 146, 148-
39,42,53, 105 149, 159-160, 164-165, 167, 180,
4th Reserve Cavalry Division, 9, 37, 182-183, 193,199-200,207,208;
39, 42, 53 Aviation Inspectorate, 227-230;
3 rd Infantry Regiment, 165 Operations Division, 98;
8th Infantry Regiment, 12, 55, 64 organization of, 223; Railroad
26th Infantry Regiment, 66, 83 Directorate, 144
31 st Infantry Regiment, 155 Ottoman military performance, 211-
32nd Infantry regiment, 155 215; casualties, 235-241; myths,
37th Infantry Regiment, 62 214-215
39th Infantry Regiment, 155
40th Infantry Regiment, 62 Palestine, 10, 69, 123, 153, 155, 159-
43 rd Infantry Regiment, 62 160, 167-168, 171-175, 180, 193-203
44th Infantry Regiment, 64 Pallavinci, Ambassador, 31
56th Infantry Regiment, 145 Pan-Turanism, 53, 65, 97, 185-187, 189
57th Infantry Regiment, 83 Persia, 9, 65, 114, 119, 152-153, 166-
59th Infantry Regiment, 145 168, 176, 184-185, 187, 189, 192-
61 st Infantry Regiment, 140 193; first invasion, 65; second
64th Infantry Regiment, 165 invasion, 152-153; withdrawal, 192-
75th Infantry Regiment, 145 193
110th Infantry Regiment, 199 Petrovsk, 192
123rd Infantry Regiment, 182 Poti, 186
177th Infantry Regiment, 148 Pozanti, 129
178th Infantry Regiment, 163 Prisoners of War, returned from Russia,
Baghdad Infantry Regiment, 106-107 189
4th Reserve Cavalry Regiment, 96
Light Reserve Cavalry Regiments Qurna, 67, 110-111
(Hamidiye), 5
3 rd Artillery Regiment, 12 Railroads, 103, 123, 128-130, 138, 144,
8th Artillery Regiment, 78-79 148, 155, 169; Baghdad Railroad,
9th Artillery Regiment, 76 102; operational rate, 17; transport of
Aviation Squadrons, 227-230 8th and 9th Infantry Divisions, 129-
264 Index

130; transport of 24th Infantry Stange, Captain, 12, 55, 60, 64-65, 106.
Division, 169 See also Ottoman Army, §tanke Bey
Ramadiye, 166, 171 Detachment
RaufBey,28 Suez Canal, 33, 39,40, 66, 69-72, 153,
Refet, Colonel, 89 155, 168; first attack on 68-72
Rifat, Major, 79 Suvla Bay, 90-91; landings, 90; Kucuk
Rize, 128 and Buyuk Anafarta, 90
Rodoslavov, Ambassador, 31 Siileyman Askeri Bey, 66, 68, 110
Romania, 40, 78, 119-120, 142-147, Suleymaniye, 100, 152-153
193; Romanian Army, 142-147 Symrna, 130, 144
Royal Navy, 46, 63, 39, 71, 79, 87, Syria, 9, 32, 68-69, 99, 123, 168, 171-
114, 148, 163, 173-175 172, 175-176, 200-203; campaign in,
HMS Agamemnon, 203 200-203
Russian Army, 58, 97-99, 101, 103,
105-109, 121-147, 152-153, 166, §efik, Lieutenant Colonel, 139
176, 180, 189, 191 §ukru Ali, Colonel, 144
Sarikamis Group, 57 §ukru Naili, Colonel, 148
19th Turkistan Army, 65
3 rd Turkistan Infantry Division, 139 Tabriz, 62, 65, 105, 108, 187, 189, 192-
47th Infantry Division, 139 193
113th Infantry Division, 139 Talat, 1, 3, 29-31, 34, 36, 95, 203
Russian Navy, 88, 120, 182, 192 Tannenberg, battle of, 54
Tarsus, 201
Sait Halim, 3, 26-231, 34, 36, 168; Taurus Mountains, 130
proposals, 27 Taylor, A. J. P., The Struggle for
Salonika, 147-149 Mastery in Europe, 20, 28, 36
Salonika Group, 1 Tehran, 63, 65, 176
Sami, Colonel, 83 Tekirdag (Rodosto), 76, 78
Samsun, 130 Thrace, 10, 31, 33, 37, 42, 62, 80, 119,
Sannaiyat, 165 128, 138,203
Saray,65, 184, 189 Tigris River, 42, 66, 110-115, 150,
Sarikamis, 39, 54, 57-58, 60, 65, 98, 164-167,176,203
108, 184; campaign 52-65; losses, Tiflis, 182, 185-186
59-60; operations plan, 55; Turnagel Tortum, 99, 105
Wood, 59 Townshend, General Charles, 111-115,
Sarrail, General, 148 149-151,203
Schulenberg legend, 72 Trabzon, 104, 119,127-131, 138, 183,
Seeckt, Major General Hans von, 182, 185-186
186, 193 Trans-Caucasian Federation, 180, 183,
SelmanPak, 112 185
Serbia, 32, 122, 139, 147-148 Treaties of:
Shaiba, battle of, 110 Brest-Litovsk, 180, 186
Sherif Faisal, 153,175 Bucharest, 3, 23
Sherif Hussein, 153, 155, 175 Bulgaria-Ottoman Empire, Secret
Sinai, 9,45, 68-72, 119, 153, 155; first Treaty of Alliance, 31, 37-38
invasion 68-72; second invasion, 153 Germany-Ottoman Empire, Secret
Sinop, 120 Treaty of Alliance, 25-26, 28, 32
Sivas, 98, 130 London, 3, 23
Sodernstern, Colonel von, 82, 85 Tronnier, Colonel, 12
Souchon, Admiral Wilhelm, 27, 29-30, Trumpener, Ulrich, Germany and the
33-36 Ottoman Empire, 20, 28, 30, 31
 Index 265

Urfa, 100
Usedom, Admiral von, 77
Uzunkopru, 91, 144, 146

Van/Lake Van, 55, 62, 64-65, 96, 98-

101, 103-104, 106, 108, 121, 127,
182, 184; battle for, 105. See also,
Armenian Rebellion
Vardar valley, 9, 148
Varna, 144

Wangenheim, Ambassador Hans

von, 25, 27-28, 30, 34, 36
Weber, Colonel, 77, 82, 84, 89
Weber, Frank, Eagles on the Crescent,
20,28,31
Wehrle, Colonel, 78
Westenek, Dutch Attache, 59
Willmer, Major, 90
Wilson, President Woodrow, 203

Yahya Cavus, 83-84

Yakup §evki Pasa, 139-141, 183, 185,
192; biography 221
Yasin Hilmi, Colonel, 139
Yildirim Army Group. See Ottoman
Army, Yildirim Army Group
Young Turks, 1-2, 30, 95; Second
Young Turk Congress, 1. See also
Committee of Union and Progress
Yudenich, General, 106-107, 121
Yusuf Izzet, 59

Zadernstorn, Colonel, 11
Zistrovi, 146
Ziya Gok Alp, 97
Ziya Pasa, 53, 55, 129
Zlotalipa River, 139-141
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About the Author

EDWARD J. ERICKSON teaches social studies at Norwich High School in Norwich,

New York. After serving as an infantry noncommissioned officer in airborne assign-
ments, he was commissioned in the field artillery and served with divisional and
corps artillery units in the United States, Germany, Italy, Turkey, and in Operation
Desert Storm.