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Great victories and powerful defense struggles hold an important place in Turkish history. However, the August 30 Victory carries a distinct meaning in terms of changing the course of the National Struggle. The Great Offensive, which began on the morning of August 26, 1922, with the fire of the Turkish artillery, reached a decisive conclusion with the Commander in Chief Pitched Battle won on August 30.

Following Mustafa Kemal Pasha's order on September 1, "Armies, your first target is the Mediterranean, forward!", the pursuit operation was completed with the expulsion of Greek forces from Anatolia. Determining the military outcome of the War of Independence, this victory also became one of the most important turning points in the process leading to the Republic of Turkey.

Let's remember together the preparations leading to the Great Offensive and how the August 30 Victory was won.

Criticism in the Grand National Assembly and Pressure for an Offensive

Nearly a year had passed since the victory of the Battle of Sakarya. Despite this, the Turkish army not taking the offensive led to increasing criticism in the Grand National Assembly of Turkey (TBMM) and public opinion. Mustafa Kemal Pasha, on the other hand, believed that the army needed to be prepared in terms of manpower, weapons, ammunition, and supply in order to achieve a decisive result. He was aware that an operation launched before preparations were complete could jeopardize the National Struggle.

For the Great Offensive to be successful, it was of great importance to conceal the preparations from the enemy. In order to bring high ranking commanders together in Akşehir without drawing attention, a football match event was organized on July 28, 1922. In this meeting, which appeared from the outside to be an ordinary event, the details of the offensive plan were discussed.

As the operation approached, secrecy measures were increased even further. While units were dispatched to the front mostly at night, communications were restricted, and the impression was created that daily life in Ankara was continuing as usual. While news was spread that Mustafa Kemal Pasha would attend a tea party in Çankaya, he secretly moved to the front. Thus, efforts were made to hide until the last moment that the Turkish army was preparing for a major offensive.

The Plan That Would Determine the Outcome

Mustafa Kemal Pasha knew that the Great Offensive must not turn into a prolonged war of attrition. Even though the Battle of Sakarya had been won, the Turkish army had suffered heavy losses and faced significant difficulties regarding weapons, ammunition, and logistics. For this reason, a comprehensive offensive plan was prepared that would breach the enemy's defense line in a short time and determine the outcome of the war.

The plan relied on secretly shifting the major part of the Turkish army to the south of Afyon and striking the Greek forces from an unexpected point. However, if the units were noticed while in motion, it could lead to the army being caught defenseless and suffering an irreplaceable defeat in terms of the National Struggle.

First Army Commander Yakup Şevki Pasha objected to the offensive arrangement due to the displacement of the units, supply possibilities, and the risks carried by the plan. Mustafa Kemal Pasha, however, saw the concentration of forces in the designated area as a necessity in order to overcome the Greek defense. Despite the difference of opinion among commanders, Mustafa Kemal assumed full responsibility for the plan and demanded that preparations be pursued with determination.

The Morning of August 26... And Victory!

On Saturday morning, August 26, 1922, Commander in Chief Mustafa Kemal Pasha took his place at Kocatepe together with Chief of General Staff Fevzi Pasha and Western Front Commander İsmet Pasha. The fog covering the area in the early morning hours led to a brief delay in certain phases of the operation. The Turkish artillery began range-finding fire at 04:30 and intense fire at 05:00. Subsequently, infantry units advanced toward the Greek defense lines.

On August 27, the second day of the offensive, the Turkish army continued its assaults and liberated Afyon from occupation. The headquarters of the Commander in Chief and the Western Front were also moved to Afyon. With the operations carried out in the following days, the retreat routes of the Greek forces were blocked, and enemy units were encircled.

On August 30, Mustafa Kemal Pasha ensured that the majority of the Greek forces were destroyed or taken prisoner in the Commander in  Chief Pitched Battle, which he directed from Zafertepe. The units that managed to escape the encirclement began to retreat westward. With this victory, the military presence of the Greek army in Anatolia was largely broken.

Mustafa Kemal Pasha issued the order "Armies, your first target is the Mediterranean, forward!" on September 1, 1922, to prevent the enemy from regrouping and to ensure their complete removal from Anatolia. Maintaining the pursuit operation, the Turkish army entered İzmir on September 9 and Bursa on September 11. By September 18, the last Greek units in Western Anatolia had also departed Anatolia.

The Great Offensive and the Commander in Chief Pitched Battle determined the military outcome of the National Struggle. Won by the Turkish army through great sacrifices, the August 30 Victory etched an indelible place in the memory of the nation as one of the symbols of the struggle for independence.