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Liman Von Sanders, Mustafa Kemal and Asia Minor Page 5 By Stavros T. Stavridis |
Raymond Davis, the U.S Consul in Aden, reported that “a representative of the Khilafat Committee, which includes in its numbers some of the most important Indian merchants of Aden, ordered a ceremony held on…September 14, 1922, for which he personally guaranteed all expenses incurred. This was agreed to, by not only the Mohammedan community, but by mostly all the Hindus and Bannias, who rank high in importance among the merchants of Aden” to celebrate Kemal’s military success.16 The second part involves important omissions in ascertaining the views of Liman Von Sanders regarding the destruction of Smyrna and the question of the Asia Minor refugees. On the former point the absence of information would make it very difficult to reach a clear-cut conclusion. It would be safe to assume that Liman Von Sanders would have been ecstatic with the Kemalist victory over the Greeks, which in turn, was a defeat for Britain’s Near Eastern policy. The latter issue is more promising, as there are clues revealing Von Sanders attitude towards Greeks and Armenians during the First World War. There are two incidents that occurred during his visit to Smyrna in November 1916 which may support the view of some “sympathy” towards the Greeks and Armenians. In the first case Von Sanders told the Vali (Governor) that the “mass deportations [of Armenians] are damaging as far as military considerations are involved and he would therefore not tolerate any more arrests and deportations.” After threatening to use force, the Vali complied with Von Sanders “request.”17 The second incident involves three Greeks from Vourla coming to see Von Sanders who reported to him that “10 most respected and richest notabilities in Urla (Vourla) had been arrested without a hearing by 30 gendarmes, sent directly there for that purpose, and have been put into prison in Smyrna. The Greeks asked for help.” He forthwith ordered an immediate investigation regarding the arrests of these innocent citizens of Vourla.18 Liman Von Sanders “sympathy” towards the Greeks and Armenians of the Smyrna region was probably based on political and military expediency rather than out humanitarian concern for these people. George Horton, the US Consul General in Smyrna, representing Allied interests in Asia Minor was in a position to monitor and report of any anti-Greek and Armenians activities of the Young Turks to the US Ambassador in Constantinople, Henry Morgenthau. Liman Von Sanders was possibly afraid that Horton’s dispatches might contain information that could tarnish Germany’s reputation as a civilised
16767.68/467 American Consulate, Aden, Arabia to Sec of State, Washington , September 20, 1922 17www.armenocide.net Wolfgang and Sigrid Gust (ed) A Documentation of the Armenian Genocide in World War 1 – From Charge d’Affaires at the German Embassy in Constantinople (Radowitz) to Reichskanzler (Bethman Hollweg), report, Pera, 13 November 1916, A-31127 18ibid., -From the Ambassador in Extraordinary mission in Constantinople (Kuehlman) to Reichskanzler (Bethman Hollweg), Pera, 17 November, 1916 with enclosure from Liman Von Sanders. |
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About the Author Stavros Terry Stavridis was born in Cairo, Egypt in 1949 of Greek parents. He migrated to Australia with his parents in September 1952. Stavros has a Bachelor of Arts (B.A) in Political Science/Economic History and B.A (Hons) in European History from Deakin University and M.A in Greek/Australian History from RMIT University. His MA thesis is titled "The Greek-Turkish War 1919-23: an Australian Press Perspective." Stavros has nearly 20 years of teaching experience, lecturing at University and TAFE (Technical and Further Education, the equivalent of Community College in the US) levels. He has presented papers at international conferences in Australia and USA and has also given public lectures both in Australia and on the West Coast of the US. Many of his articles have appeared in the Greek-American press. He currently works as a historical researcher at the National Center for Hellenic Studies and Research, Latrobe University, Bundoora, Victoria, Australia. Stavros' research interests are the Asia Minor campaign and disaster, Middle Eastern history, the Assyrian and Armenian genocides, Greece in the Balkan Wars 1912-13 and the First World War and history in general. HCS maintains a large selection of fine pieces written by Mr. Stavridis which viewers are invited to view at the URL http://www.helleniccomserve.com/stavridisone.html Read More About the Greeks of Asia Minor HCS readers who enjoyed this article may wish to view others about Smyrna and Asia Minor in our section specially created for these topics at the URL http://www.helleniccomserve.com/smyrnaopener.html. We also maintain a permanent, extensive archives of articles which readers are invited to browse at the URL http://www.helleniccomserve.com/archivesmyrnaasiaminor.html . |
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