Osman to Ataturk - 1955
Osman to Ataturk - 19557/8/24 (updated 11/29/25)From Osman Gazi̇ To Atatürk: Historical Panorama Of 600 Years by Reşad Ekrem KoçaA Military History of the Ottomans: From Osman to Atatürk is a comprehensive study of the Ottoman military from its founding around 1300 to the establishment of the Turkish Republic under Atatürk in 1923. The book traces the evolution of the Ottoman army from a nomadic steppe cavalry force into a professional, organized, and effective military institution. It covers the military systems and tactics that made the Ottomans dominant through their conquest of Constantinople in 1453 and their influence for nearly two centuries, and then discusses the transformations and reforms in the Ottoman army as it adapted to internal challenges, foreign threats, and modernization pressures throughout the 17th to early 20th centuries.The work also emphasizes the army's role in political and social power within the empire and its eventual transition into the army of the new Turkish Republic. It highlights important commanders, political influences on military development, and the legacy of the Ottoman military in modern Turkey. The book combines an introductory overview with detailed research based on previously untapped Ottoman sources, offering a historically informed narrative that integrates the Ottoman military into broader military history scholarship. The concluding part explains how the Ottoman military reforms and officer corps enabled Mustafa Kemal Atatürk to lead the War of Independence and found modern Turkey, marking the army's transformation from a dying imperial force to a modern national institution.The author: Reşad Ekrem Koçu (1905–1975) was a Turkish writer and historian best known for his monumental yet unfinished work, the Istanbul Encyclopedia (İstanbul Ansiklopedisi). Born in Istanbul, he studied history at Istanbul University and later worked as a researcher specializing in the Ottoman period. After leaving the university in 1933 due to reforms, he taught history in various high schools in Istanbul. Koçu dedicated most of his life to documenting the city of Istanbul in the Istanbul Encyclopedia, an extensive project covering historical, geographic, architectural, literary, folkloric, and cultural aspects of the city, particularly focusing on Ottoman-era stories and daily life.He began publishing the encyclopedia in 1958 but had to stop work in 1973 due to financial difficulties after completing eleven volumes and covering about the letter G. His work, featuring rich narratives and fanciful illustrations, has been praised for providing colorful, diverse perspectives of Istanbul beyond official historical accounts. The encyclopedia archive, comprising some 20,000 items, was later acquired by Kadir Has University. Koçu's vivid depictions of Ottoman Istanbul have been celebrated in contemporary literature, notably by Orhan Pamuk in his book Istanbul: Memories and the City. Koçu passed away in 1975, having left an enduring legacy as a chronicler of Istanbul's multifaceted history.Source: Perplexity.aiCurated by G. Ly
