Kuvayi Milliye
| Kuvâ-yi Milliye | |
|---|---|
Kuvâ-yi Milliye infantryman circa 1920
|
|
| Active | 1919–1920 |
| Country | Ankara Government |
| Allegiance |
 Grand National Assembly
|
| Type | Militia |
| Role | Turkish Independence |
| Size | 5,000 (1919) 15,000 (peak in 1920) |
| Motto(s) |
Ya istiklâl ya ölüm! (Independence or death!) |
| Colors | Red and White |
| Engagements | Turkish War of Independence |
| Commanders | |
| Notable commanders |
Mustafa Kemal Atatürk (Commander in chief) |
Mustafa Kemal Atatürk (Commander in chief)
Yörük Ali Efe (Commander)
Şahin Bey (Commander)
Kuva-yi Milliye (Ottoman Turkish: قواي ملّيه, Kuvâ-yi Milliye meaning either National Forces or Nationalist Forces in Ottoman Turkish) refers to the irregular Turkish militia forces in the early period of the Turkish War of Independence. These irregular forces emerged after the occupation of the parts of Turkey by the Allied forces in accordance with the Armistice of Mudros. Later, Kuva-yi Milliye was integrated to the regular army (Kuva-yi Nizamiye) of the Grand National Assembly. Some historians call this period (1918–20) of the Turkish War of Independence the "Kuva-yi Milliye phase".
In the Armistice of Mudros, Ottoman Empire was divided between the Allies, where the Greeks occupied the west, the British occupied the capital and southeast, and the Italians and the French occupied the south of the country. The Kuva-yi Milliye were the first armed groups to defend the Ottomans' rights in Anatolia and Rumelia. The Kuva-yi Milliye consisted of deserted Ottoman army officers and militias. The Kuva-yi Milliye became active when the Greeks landed at Symrna (İzmir). People who opposed the partitioning of Anatolia by the unratified Treaty of Sèvres joined the resistance. The Franco-Turkish War was almost exclusively conducted by Kuva-yi Milliye units on the Turkish side. In western Anatolia, the Kuva-yi Milliye fought against the Greek Army by hit-and-run tactics until a regular army was set up. The resistance of the Kuva-yi Milliye slowed down the Greek advance in Anatolia.
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Wikipedia