User blog:LB&SCR/GWM Episode 2: Mustafa Kemal vs. Pyotr Wrangel

Despite the popular belief, most revolutions aren't done for the good of the people. Most revolutionaries attach themselves to a singular niche interest such as Communism/Capitalism not because it'll be better for everyone, but because it'll be better for themselves or because of the power that their clique gives them. However that being said there are revolutionaries who are out for the good of the people, and there are defenders of sovereignty who despite the odds stuck to their original guns and fought for those governments which were being torn down. Let us take a look now at two examples.

Mustafa Kemal Ataturk



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Way before the Invasion of Gallipoli, and even more so from the battlefields of the Turkish Revolution, Ataturk had distingiushed himself in the Ottoman War against Italy (1911-1912) and during both wars in the Balkans during 1913-1914; where he proved he had iron-nerve and steel spine to be right outfront with the action as a young officer. He was a Colonel when the Great War broke out, and due to his impressive recored was given the command of a division when the combined forces of the Allies showed up off the coast of Gallipoli.

The ANZACs landed at there namesake cove, where despite some heavy organizational mix-ups, they pressed inland for two miles. Ataturk's orders were to send a battalion to support a push to kick them back into the sea... However in a sudden burst of intuition, he ignored these orders and instead took himself an an entire regiment to a hill overlooking the entire battlefield, where he made his headquarters and started directing defences to absorb the ANZAC pushes; before bringing in Artillery and started to pound the crap out of ANZAC positions. Seeing the golden light with Ataturk's plan, the Ottoman High Command granted him control of three more Regiments, which he used in conjunction with several artillery batteries to surround the beachhead and start pushing the ANZACs back into the ocean. However, stiff reistance brought the fighting to a stalemate, and three other attacks failed to gain any ground. After eight months the ANZACs simply.. left.

But Ataturk wasn't done. He was assigned a Corps Command during the Ottoman Campaigns in the Caucasus, where he led a rallying counter offensive to completely upset the Russian calculations of Ottoman capability after they'd lost two important cities they'd just gained... but however, he was then assigned to the Middle East to attempt his successes there... but the overall German and Ottoman commanders didn't listen to any of his suggestions; so he resigned his position before being assigned to accompany the Crown Prince around Western Europe... where he blatantly told Kaiser Wilhelm II (to his face) that the Central Powers would lose the war. This wound up with him being sent back to the Empire, where he was assigned a piece of the Front-line in what is now Syria before the war ended. Now, the Empire was going to be carved up among the Victorious Allied Powers... including his beloved Anatolia... but he'd have none of that.

He resigned from the Army, and soon after the Ottomans warranted his arrest, before sentencing him to death without him having been arrested. He founded his own Congress alongside other Ottoman Nationals who didn't want to see their country cut up into pieces. The new Grand National Assembly gathered their own Army of Militias and Regular Forces before launching all-out offensives against the Armenian and Greek Forces occupying their homeland (with a little help from the Bolshivek Russians in the form of Gold and guns). A continuous string of victories brought the Allied Powers to the negotiating table and in 1923 the Republic of Turkey was established with Kemal as it's President; a post he'd hold until his death in 1938.


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Most Western Writings on Ataturk tend to focus upon his service as President and how his reforms revitalized Turkey. However, Lord Kinross of Scotland (a historian famous for biographies on Ataturk) claimed that Ataturk was the only Ottoman Commander during WWI to never lose a battle. From what I've also found, Ataturk was a courageous commander who wasn't afraid to be out on the front lines during a battle, having little regard for his own safety.

I've actually found only one criticism of Ataturk… but that’s a flame war I’m not starting.

Forces of the Turkish National Assembly

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There were two main groups in the Land Forces: the Kuva-yi Milliye (Militia) and the Kuva-yi Nizamiye (Standing Army).The Militia was mostly made up of nationalistic Ottoman officers and regular people who refused to see Anatolia cut up among the victorious powers. Called the Armies' Stepping Stones, they conducted hit and run irregular warfare against the Allies in the region. However, in 1920 most of them were dissovled and incoporated in the Standng Army, and trained modern warfare tactics. Their first battle against the Professional Greek Army resulted in a tactical victory, but strategic stalemate.

Weapons

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Turkish Mauser Model 1890



Designed in 1890 specifically for the forces of the Ottoman Empire, the Mauser 1890 is a 8.82 lbs rifle that operates via bolt action. It's magazine can hold 5-rounds which are loaded via stripper clips, and each 7.65mm x 53 round is launched at 2,100 feet per second.


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Bergmann MG15nA



The Bergmann MG15nA was the infantry portable version of the MG15 with an air-cooled barrel and a bipod for prone firing. It weight 28 lbs and fired 8 x 57mm IS rounds from 100-round belts at roughly 500 RPM. It cost $400,000 to fire this weapon for 12 seconds puts out about 2,900 ft/s in punching power.


