First Battle of İnönü
Near İnönü, Eskişehir Province, Turkey
What happened
The new regular army of Turkey's Grand National Assembly under Colonel İsmet Pasha fought a Greek army under General Anastasios Papoulas. In the Greco-Turkish War, a Greek army advanced from Bursa toward Eskişehir. Near the railway station of İnönü, the Greeks used fog to push back Turkish units and take a hill. The Turkish forces formed a new line, and the Greek army stopped, dug in and then withdrew.
Why it matters
Why it matters: It was the first battle of the newly formed regular Turkish army, and it boosted the Ankara government's prestige. It helped lead to Turkey's 1921 constitution and to a treaty with Soviet Russia in March 1921.
What came next
A second battle was fought near İnönü within a few months. İsmet Pasha later took the surname İnönü in honour of these battles.
Did you know?
The battle was fought while the new Turkish army was also dealing with a rebellion by the commander Çerkes Ethem.
Timeline
- 6-11 January 1921The First Battle of İnönü.
- 20 January 1921Turkey's 1921 constitution is adopted.
- 16 March 1921The Treaty of Moscow is signed with Soviet Russia.
- 1921The Second Battle of İnönü.