Battle of Dumlupınar

Infobox Military Conflict
conflict = Battle of Dumlupınar


caption = Statue on top of the hill at the memorial for the Battle of Dumlupınar.
partof = the Greco-Turkish War (1919-1922)
date = 26 August - 30 August 1922
place = Near Afyonkarahisar, Turkey
result = Decisive Turkish victory
combatant1 = flag|Turkey
combatant2 =
commander1 = Mustafa Kemal Atatürk
commander2 = Georgios Hatzianestis
strength1 = 199,283 (total of all Turkish Army, not all participated) [ [http://www.zafer.aku.edu.tr/taarruz1.htm Kocatepe Zafer Yürüyüşü-Afyonkarahisar Kocatepe Üniversitesi ] ]
strength2 = 218,432 (total of all Greek Army, not all participated) [ [http://www.zafer.aku.edu.tr/taarruz1.htm Kocatepe Zafer Yürüyüşü-Afyonkarahisar Kocatepe Üniversitesi ] ]
casualties1 = unknown [ [http://www.zafer.aku.edu.tr/taarruzsonuc.htm Kocatepe Zafer Yürüyüşü-Afyonkarahisar Kocatepe Üniversitesi ] ]
casualties2 = unknown> [ [http://www.zafer.aku.edu.tr/taarruzsonuc.htm Kocatepe Zafer Yürüyüşü-Afyonkarahisar Kocatepe Üniversitesi ] ]

The Battle of Dumlupınar was the last battle in the Greco-Turkish War (1919-1922) (part of the Turkish War of Independence). The battle was fought from 26 Augustto 30 August 1922 near Afyonkarahisar in Turkey.

Background

Following the attrition battle on the Sakarya River (Battle of Sakarya) in August-September 1921, the Greek forces under General Papoulas retreated to a defensive line extending from the town of İzmit (Nicomedia) to the towns of Eskişehir and Afyonkarahisar. The Greek line formed a 700-km arc stretching in a North-South direction along difficult hilly ground with high hills, called tepes, rising out of broken terrain and was considered to be easily defensible. A single track railway line ran from Afyonkarahisar to Dumlupınar, a fortified valley town some convert|30|mi|km West of Afyonkarahisar surrounded by the mountains Murat Dağı and Ahır Dağı, and thence to İzmir (Smyrna) on the coast. This railway was the main supply route of the Greeks. The Greek headquarters at Smyrna was effectively incapable of communicating with the front or exercising operational control.

Preparations

Following the unsuccessful outcome of the Battle of Sakarya, the Greek command structure underwent many changes. Significant forces were withdrawn from the line and redeployed in Thrace for an offensive against İstanbul, which never materialised. The remaining Greek forces were under the overall command of General Hatzianestis, who had replaced General Papoulas in May 1922, and was widely regarded as mentally unstable.Fact|date=February 2007 The morale of the Greek troops was not high, as many had already been under arms for several years, and there was no prospect for a quick resolution of the war. Political dissent and the fact that they were occupying unfriendly territories further depressed their morale.

Despite pressure to attack building up at Ankara, Mustafa Kemal who had been appointed Commander-in-Chief of the Turkish Army, waited and utilized the breathing space to strengthen his forces and split the Allies through adroit diplomatic moves, ensuring that French and Italian sympathies lay with Turks rather than the Greeks. This diplomatically isolated the pro-Greek British.

He finally decided to strike the Greeks in August 1922. Knowing that Turkish forces were only adequate to mount one major offensive, he strengthened the Turkish 1st Army under Nureddin Pasha, which was deployed against the southern flank of the Greek salient jutting out to Afyonkarahisar. It was a risky gamble, because if the Greek Army counter-attacked on his weakened right flank and pivoted south, his forces would be cut off.

On the eve of the battle, the Greeks enjoyed an edge in manpower and were better equipped with machine guns, field guns and transport. The Turks had more heavy artillery and superior cavalry commanded by the Gen. Fahrettin.

The defenses were manned by the Greek A' Corps commanded by Gen. Tricoupis, with HQ at Afyonkarahisar. The four divisions of this corps covered an area of 180 km. On the north of the Greek A' Corps lay the Greek B' Corps under Gen. Dighenis, which covered a sector of 170 km with five divisions. Each Greek division comprised 2-3 infantry regiments, 2 mountain artillery batteries (75mm), and one 105 mm battery. Although numerically strong, the Greeks were very deficient on heavy artillery (only 40 outdated pieces existed in the entire front) and cavalry (one half-company per division).

Battle

The Turkish attack opened against the Southern flank of the Afyonkarahisar salient on the morning of August 26, 1922. Watched from the commanding peak of Kocatepe by Mustafa Kemal, CGS Fevzi Pasha, İsmet İnönü and Nureddin, Turkish guns silenced the Greek batteries by knocking out the Greek observation posts. Turkish infantry advanced against strong opposition and made significant gains. The breakthrough came next day when the Turkish 4 Corps under Col. Sami took the convert|5000|ft|m high peak of Erkmentepe, and Fahrettin led his cavalry into Greek rear areas. The Greeks fell into disarray. General Frangou (commanding the Greek I Division) retreated West from Dumlupınar, losing touch with A' Corps. The Greek Corps commanders Tricoupis and Dighenis fell back on Dumlupınar, their disintegrating forces running for İzmir. The Turks closed the ring around Dumlupınar on August 30th, Fevzi and Mustafa Kemal commanding the two encircling columns. Tricoupis and Dighenis, who were trying to escape North from Dumlupınar across the slopes of Murat Dağı, were surrounded on September 2/3 as they descended to the Banaz valley.

Outcome

The Turks chased the fleeing Greeks convert|250|mi|km to İzmir, which was burned as the Greek army and civilian population fled. The last Greek troops left Anatolia on 16th September. The Armistice of Mudanya was signed by Turkey, Italy, France and Great Britain on October 11th, 1922. Greece was forced to accede to it on October 14th.

To commemorate this victory, August 30 is celebrated as Victory Day ("Zafer Bayramı"), a national holiday in Turkey. Millions of Turkish citizens hang the Turkish flag on this day in remembrance of those who risked and gave their lives to save their country.

References

* [http://www.zafer.aku.edu.tr/taarruzsonuc.htm AFYONKARAHİSAR KOCATEPE UNIVERSITY]
* [http://www.zafer.aku.edu.tr/taarruz1.htm]