Enver Pasha: Ottoman Military Officer and Political Leader

Early Life and Background

• Birth: 23 November 1881, Constantinople (now Istanbul, Turkey)
• Family Background:
  • Father: Ahmed, a possible Albanian public prosecutor or bridge-keeper
  • Mother: Aye Dilara, of Tatar descent
  • Siblings: Nuri, Mehmed Kmil, Hasene, Mediha
  • Uncle: Halil Pasha (later Kut)
• Education: Graduated from the Ottoman Military Academy in 1902

Rise to Power

• Young Turk Revolution (1908):
  • Key leader in the revolution that restored the Ottoman Constitution of 1876
  • Collaborated with Ahmed Niyazi; both hailed as "heroes of the revolution"
• Affiliation with Committee of Union and Progress (CUP):
  • Joined CUP, a key group in the Young Turks movement
  • Gained influence in CUP, becoming a key figure in the Monastir branch

Military Career

• Participation in Conflicts:
  • Macedonian Struggle, Italo-Turkish War, Balkan Wars
  • World War I: Played a significant role, led disastrous campaigns like the Battle of Sarikamish
• Key Positions:
  • Minister of War
  • Chief of the General Staff
  • Involved in the Ottoman-German Alliance formation

Role in World War I

• Caucasus Campaign Led to Defeat:
  • Ordered poorly planned attack in the Battle of Sarikamish against Russia, resulting in massive Ottoman losses
• Blamed Armenians for Failures:
  • Involved in Armenian Genocide, resulting in massive civilian deaths
• Ottoman Entry into WWI:
  • Integral in forming German-Ottoman alliance and Ottoman entry into the war

Political and Post-War Period

• 1913 Coup and Dictatorship:
  • Seized power in 1913 Ottoman coup d'état
  • Became one of the "Three Pashas" ruling the Ottoman Empire
• Post-WWI:
  • Escaped after the war; sentenced to death in absentia for war crimes
  • Lived in exile; engaged with Bolsheviks
  • Attempted to influence Turkish War of Independence, opposed by Mustafa Kemal Atatürk

Death and Legacy

• Death:
  • Killed in action on 4 August 1922 during the Basmachi Revolt in Central Asia
• Reburial and Rehabilitation:
  • Remains moved to Turkey in 1996, re-buried with honors by President Süleyman Demirel
• Controversial Figure:
  • Seen as a hero by some for Turkish nationalism; criticized for his role in genocide and military failures

Personal Life

• Marriage and Family:
  • Married to Emine Naciye Sultan
  • Children: Mahpeyker Hanımsultan, Türkan Hanımsultan, Sultanzade Ali Bey

Publications

• Authored a book "Enver Pascha um Tripolis" detailing his experiences in the Italo-Turkish War.

Cultural Impact

• Appears in cultural works, like the comic book "The Golden House of Samarkand" by Hugo Pratt.