Battle of the Gediz

Battle of Gediz
Part of Greco-Turkish War
Date 24 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	GGNA Kuva-yi Milliye
Commanders and leaders
Leonidas Paraskevopoulos	Ali Fuat Pasha Çerkes Ethem
Units involved
13th Division[2]	61st Division 11th Division Kuva-yi Seyyare[2]
Strength
Initially 1 Division[3] (12,000–15,000 men)	8,000 men
Casualties and losses
42 killed 123 wounded	181 killed 135 wounded[4]

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. Although the battle temporarily stopped the Greek advance towards Ankara, it 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.

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. (Turkish)
2. Ayfer Özçelik :Gediz Taarruzu, Atatürk Araştırma Merkezi Dergisi (Number 21, Volume: VII, July 1991) (Turkish)
3. Uluğ İğdemir: Atatürk, Turkish National Commission for Unesco, 1963, page 79.
4. Sabahattin Selek: Anadolu ihtilâli (Volume 1), Kastaş 1912-1922 Türk savaşları belgeseli , Kastaş A.Ş. Yayınları, 1987, page 114. (Turkish)