The First Fight of Atatürk I Turk-Italian War 1911-1912
The Turk-Italian War of 1911-12 took place in the Ottoman province of Tripolitania, which corresponds roughly to modern-day Libya, spreading over time to the Adriatic Sea, the Aegean Sea and the Red Sea.
After the occupation of Egypt in 1881 and the French occupation of Tunisia and Algeria in 1882 ; In 1900 the French and Italian governments came to a secret agreement. France had designs on Morocco, Italy on Tripoli, and each would allow the other a free hand.
Starting from 1902, Italy began to practice a policy of “peaceful penetration” in Tripoli.
Correction: Ottoman Libyans.
With the support of the British and French governments, Italy declared war on 29 September 1911 pledging civilization to Tripoli, without waiting the answer to her ultimatum from the Sublime Porte.Two hours before the declaration of war, the Italian fleet sank two Turkish torpedo boats off Preveza in the Adriatic Sea.The Ottoman Colonel Neşet Bey had only 8,000 ill-equipped men under his command.
the Turkish military in Tripoli (8,000 regular Turkish troops, 20,000 local irregular troops)
was weaker than the Italian invasion force, which consisted of 30,000 troops, 6,000 animals, 103 pieces of artillery, 800 trucks and 4 airplanes. Not only wast it Enver Bey who wanted to go to Tripoli, but also Mustafa Kemal Bey, Eşref Bey, Süleyman Askeri Bey, military attaché in Paris Ali Fethi Bey, Major Halil Bey, Major Nuri Bey, Captain Fuat Bey and Captain Ali Bey were of the several officers who were also trying to find a way to go there.Neşet Bey undertook the command of the forces in Tripoli, Major Mustafa Kemal Bey became the commander in Tobruk and Major Enver Bey in Benghazi.
Turkish resistance were also getting a great support from the Sanusi tribe and their leader Ahmed Şerif, who declared a “holy war” against the Italians.
Mustafa Kemal Bey(left) with an Ottoman military officer and Bedouin forces in Derna, Tripolitania Vilayet, 1912.
On November 5, 1911, the Italian government announced the annexation of Tripoli.
Mustafa Kemal’s units successfully fought the Italians in Tobruk and Derna -his units won the Battle of Tobruk on December 22, 1911.
On May 5, 1912, Italian forces invaded the island of Rhodes and in ten days all of the Dodecanese Islands in the Aegean Sea, in order to break strong resistance of Ottoman Empire in Tripoli.
Due to the outbreak of Balkan Wars and some other problems with urgent need of Ottoman officers and soldiers, Eventually the Tripoli War was terminated by the signature of the Ouchy Agreement on 18 October 1912 by the loss of last strip of land on the North Africa for the Ottoman Empire. Tripoli was left to Italy with an autonomous status, but Ottoman Empire was to be the protector of the right of the Muslims in the region. The Dodecanese Islands would have been given back to the Ottoman Empire at the end of the Balkan Wars. However, the Italians violated the treaty’s related article and did not return the islands.
Ottoman Empire:
14,000 casualties ,
10,000 killed in reprisals & executions (massacre).
Italia: 1,432 killed in combat, 4,250 wounded,1.948 died of disease
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It is again another unification with Turks and Libyans against the West, and it is again Some Arabs do everthing to harm it in favour of the West... As this Arab member.