Enver Pasha

Enver Pasha
Nicola Perscheid · Public domain · source
Name	Enver Pasha
Caption	Enver Pasha in military uniform
Birth date	22 November 1881
Birth place	Constantinople, Ottoman Empire
Death date	4 August 1922 (aged 40)
Death place	Bald Mountain, Turkestan ASSR, Russian SFSR
Allegiance	Ottoman Empire, First Republic of Armenia, Emirate of Bukhara
Serviceyears	1902–1918
Rank	General, Vizier
Commands	Third Army, Minister of War
Battles	Young Turk Revolution, 31 March Incident, Italo-Turkish War, Balkan Wars, World War I, Battle of Sarikamish, Basmathachi operations
Spouse	Naciye Sultan
Relations	Ismail Enver

Enver Pasha was a prominent Ottoman military officer and a leading figure in the Committee of Union and Progress (CUP), serving as Minister of War during World War I. As part of the ruling Three Pashas triumvirate, he was a principal architect of the empire's entry into the war on the side of the Central Powers and oversaw major military campaigns, most notably the disastrous Battle of Sarikamish. His policies during the war, particularly in Eastern Anatolia, are inextricably linked to the Armenian genocide. Following the Armistice of Mudros and the empire's defeat, he fled into exile, eventually dying in Central Asia while leading Basmathachi forces against the Red Army.

Early life and career

Born in Constantinople to a middle-class family, he graduated from the Imperial Military Academy in 1902 and was posted to the Third Army in Salonica, a hotbed of political dissent. There, he became deeply involved with the underground Committee of Union and Progress, a Young Turks organization seeking to restore the Ottoman constitution of 1876. His early military career was marked by anti-government activities, and he played a key role in the 1906 Ottoman coup attempt in Rumelia, which helped solidify his reputation as a daring revolutionary officer committed to overthrowing the regime of Abdul Hamid II.

Role in the Young Turk Revolution

He emerged as a national hero during the Young Turk Revolution of 1908, famously leading rebel troops into Salonica to demand the restoration of the constitution. Following the success of the revolution, he was a central figure in suppressing the 31 March Incident, a countercoup in Constantinople aimed at reversing the CUP's gains. His actions cemented his position within the CUP's inner circle, and he was appointed military attaché to Berlin, where he developed a strong admiration for the German military. He later served as the Chief of the General Staff during the Italo-Turkish War, though the conflict resulted in the loss of Libya.

Leadership in the Balkan Wars

Appointed Chief of the General Staff at the outbreak of the First Balkan War, he was unable to prevent a series of catastrophic defeats against the Balkan League. Following the Coup of 1913, which established CUP dominance, he was appointed Minister of War. He personally led the Second Army in a failed attempt to recapture Edirne during the Second Balkan War, a campaign that, despite its ultimate success due to broader geopolitical shifts, was marked by significant tactical errors and high casualties, foreshadowing his later military misjudgments.

World War I and the Armenian genocide

As a key member of the Three Pashas, he was instrumental in securing the Ottoman–German alliance and bringing the empire into World War I against the Allies. Assuming the role of Deputy commander-in-chief, he took personal command on the Caucasus front, where his winter offensive at Sarikamish (1914-1915) resulted in the near-annihilation of the Third Army. In the wake of this defeat, he and the CUP leadership enacted radical policies against the empire's Armenians, culminating in the Armenian genocide through mass deportations and massacres. His government also faced major Allied assaults at Gallipoli and in Mesopotamia, and he authorized military expeditions into Palestine and Persia.

Post-war activities and death

Following the Armistice of Mudros, he fled aboard a German submarine to Berlin and then to Moscow, where he attempted to collaborate with the Bolsheviks to promote pan-Turkic revolution. He traveled to Bukhara to support the Emirate of Bukhara against Soviet encroachment and later organized Basmathachi (anti-Soviet resistance) forces in Turkestan. While leading a cavalry charge against Red Army positions near Bald Mountain in Turkestan, he was killed in action. His remains were originally buried there but were later transferred to Istanbul in 1996.

Category:1881 births Category:1922 deaths Category:Ottoman military personnel of World War I Category:Young Turks Category:People of the Balkan Wars