Mustafa Kemal Atatürk - biography.

Mustafa Kemal Atatürk - biography. Founder and first president of Turkey Birth March 12, 1881 Death November 10, 1938 Place of Salonika (now Thessaloníki, Greece) Birth Political Republican People's Party Party Official Title President Term 1923-1938 Known For Establishing the republic of Turkey, overthrowing the leadership of the declining Ottoman Empire, and preventing the partition of territory following World War I Pursuing bold policies of reform to achieve secular government, women's rights, a reduction of corruption, and modernized industry Milestones 1905 Graduated from the military academy in Istanbul 1906 Was banished to Syria for his involvement with the Young Turks, a movement opposing the rule of the Ottoman Empire 1915 Commanded Ottoman forces in World War I, most notably defending Gallipoli from an Allied invasion 1918 Commanded Ottoman forces in Palestine 1920 Set up a provisional government in Ankara after the Ottoman government ceded large portions of land to the Allies in order to retain power 1921-1922 Led the nationalist army on campaigns to regain territories lost by the Ottoman sultan October 29, 1923 Declared an independent republic of Turkey, with himself as president 1923-1931 Pursued reformist policies, establishing a secular government and shaping society to more closely resemble European nations Quote 'Gentlemen, it was necessary to abolish the fez, which sat on the heads of our nation as an emblem of ignorance, negligence, fanaticism and hatred of progress and civilization.' From a speech given in 1927 Did You While studying at the military academy, Atatürk was exposed to the theories of social thinkers including Voltaire and Rousseau, and came Know to believe that unenlightened Ottoman rule had established its position as the 'sick man of Europe.' As a child, Atatürk was given the name Kemal, Turkish for 'perfection,' by a teacher. In 1934, the Grand National Assembly honored him with the name Atatürk, meaning 'Father Turk.' Atatürk's ideological principles, known as 'Kemalisms,' include republicanism, secularism, populism, nationalism, statism, and reformism, and are still considered the ideological foundation of modern Turkey. Microsoft ® Encarta ® 2009. © 1993-2008 Microsoft Corporation. All rights reserved.