Harp Prensipleri Işığında Güney Cephesinde Kuvayı Milliye (Gaziantep Örneği)

Abstract

The Anatolian Lands, planned to be divided by the secret Sykes-Picot treaty, were invaded as a result of Mundros Armistice. The Southern parts of Anatolia, which was initially given to French armies as a buffer zone against Russia before the regime in Russia collapsed and Russians returned to their internal issues, were temporarily invaded by British forces in exchange for the petroleum in Mosul and soon they left the area to the French after occupying the Mosul area in accordance with the Contract of Syria. The British occupation period of the region was relatively calm; however, the arrival of French together with the Armenians increased the resistance. The resistance and organization activities in Antep, which was an important part of the Southern Front, initiated after the Sivas Congress. The inter-city defense preparations were carried out following the inter-city defense organization plans by Kılıç Ali first, and later Özdemir Bey. The French occupation stayed within the limits of the Antep region following the retreat of the French forces from the French-occupied areas, that is Maraş and Urfa, as a result of the constant discommode of the 2nd Army Corps, which was formed by the personnel procured from local sources in the region, correspondingly to the inter-city defense. Hence, the aim of limiting the French invasion and discommoding the French constantly, which was given to the National Forces following the Sivas Congress in which the military strategy of National Struggle was identified, was achieved at the cost of one’s own life; nonetheless, the National Forces who supported the defense of Antep surrendered to hunger.