Ataturk was a military officer during World War I. Following the defeat of the Ottoman Empire in World War I, he led the Turkish National Movement in the Turkish War of Independence. Having established a provisional government in Ankara, he defeated the forces sent by the Allies. His military campaigns led to victory in the Turkish War of Independence. Ataturk then embarked upon a program of political, economic, and cultural reforms, seeking to transform the former Ottoman Empire into a modern and secular nation-state. Under his leadership, thousands of new schools were built, primary education was made free and compulsory, and women were given equal civil and political rights, while the burden of taxation on peasants was reduced. His government also carried out an extensive policy of Turkification. The principles of Ataturk's reforms, upon which modern Turkey was established, are referred to as Kemalism.
1880 Winter, Mustafa (Kemal Ataturk) born in Salonica1888, All Riza, Mustafa's father, dies1893, Mustafa enters military preparatory school in Salonica1899 13 March, Mustafa Kemal enters infantry class of War College in Istanbul1902 10 February, Commissioned Second Lieutenant, and enters Staff College1903, Promoted First Lieutenant1905 11 January, Passes out as Staff Captain and is posted for Fifth Army in Syria; revives a secret opposition group in Damascus1906, Makes clandestine trip to Salonica1907 20 June, Promoted Adjutant-Major1907 13 October, Posted to Third Army headquarters in Salonica1908 22 June, Appointed to Inspectorate of Eastern Railways in Rumelia1908 24 July, Young Turk Revolution1908 September, Mustafa Kemal travels to Tripoli and Benghazi to re-establish CUP1909 13 January, Appointed chief of staff of i7th reserve division in Salonica1909 13 April, Travels with his division to the outskirts of Istanbul; 31 March Incident1909 27 April, Abdulhamit II deposed and succeeded by Mehmet V; 31 March Incident1910 September, Visits French army manoeuvres in Picardy;1910 September, Takes part in suppress of Albanian revolt1911 15 January, Appointed to 5th army corps headquarters1911 January, Commander 38th infantry regiment1911 13 September, Posted to general staff in Istanbul;1911 September, Volunteers for service against the Italians in Cyrenaica1911 27 November, Promoted Major1912 11 March, Appointed commander of Derne sector in Cyrenaica; Italo-Turkish War1912 8 October, First Balkan War1912 8 October, Salonica falls to the Greeks1912 24 October, Mustafa Kemal leaves Cyrenaica and returns to Istanbul1912 25 November, Appointed director of operations of Straits Composite Force1913 23 January, CUP seizes power Coup of 19131913 24 March, Edirne falls to the Bulgarians1913 29 June, Second Balkan War1913 21 July, Ottomans reoccupy Edirne1913 29 September, Treaty of Istanbul fixes Turkish-Bulgarian frontier1913 27 October, Mustafa Kemal appointed military attache in Sofia1914 1 March, Mustafa Kemal promoted Lieutenant-Colonel1914 28 July, Austria declares war on Serbia; beginning of First World War1914 2 August, Ottoman Empire signs Ottoman-German Alliance.1914 29 October, After Pursuit of Goeben and Breslau Ottoman navy under German command shells Russian targets1914 2 November, Russia declares war on Ottoman Empire1914 5 November, Britain declares war on Ottoman Empire1914 5 November, France declares war on Ottoman Empire1915 20 January, Mustafa Kemal leaves Sofia to take up appointment as commander of 19th division for service in Battle of Gallipoli1915 21 March, Allied navy fails to force the straits at Naval operations in the Dardanelles Campaign1915 27 April, Allied troops Landing at Anzac Cove faced with Mustafa1915 6 August, Final attempts made by the British at Battle of Sari Bair faced with Mustafa1919 30 April, Appointed the Inspector of the Ninth Army Troops.1919 19 May, Kemal lands in Samsun.1919 8 July, Mustafa Kemal resigns from the post of Inspector of Third Army and from the army.1919 23 July, Kemal elected Chairman of Erzurum Congress.1920 23 April, Kemal opens the Grand National Assembly (BMM) in Ankara.1920 11 May, Kemal is condemned to death by the government in Istanbul.1921 5 August, Appointed Commander - in - Chief by the Grand National Assembly.1921 23 August, The battle of Sakarya begins with Turkish troops led by Mustafa Kemal.1921 19 September, Kemal receives the rank of Marshal and the title Gazi (veteran, victorious warrior).1922 26 August, Gazi Mustafa Kemal begins to lead Great Offensive from the hill of Kocatepe.1922 30 August, Mustafa Kemal at the Battle of Dumlupinar.1922 10 September, Enters Izmir.1922 1 November, The Grand National Assembly abolish the Sultanate.1923 14 January, Zubeyde Hanim dies in Ä°zmir.1923 29 January, Mustafa Kemal and Latife UÅŸÅŸakizade marry in Ä°zmir.1923 29 October, Proclamation of the Republic of Turkey1923 29 October, Elected first president.1928 9 August, Speaks at Sarayburnu on the new Turkish alphabet.1932 12 July, Founds the Turkish Linguistic Society (now the Turkish Language Association).1934 16 June, The Grand National Assembly passes a law granting him the surname "ATATURK".1938 10 November, Passes away.
"Men, I am not ordering you to attack. I am ordering you to die. In the time that it takes us to die, other forces and commanders can come and take our place" - Mustafa Kemal orders to the 57th Infantry Regiment, at the Battle of Gallipoli