Unionism in the War of Independence 1905-1926

The Committee of Union and Progress dissolved itself in 1918, after the end of the First World War, and withdrew from the stage of history. So, did the Unionists, who left their mark on the country's decade and constituted the most experienced and organized cadres in open and secret political struggle, remained completely inactive and showed no activity under the conditions of the armistice? In Unionism in the War of Independence, Erik Jan Zürecher questions the credibility of the official history thesis in this direction and tries to show how important a role the Unionists played in the formation of the defense of law movement. The author, who first examines the historical developments before the national struggle, evaluates in detail the structure and activities of the Committee of Union and Progress and the relations between Mustafa Kemal Pasha and the Unionists. Arguing that the human and organizational material on which the War of Independence was based largely consisted of the Unionists, Zürcher focuses on what opportunities the Unionists, especially Enver Pasha, tried to use to take control of the national movement and how this danger was eliminated. In the work, which draws attention to the fact that some Unionists are trying to continue the victory, it is finally investigated what the opposition struggle carried out by the Progressive Republican Party and the 1926 Izmir assassination cases mean. Dealing with Turkey's recent history with a new approach, Unionism in the War of Independence also examines what factors determine historiography by making a critical evaluation of the perspective of both Turkish and foreign writers on this period.



Number of Pages: 293

Year of Printing: 2003


Language: Turkish
Publisher: Iletisim Publishing

Number of Pages: 293

First Print Year: 2003

Language Turkish