Part 17
The plan of the great attack was really ingenious, and although it was ingenious, it took everything in his sight and was equally dangerous. Because almost all the troops were moved to the south side of the Afyon-Konya Railway, which was the focus of the attack. The direction of Eskisehir-Ankara remained open. Also the back of the region, which was considered the centre of all, was covered by a lake. In the event of a failure, the situation of the First Army in this area could have become critical.
This plan could only succeed under the command of a great commander, and the reason that would undermine all risks was the decision to fight at all costs until there would not be a tomorrow. And so it became.
On this line of attack the first army in the south and the second army from the north had the centre of focus of the whole attack surface but most of the soldiers had been gathered in the first army.
Under the commander-in-chief Mustafa Kemal Pasha, Fevzi Pasha took command of the Western Front and Ismet Pasha of the East. Nurettin Pasha got the First Army, Yakup Sevki Pasha the Second Army and Fahrettin Altay Pasha commanded the Cavalry Corps.
In the night of 26/27 August 1922, the Greek army was reduced to many positions as a result of the rapid attack. Faced with this sudden attack, the Greeks began to withdraw. The Turkish army invaded Afyon on August 27, 1922. Against this progress of the Turkish army, the Greek army decided to withdraw from Dumlupinar. The Turkish troops began to attack the positions of Dumlupinar on August 29, 1922. On August 30, 1922 in the Dumlupinar region, the Greek army which had 200.000 soldiers was completely attacked. In the war with the present name "Baskomutan Meydan Savasi" was eliminated most of the enemy. That same night, Kutahya was rescued by the Turkish army. However, the retreat of the enemy had to be interrupted and monitored in the direction of Izmir without letting him out of sight.
Mustafa Kemal Pasha spoke to his forces on September 1, 1922:
"Armies! Your next targets are the Aegean and Mediterranean region, forward!"
The Turkish forces moved in the direction of Izmir.
On 1 September 1922 Usakt, on 2 September Eskisehir, on 3 September Nazilli, Simav, Salihli, Alasehir and Gordes, on 6 September Balikesir and Bilecik, on 7 September Aydin and on 8 September Manisa were rescued from the Greek invasion. Meanwhile, on 2 September 1922, the first Greek army commander General Trikopis and the second Greek army commander General Diyenis were captured, along with a number of senior Greek officers. Turkish troops invaded Izmir on 9 September 1922 and the Turkish flag began to waver at Kadifekale tomorrow.
This was a great victory for Anatolia after 4 years of being liberated from the invasion of the enemy and so the words "Turkey belongs to the Turks" were proclaimed to the world.
