There were developments as he thought. The First World War broke out due to the unsuccessful decisions of Enver Pasha and the Union administration. Major Mustafa Kemal was on duty as the army commander in Tripoli, which was considered the first front of the war. Mustafa Kemal immediately imposed himself there. He made everyone feel that he was in charge from day one. He valiantly confronted the most feared thugs, influential clergymen and rebels. He challenged them. He also thwarted several assassination attempts that he was attempted. This situation was like a test in which a 28-year-old cadet was able to prevail of his own free will. In this way, he gained control in Tripoli and managed to minimize the losses of the war by maintaining order.
Tripoli was the front where the first air war crime was committed. For the first time in history, aircraft were used as combat vehicles and civilian areas were bombarded by air. Thousands of civilians lost their lives. Mustafa Kemal was very impressed by his experiences in Tripoli and learned a lot. Although the front was considered lost in Tripoli, Mustafa Kemal had returned from the front as a victorious commander.
Despite the wrong decisions taken by the Ottoman Army under the rule of Enver Pasha was superior in the fronts, thanks to the stamina and faith in his heart, he succeeded in the fronts. Mustafa Kemal was appointed to the Çanakkale Front as a lieutenant colonel after Trablusgarp. For Mustafa Kemal, who commanded this most important front of the First World War, this front became a private school. They showed the whole world that the perseverance and determination of the nation was the only weapon needed on this sacred front, where they wrote epics with their soldiers. When the First World War ended, the Ottoman Empire was deemed defeated, although they did not lose war on any front. When Istanbul was occupied in 1918, Mustafa Kemal had already begun to make the liberation plan that was formed by years of experience. Now he had to build the conditions to make this idea real. The occupation of Izmir was the move that set Mustafa Kemal into action, and finally, on May 19, 1919, he set out from Istanbul as the commander of the "Liberation Army" that did not yet exist; Towards Samsun…
It was hot... On 26 August 1922, from the ridges of Kocatepe, the idea of yesterday, "Commander-in-Chief!" was observing the progress of today's reality "Salvation Army”. Those who walk were the valiants of Sakarya, Dumlupınar and İnönü. They were the heroes of Urfa, Maraş and Antep. Enemy fronts were falling one by one. Step by step, minute by minute, day by day, the valiants of the Salvation Army was advancing. And on August 30, forty kilometres from Izmir, the enemy armies were officially captured and taken prisoners.
There could not have been a more just and inevitable victory in history. They entered İzmir after 9 days. A great crowd greeted them with tremendous enthusiasm.
The commander with “Sayak kalpak” entered through the door of Izmir.