🇬🇧 The Armistice of Mudros. The First Republic of Armenia
The First Republic of Armenia
The Armistice of Mudros and Its Consequences
By the end of 1918, the Ottoman Empire was in deep crisis. Losses on the Palestinian, Mesopotamian, and Caucasian fronts had led to the demoralization and exhaustion of its armed forces. The fall of Bulgaria and its exit from the war created a direct threat to Istanbul from the Allies advancing through Greek territory.
Britain, France, and their allies controlled the key communication routes in the region: the Suez Canal, Egypt, and the Aegean Sea. This effectively blocked the Ottoman Empire’s supply lines, forcing its leadership to seek a way out of the war to avoid total collapse.
Negotiations and the Signing of the Armistice
Surrender negotiations began aboard the British battleship HMS Agamemnon, anchored in the port of Mudros on the island of Lemnos. The Ottoman delegation was headed by Minister of the Navy HĂĽseyin Rauf, and the Allied side was led by Admiral Somerset Arthur Gough-Calthorpe. On the evening of October 30, 1918, the armistice was signed, coming into effect at noon the following day.
Key Terms of the Mudros Armistice
- Cessation of all hostilities as of 12:00 PM on October 31, 1918.
- Demobilization of the Ottoman army and navy under Entente supervision.
- Opening of the Dardanelles and Bosporus straits to Allied vessels.
- Disclosure of information about minefields and other maritime obstacles.
- Surrender of all Ottoman garrisons under conditions determined by the Allies.
On November 12, a British squadron under Admiral Calthorpe entered the Dardanelles and proceeded to Istanbul, beginning the de facto occupation of the capital. This marked the start of a period of deep political destabilization in the country.
The Mudros Armistice preceded the signing of the Treaty of Sèvres in August 1920, which envisioned extensive territorial concessions by Turkey and the establishment of zones of foreign control. However, the harsh terms provoked sharp rejection among the Turkish public and military.
The Beginning of the National Movement
The reaction to the Treaty of Sèvres led to the outbreak of the Turkish War of Independence (1919–1923). Under the leadership of Mustafa Kemal Atatürk, the Turks rejected the terms of the treaty, and in 1923 the Treaty of Lausanne was signed, establishing the modern borders of Turkey.
The partition of the Ottoman Empire resulting from the Mudros Armistice and subsequent agreements (the Treaty of Sèvres, the Sèvres-Tripolitanian arrangements, etc.) led to the creation of mandate territories under British and French control — such as Iraq, Syria, and Palestine. This laid the foundation for the formation of new states in the region.
The Mudros Armistice was a key step in ending World War I in the Middle East. It not only marked the Ottoman Empire’s exit from the war but also initiated a period of occupation, diplomatic struggle, and national liberation, culminating in the creation of the modern Turkish Republic and a fundamental transformation of the region’s political landscape.