Siege of Aintab

Siege of Aintab
Part of the Franco-Turkish War

A French army officer with five Turkish prisoners. On the officer's right is a soldier of the French Colonial Forces, and on his left (wearing epaulettes) is an auxiliary from the French Armenian Legion.
Date 1 April 1920 - 8 February 1921[1]
Location Aintab, Ottoman Empire
Result French victory[2]
Belligerents
Turkish revolutionaries France

French Armenian Legion
Commanders and leaders
Kılıç Ali Bey
Şahin Bey
Şefik "Özdemir" Bey		 Henri Gouraud
General Quérette
Strength
Total force:[3][4] [Note 1]
2.920 militia fighters,
6 machine guns,[5]
3 mountain guns[5]		 Total force:[3][4][Note 2]
20,000 French soldiers,[6]
1,500 Armenian soldiers,
4 tanks, 11 artillery batteries, 1,400 military animals[5], 6 aircraft, 1 mobile hospital[5]
Casualties and losses
6,317 killed (mostly civilians)[7] on September 10th: 4 officers and 50 soldiers killed[5]
 
Marash – Urfa – Aintab – Chukurova – Karboğazı – 1. Kavaklıhan – 2. Kavaklıhan – Kovanbaşı – Kanlıgeçit – Karabucak – Kamberhöyüğü – Kargapazarı – Yüreğir Ovası

The siege of Aintab[8][9] or siege of Antep (Turkish: Antep Savunması = Defence of Antep) was a military engagement between the Turkish National Forces and the French Colonial Forces, that occupied the city of Aintab (present day: Gaziantep).

Fighting began in April 1920, when French forces opened fire on city. Fighting continued until February 1921.

Sources

  1. ^ Sabahattin Selek, Millî Mücadele II: İstiklâl Harbi (Yeni Türk Devletinin kuruluşu), p. 19.
  2. ^ Proceedings of the annual meeting of the Western Society for French History, Volume 24, Western Society for French History, 1997, p. 206.
  3. ^ a b Article about the Siege of Aintab haber7, Serkan Bilge, 25.12.2008
  4. ^ a b Gaziantep şehitlerinin anısı Savaş Müzesi'nde yaşatılıyorYeni Şafak, 14.08.2008 (Turkish)
  5. ^ a b c d e Kilis'in Antep Müdafaasındaki Yeri, Atatürk Araştırma Merkezi (Atatürk Research Center): Atatürk Araştırma Merkezi Dergisi, Number 31, Edition: 11, March 1995 (Turkish)
  6. ^ Kerr, Stanley E. The Lions of Marash: Personal Experiences with American Near East Relief, 1919-1922. SUNY Press, 1973, ISBN 9780873952002, page 222
  7. ^ Bir 'mecbur adam'ın romanı, Radikal, 08.01.2010 (Turkish)
  8. ^ Bilâl Şimşir, İngiliz belgelerinde Atatürk, 1919-1938, Volume 3, Türk Tarih Kurumu Basımevi, p. 168.
  9. ^ Documents on British foreign policy, 1919-1939, Volume 15, H. M. Stationery Off., 1970, p. 155.

Notes

  1. ^ 2.070 armed and 850 unarmed fighters (=2.920)
  2. ^ In April 1920 the French forces consisted of 4,500 soldiers. With the arrival of 15,000 men in November 1920 the French siege force increased to: 13 infantry battalions and 1 cavalry regiment (=20,000 soldiers)
Concepts
Local congresses
Amasya Circular · Erzurum Congress · Balıkesir Congress · Alaşehir Congress · Sivas Congress · Amasya Protocol · Grand National Assembly
Issues
Campaigns
Maras · Antep · Urfa
Agreements