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Turkish Model Mauser 1897



A 40 ounce handgun that fires 7.63 x 25 Mauser Ammunition from a 10-round stripper clip. Each bullet is fired with 1,394 feet of stopping power behind it. There wasn't anything really special about the Turkish version, honestly... besides non-arabic numbers.

Pyotr Wrangel



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Baron Pyotr Wrangel started his military career as an enlisted man during the Russo-Japanese War in 1905, joining one of the Cossack Armies as a young Cavalryman. He went from various posts in between wars until being promoted to Captain and given command of a Cavalry Company during WWI. That October saw him awarded the Order of St. George, Russia's highest honor. He was promoted to Colonel and given command of his own regiment. He easily distinguished himself during the famed Brusilov Offensive of 1916, and further action against Austria earned him the George Cross while commanding a defensive position on the Zbruch river.

After Russia's withdrawal from the war, Wrangel resigned and went to live at his Dacha in Crimea... before being promptly arrested by the Bolsheviks. However, he was soon released and made his escape to the Baltic to join the growing Ukrainian State... however he soon left after learning that it only existed with German backing. He then joined the Russian White Movement and was given the rank of Major General. He gained the reputation of being a very aggressive commander, and despite often being outnumbered by the Bolsheviks would often wrench out a victory despite the odds. However, political clashes with his superior officer General Denikin often led to Wrangel being insubordinate; as when he chose to circumvent Moscow and instead link up with the soldiers of Admiral Kolchak instead. Here, he developed the reputation as a just administrator, as looting and rape were punished severely under his jurisdiction.

However, he couldn't ignore Denikin forever, and in 1919 led his unit to march on Moscow... which as he had predicted ended in a pretty big disaster for the White Army. This led to a final disagreement with Denikin and Wrangel again resigned from the Army, taking exile in Constantinople. Yet, in a twist of fate Denikin was forced to resign from command in early 1920, and a military committee came and begged Wrangel to take command in Denikin's place. He did, but with the realization that his appointment came too late to save the White Army; as the Soviets had finally organized an effective fighting force and were using their superior numbers to crush the White Elites. Wrangel then took a different tactic. Knowing that the Whites were going to get destroyed, he seized control of the Crimean Branch of the Russian Navy, and issued an ultimatum to his soldiers: Either go with him and flee and survive, or stay and face whatever wrath the Bolsheviks would inflict. As such, Wrangel and his army then fought a delaying battle to enable civilians and military alike to evacuate to Allied-Occupied Turkey. Wrangel himself only left after making sure that everyone who could be evacuated had been evacuated; and he left aboard the last White ship to leave Crimea.

Afterwards, Wrangel wandered Europe until settling in Belgium, where he died in 1928, having been poisoned by his brother's butler, a supposed Soviet Agent.

When it comes to White Army Commanders who were effective in fighting the Red Menace, three names constantly pop up in the conversation: Denikin, Kolchak, and Wrangel. However, the skill difference between the first two and the third can be considered rather large, as many historians believe that Denikin let his politics and political victories constantly get in the way when it came to fighting the Soviets. KOlchack on the other hand often refused to let foreign powers lend the White's any help in their campaigns, and often let his ego and vision get in the way of claiming the final victory. Wrangel is often considered the only one of the three who would let his politics slide when it came to defeating the Reds, but his bullheaded-ness often led to insubordination.
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Volunteer Army
The Volunteer Army was the largest grouping of the many Anti-Bolshevik armies that cropped up during the revolution. Starting out as small and well-organized, as the army grew it recruited numerous Anti-Bolshevik factions: Cossacks, moderate leftists, Russian Peasants, endangered Nobles, conscripts, and numerous volunteers. Despite being better supplied and more organized, as time went on the Volunteer Army became wild and lawless do to conflicting politics within, with most Generals being planted because of loyalty rather than skill. Howevever, Baron Wrangel led a massive crackdown on these actions, and restored some general order to the army by the time the delaying action would take place in 1920.
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Weapons
Model 1891 Infantry Rifle
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The Mosin-Nagant is a 9 lb bolt-action rifle that fires 7.62x54mm Russian rounds via a 5-round stripper clip. It has a muzzle velocity of 2,838 ft/s and an effective range of 500 meters.

Madsen Light Machine Gun
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The Madsen LMG was a 20 lb weapon that fired 7.62x54mmR ammunition from a 40-round box magazine at 450 rounds per minute. Each bullet has a muzzle velocity of 2,854 ft/s.

Nagant M1895
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The Nagant M1895 is a 2 lb revolver that has a unique 7-round cylinder. It has a muzzle velocity of 891 ft/s for the 7.62x38mmR cartridge that it fires.