This book by Andrew Mango intimidated me when I found it in the library. It has over 500 pages of text and is sprinkled with italicized Turkish words and the names of Turk personalities. It looked difficult to read, but I checked it out anyway. I ended the review of the book “Shadow of the Sultan’s Realm” posted last week with the quote, “How Kemal guided the transformation of the Turkish nation is one of the most fascinating stories of the twentieth century—but that is…a story for another time.” I wrote that I couldn’t wait to read that story. I therefore worked my way through a long and difficult book, and I’m glad I did.

My short summary is that we should make the book required reading for politicians who aspire to high public office.  Atatürk prevailed at building a nation composed of a wide diversity of ethnic groups and religious beliefs from the devastating ruins of WWI. My simplistic interpretation is that his initial successes were built on respect and admiration for his military successes during the war. He succeeded in politics because he was driven by patriotism and was unconditionally dedicated to his nation. He won my admiration by rising above his childhood Muslim education to believe his beloved country must put aside archaic religious teachings before it could advance.

Atatürk began life as Mustafa (“the Chosen”) in a Muslim, Turkish-speaking, middle class family. He is described as a blue-eyed, fair-haired man who was likely a descendent of Baltic Slavs. Only he and a sister survived of the six children. His father, a junior civil servant, died when Mustafa was seven or eight of an illness “…aggravated by drink.” Mustafa adored his religious mother.  He was a good student in the military academies he attended and was given the additional name “Kemal” (meaning “perfection”) because of his excellence in math. Contrary to his religious upbringing, he lived his life unencumbered by religious scruples. He openly and frequently drank alcohol despite the Islamic ban.

Kemal became an army officer and served with distinction wherever he was assigned. He participated in the “Young Turk Revolution” in 1908, which successfully removed the Sultan from power for several years. He was involved in numerous political intrigues and was arrested at least once for his participation in a plot.  He fought in the Balkan Wars from 1911 to 1912, but became famous, at least in the Turkish military, as a commander fighting the allies on the Gallipoli Peninsula during World War I. He famously led soldiers into one battle with the command, “I don’t order you to attack. I order you to die.” The difficult terrain and the bravery and stubbornness of Turkish soldiers resulted in the withdrawal of the allies under the cover of darkness. He wrote a tribute to the tens of thousands of Turks and allies who shared Gallipoli as a burial ground. He called them all heroes “…now lying in the soil of a friendly country…”

Turkey had nothing to gain from entering World War I, and it impoverished the country. The three men who had led the country into war fled, the Allies began dividing up the country, and Mustafa Kemal stepped into the vacuum. The Turkish army would eventually defeat the Armenians and Greeks in territorial wars and the Treaty of Lausanne signed in October 1923 established the Republic of Turkey. The government was called the Grand National Assembly and Kemal was the first president. He was unyielding in requiring complete loyalty to the country and the ideals he established for it. The fact that he remained the leader with little effective opposition until his death from cirrhosis of the liver in 1938 is a testimonial to his skill and dedication and to the uncompromising demands he made of those around him. He had no hesitation at weeding out those who didn’t have the required skills or those who came under suspicion. It was said that he wasn’t known to have executed any of his enemies, but he had loyal supporters who had no hesitation at eliminating anyone they or he thought might be dangerous.

It was a slow slog to recovery for a country that had lost hundreds of thousands of its young men and most of its economy during the war. It was said women begged visitors for scraps to cloth to mend their children’s clothing.

Kemal marked time until he judged the time was right to dissolve the Muslim caliphate and the sultanate. It was required that the caliph had to leave the country immediately. The Ottoman princes were given ten days to arrange departure. Religious control of the country came to an end. Religious courts and schools were closed and the ban on alcohol was lifted. I found it surprising that this occurred with what seemed to be little reaction from the Muslims. The book explains, “Sunni Islam enjoins obedience to the ruler:  before 1923, the ruler was the sultan; for a few months it was the caliph and the president. Now it was the president alone.” Islam was still the dominant religion in Turkey, but the government was secular.

I intend to focus on Kemal for the remainder of this review; readers interested in the other personalities and Turkish history should read the book. Kemal is credited with emancipation of women in Turkey, although there is a hint that had no options. The Great War left the country no choice but to accept women in work and activities. “But as long as Islam affected civil law, full equality was impossible…” The end of control by the sultanate and the caliph opened the way for women’s rights. “Turkish women owe their rights to Atatürk.”

There is a disconnect between Kemal’s official policies toward women and his personal life. He had a reputation for enjoying the intimate companionship of women, and a woman named Fikriye was a long-time companion. Kemal decided she would not meet his mother’s approval as a wife, and eventually married another woman named Latife. The new wife naturally disapproved of Fikriye and had her exiled. Fikriye conspired to return and confront Kemal, was turned away, and shot and killed herself. (Another source suggests she might have been murdered.)  Latife eventually became too assertive at interfering with Kemal’s nightly drinking meetings, and he divorced her. Kemal had no children, but he adopted several. He was so insistent that Turkey must become “Westernized” that he required people wear Western hats.

Kemal required that all Turks select a surname, and he selected “Atatürk,” which means “Father of the Turks.” No one else is allowed to use that name, and there are laws against saying or writing anything negative about him. The book occasionally refers to him as “Pasa,” which is equivalent to calling someone “Lord” in English. He also is called “Gazi,” which is the name given to victorious Islamic fighters.

Kemal enjoyed raki, a Turkish anise-flavored hard alcohol often and in large quantities. He often commented that he had never hidden his enjoyment of the drink, but its effects on his liver killed him.

The author often presents versions of events as remembered and recorded by Atatürk followed by versions from others that are less complimentary. We don’t know which version is the most accurate, but I found it encouraging that an author dedicated to writing the biography of such a remarkable person would indicate we shouldn’t always accept the self-promotion.