Dan Snow's History Hit Atatürk: Fall of the Ottoman Empire
Oct 27, 2025
Marc David Baer, a Professor of International History at LSE, delves into the dramatic collapse of the Ottoman Empire and the rise of Mustafa Kemal, or Atatürk. He highlights Kemal’s military heroics at Gallipoli, his vision for a modern Turkey, and the struggles against rival factions during the Turkish War of Independence. Baer also discusses radical reforms, including the abolition of the caliphate and the transformation into a secular nation-state, while examining Atatürk's lasting legacy amid ongoing regional tensions.
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Collapse Was Total And Creative Reorientation
- The Ottoman Empire collapsed from military defeat, epidemics, and demographic upheaval leaving a devastated, occupied state by 1918.
- Former imperial elites and new officers then sought to salvage a smaller, Muslim-centered polity in Anatolia.
Training And Gallipoli Made A Leader
- Mustafa Kemal emerged from new late-Ottoman military academies shaped by European training and reforms.
- His Gallipoli fame and service across several fronts made him a natural leader for postwar resistance.
Inspection Order Became A Power Base
- Mustafa Kemal used a Sultan's order to inspect the east as cover to join and lead Anatolian resistance networks.
- Between 1918 and 1922 he consolidated those groups and outmaneuvered rivals to lead the movement.