Fevzi Çakmak

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Portrait of Field Marshal Fevzi Çakmak

Mustafa Fevzi Çakmak (1876 - 1950), was a Turkish soldier (Field Marshal), prime minister, and a close companion-in-arms of Mustafa Kemal Atatürk.

[edit] Early life

Mustafa Fevzi was born on January 12, 1876 in Istanbul, Ottoman Empire (modern-day Turkey). He was schooled at the age of five. After graduating from Kuleli military highschool, he entered Pangaltı military school on June 29, 1893. He completed the military school as the most successful student on December 25, 1898 and joined the Ottoman military as a Lieutenant.

[edit] Political life

Marshal Fevzi Çakmak and Mustafa Kemal Atatürk

At the age of 42, in 1918 he became Minister of War and Commander of the Ottoman Army. In 1920, he followed Mustafa Kemal to Samsun, and supported him throughout the Turkish War of Independence. His support provided Mustafa Kemal with the full support of the Army, which was reduced to two divisions in the aftermath of the disarmement dictated by the Treaty of Sèvres. The armies were under the command of Kazım Karabekir and Ali Fuat Cebesoy). Fevzi Çakmak was one of the few significant generals of the Turkish War of Independence.

With Mustafa Kemal during the War of Independence

Fevzi Çakmak and Mustafa Kemal planned and commandeered the Battle of Dumlupınar, and on August 31, 1922, he was promoted to rank of Field Marshal (Turkish: Mareşal) along with Mustafa Kemal. They were the only Field Marshalls Turkish Republic had including today. So even today, an unspecified nickname Mareşal(Field Marshall) means Fevzi Çakmak. Before the establishment of the republic, he was the prime minister of the government of the Grand National Assembly of Turkey from January 24, 1921 until July 9, 1922. He quit politics by resigning from the parliament in 1924. Fevzi Çakmak served as the Chief of the General Staff of the Turkish Armed Forces from March 3, 1924 until his retirement on January 12, 1944. He died on April 12, 1950 and was laid to rest in Eyüp, İstanbul. He has a memorial burial place in the Turkish State Cemetery in Ankara.

Preceded by Ismet Inönü	Chief of the General Staff of Turkey 1924–1944	Succeeded by Kazım Orbay
Preceded by Mustafa Kemal Atatürk	Prime Minister of Turkey 1921–1922	Succeeded by Rauf Orbay

	Chiefs of the General Staff of Turkey
	İnönü \| Çakmak \| Orbay \| Omurtak \| Gürman \| Yamut \| Baransel \| Tunaboylu \| Mengüç \| Erdelhun \| Gümüşpala \| Sunay \| Tural \| Tağmaç \| Gürler \| Sancar \| Evren \| Ersin \| Üruğ \| Torumtay \| Güreş \| Karadayı \| Kıvrıkoğlu \| Özkök \| Büyükanıt