Battle of the Gediz

The Battle of the Gediz was fought between the Turkish Kuva-yi Milliye forces and the Greek forces near the Gediz River in the city of Gediz. The Turkish forces attacked Gediz in order to find out if a force composed mainly of irregular forces could compete with the Greek army in a larger battle. The battle also showed that the irregular forces lacked discipline and experience; they had little chance in open field battles against the Greeks. The experiences gained in this battle led the Turkish provisional Government of the Grand National Assembly to the conclusion that it would be necessary hence forward to establish and fight with a regular army against the Greek army instead of irregular forces.

Battle of Gediz
Part of the Greco-Turkish War (1919–22)
Date24 October – 12 November 1920
Location
Gediz River, Gediz
Result
  • Tactically inconclusive[1]
  • Greek forces later evacuate Gediz and retreat to their winter bases[2]
  • Turkish forces enter Gediz[2]
Belligerents
Greece

Grand National Assembly

Commanders and leaders
Konstantinos Manetas[3] Ali Fuat Pasha
Çerkes Ethem
Units involved
13th Infantry Division[2] 61st Division
11th Division
Kuva-yi Seyyare[2]
Strength
Initially 1 Division[4] (12,000–15,000 men) 8,000 men
Casualties and losses
42 killed
123 wounded		 181 killed
135 wounded[5]

References
  1. Talat Yalazan: Türkiye'de vahşet ve soy kırımı girişimi: (15 Mayıs 1919 - 9 Eylül 1922). 15 Mayıs 1919 - 13 Eylül 1921, Gnkur. Askeri Tarih ve Stratejik Etüt Başkanlığı yayınları, Genelkurmay Basımevi, 1994, page 139. (in Turkish)
  2. Ayfer Özçelik :Gediz Taarruzu, Atatürk Araştırma Merkezi Dergisi (Number 21, Volume: VII, July 1991) (in Turkish)
  3. http://www.hellasarmy.gr/page.php?page=ha_mikrasia
  4. Uluğ İğdemir: Atatürk, Turkish National Commission for Unesco, 1963, page 79.
  5. Sabahattin Selek: Anadolu ihtilâli (Volume 1), Kastaş 1912-1922 Türk savaşları belgeseli , Kastaş A.Ş. Yayınları, 1987, page 114. (in Turkish)

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