An Ottoman warrior abroad: Enver Pasa

Mavi Boncuk |

An Ottoman warrior abroad: Enver Pasa as an expatriate
Suhnaz Yilmaz

Middle Eastern Studies 40-69 35, no. 4 (Oct 1999): p. 40-69


Full-text : An Ottoman warrior abroad: Enver Pasa as an expatriateAuthor: Yilmaz, Suhnaz Source: Middle Eastern Studies 40-69 35, no. 4 (Oct 1999): p. 40-69 ISSN: 0026-3206 Number: 46698225 Copyright: Copyright Frank Cass & Co. Ltd Oct 1999

There are few characters in Turkish history whose rise and fall have been as rapid and as dramatic as those of Enver Pasa. Starting out as an unknown graduate of the Imperial War College, he was only in his mid-twenties when he became the `hero of freedom' after the Young Turk Revolution of 1908. Thus started his meteoric rise from the ranks of a lieutenant-colonel to a virtual dictator during the rule of the Triumvirate in 1913. Within a year, when he married an Ottoman princess, he also joined the royal family as the son-in-law of the Sultan. Rapidly achieving the power and titles he sought, Enver became the Minister of War as battle clouds were gathering over Europe. Hence, at the outset of the First World War, he emerged as one of the most important Ottoman political and military leaders who determined the fate of a crumbling empire, which in return shaped his own destiny.

The fall and dismemberment of the Ottoman Empire at the end of the War also meant the beginning of the end for Enver. He was forced not only to give up his political and military position, but also to leave the country. His expatriate years were marked by his persistent efforts to redeem himself, by attempting to resume a leading role first in the nationalist struggle in Anatolia and, failing to achieve that, in the Basmachi movement in Central Asia. In the end he died on the battlefield at the age of 41 trying to lead an indigenous movement of which he had rather limited control and insight. This was the last ring in the life-chain of an Ottoman warrior fighting to restore the glory of a diminishing Empire.

Enver Papa has also been one of the most controversial figures in Turkish history. He was first glorified as the `hero of freedom', but was then demonized for his deeds during the rule of the Triumvirate and was blamed as a key actor in dragging the Ottoman Empire into the First World War alongside the Central Powers. Moreover, the last phase of Enver's life (1918-22), starting with his flight after the Mudros Armistice, has been eclipsed for a long time by the 'orthodox' Turkish historical interpretation of this period. The underlying reasons for this perspective could be found in the perceived threat of potential competition by the former Unionists for political leadership in general, and the personal rivalry between Enver and Mustafa Kemal in particular. Thus, the activities of the Unionist emigres and especially those of Enver have barely been mentioned and often discarded as mere 'adventurism'. Only recently, with the dissolution of the Soviet Union and the establishment of contacts with the Turkic Republics of Central Asia, Enver Pasa is receiving more attention because of the `panTurkic' and `pan-Islamic' ideas he promoted during the last years of his life.

This essay presents a study of Enver Pasa by evaluating his rapid rise and the period during which he was in power as one of the most influential figures who shaped the last decade of Ottoman history. However, the major emphasis of this work is on Enver's often neglected activities during his emigre years. The study of this later period, starting with Enver's expatriation in 1918 and ending with his death in Central Asia in 1922, is crucial for understanding Enver's important role in the initial stage of Turco-Soviet relations, his attempts to regain power in Anatolia, and the motives for and the results of his joining the Basmachi resistance.