Enver Pasha (1881–1922) was an Ottoman soldier and statesman; he was among the leading figures of the Committee of Union and Progress, which played a role in the proclamation of the Second Constitutional Era.
He took part in the recapture of Edirne during the Balkan Wars; during World War I he served as Minister of War and Deputy Commander-in-Chief. After the war he crossed into Central Asia, where he was active in Turkestan, and he lost his life in a clash in 1922.
Family
He was born on 23 November 1881 on Divanyolu in Istanbul. His date of birth, however, is a matter of debate in some sources. His father was Hacı Ahmet Pasha, a construction technician in the public works organization (who was himself among the Malta exiles), and his mother was Ayşe Dilara Hanım. His mother was a Crimean Tatar, while on his father's side his lineage traces to Albanians or Gagauz Turks. He was the eldest of the family's five children. By his own account, although his family was not particularly wealthy, they devoted great effort to his education. Because of the postings of Hacı Ahmet Pasha — who first served as a technical official at the Ministry of Public Works, was later appointed Surre Emini (Emin of the Imperial Surre Procession), and rose to civil pashadom — his childhood was spent in different cities. His siblings were Nuri (Nuri Pasha-Killigil), Kâmil (Killigil, a diplomat), Mediha (who would marry General Kâzım Orbay), and Hasene (who would marry the Salonica Central Commander Nazım Bey). Enver Pasha was also the brother-in-law of Kâzım Orbay, a former Chief of the General Staff.
Furthermore, Halil Kut, remembered as the "Hero of Kut al-Amara," was Enver Pasha's uncle.
Education
At the age of three he attended the primary school (İbtidaî) near their home. He then entered the Fatih Primary School and, while in the second grade, was forced to leave because of his father's posting to Manastır (Bitola). Despite his young age, he managed to be admitted to the Manastır Military Secondary School in 1889 and graduated from it in 1893. He continued his education at the Manastır Military High School, which he entered ranked 15th, and graduated in 1896 ranked 6th. He moved on to the Military Academy (Harbiye) and completed it in 1899 ranked 4th as an infantry lieutenant. While studying at the Military Academy, he was arrested together with his uncle Halil Pasha, who was also still a student, was tried in the Yıldız courts, and was released. He completed the Staff College ranked 2nd and managed to enter the 45-place quota of the Mekteb-i Erkân-ı Harbiye, which trained staff officers for the Ottoman Army. After his education here, on 23 November 1902 he was assigned as a Staff Captain to the 1st Company of the 13th Artillery Regiment of Manastır, under the command of the Third Army.
Early period
While in the 1st Company of the 13th Artillery Regiment of Manastır, he took part in operations to track down and punish the Bulgarian bands. In September 1903 he was transferred to the first company of the 20th Infantry Regiment at Kočana, and a month later to the first company of the first battalion of the 19th Infantry Regiment. In April 1904 he was assigned to the 16th Cavalry Regiment in Skopje. In October 1904, Enver Bey, who went to the regiment in Štip, completed his "various-branch" (sunûf-ı muhtelife) service two months later and returned to the headquarters in Manastır. There he worked for twenty-eight days in the first and second branches of the staff office, then was appointed inspector of the Ohrid and Kırçova (Kičevo) districts of the Manastır Military Zone. On 7 March 1905 he became a kolağası (senior captain). During this post, having shown outstanding success in the military operations conducted against the Bulgarian, Greek, and Albanian bands, he was awarded the third- and fourth-class Order of the Mejidie, the fourth-class Order of Osmanieh, and the gold Medal of Merit; on 13 September 1906 he was promoted to major. His activity against the Bulgarian bands played a role in the influence of nationalist ideas upon him. Wounded in the leg during the clashes, he stayed in hospital for a month. In the period of September 1906 he joined the Ottoman Freedom Society, founded in Salonica, as its twelfth member. On his return to Manastır, he took part in efforts to establish the society's organization there. He pursued these efforts more intensively after the merger of the Ottoman Freedom Society with the Paris-based Committee of Ottoman Progress and Union, and after the first organization took the name Internal Central Committee of the Committee of Ottoman Progress and Union. He took part in the revolutionary attempts launched by the Committee of Progress and Union. When his activities were denounced, he was summoned to Istanbul. However, on the evening of 24 June 1908 he took to the mountains and played a leading role in the revolution.
Sources
- Turkish Wikipedia: tr.wikipedia.org
- English Wikipedia: en.wikipedia.org