TRENDEFRARAtlas of the Sultans · Wars, battles and treaties
Event · 1919
National resistance was organised in Anatolia against the occupations that followed the Armistice of Mudros. According to the TDV article on the National Struggle, although Grand Vizier Damad Ferid Pasha opposed the holding of a national congress in Anatolia in a circular of 20 July 1919, the Erzurum Congress began its work on 23 July under Mustafa Kemal Pasha's chairmanship; the British demanded that Mustafa Kemal be treated as a rebel. Despite all obstacles, the Sivas Congress, meeting on 4–11 September 1919, raised the Erzurum decisions from the regional to the national level; by forming the Representative Committee it laid for the first time the foundations of a new political authority that could be an alternative to the existing government, and it united all resistance organisations under the Association for the Defence of the Rights of Anatolia and Rumelia. In talks at Amasya on 20–22 October the decisions of the Sivas Congress were also recognised by the Istanbul government.
| Date | 23 July – 11 September 1919 |
|---|---|
| Location | Erzurum and Sivas |
| Result | The Representative Committee was formed; resistance groups were united under the Defence of Rights association |
| Belligerents | Association for the Defence of the Rights of Anatolia and Rumelia | |
|---|---|---|
| Commanders | Mustafa Kemal Pasha |
Took place during the reign of Mustafa Kemal Atatürk (1923–1938). Mustafa Kemal Atatürk
Open the reign of Mustafa Kemal Atatürk on the mapBy the atlas's calculation the Ottoman lands covered about 742,000 km² in 1919; at the start of Mustafa Kemal Atatürk's presidency they measured 773,000 km², at its end 773,000 km².
During Mustafa Kemal Atatürk (1923–1938) the atlas records 2 regions gained and 0 regions lost.
Regions gained: Kars–Ardahan–Artvin (1920), Antep–Kilis (1921).
Born in Thessaloniki in 1881, he graduated from the War College and the Staff College and became a staff officer. He distinguished himself in Tripolitania (1911–1912) and at Gallipoli (1915), where his command at Arıburnu and Anafartalar made his name. Landing at Samsun on 19 May 1919, he launched the War of Independence and, as President of the Grand National Assembly and Commander-in-Chief, won the battles of Sakarya and the Great Offensive. He became the first president of the Republic of Turkey proclaimed on 29 October 1923 and held the office until his death. He carried out sweeping reforms in law, education, the alphabet, dress and women's rights; in 1934 the Assembly gave him the surname Atatürk. He died in Istanbul on 10 November 1938.
Areas are land area computed from the atlas's region data; see Method and sources.
Source: TDV Encyclopedia of Islam, “MİLLÎ MÜCADELE” (Turkish); text written for the atlas.
Cite as: Atlas of the Sultans, “Sivas Congress (1919): Date, Commanders and Outcome”, https://padisahlaratlasi.com/en/events/sivas-congress/ (last updated 12 November 2026). Corrections
Terms on this page: Grand vizier · Vizier