Occupation of Constantinople — Allied occupation of Constantinople after WWI
The Allied occupation of Constantinople, the first foreign control of the city since 1453, catalyzed the Turkish National Movement and the War of Independence.
Key Facts
- Occupation start
- 12 November 1918
- Occupation end
- 4 October 1923
- Occupying powers
- Britain, France, Italy, and Greece
- Legal basis
- Armistice of Mudros
- Previous change of hands
- Fall of Constantinople, 1453
- Liberation Day
- 6 October 1923
By the Numbers
Location
Cause → Event → Consequence
The Ottoman Empire's defeat in the First World War led to the signing of the Armistice of Mudros on 30 October 1918, which compelled the Ottomans to open their straits and strategic positions to Allied forces. This armistice provided the legal framework for Allied powers to occupy Constantinople, the imperial capital.
Beginning 12 November 1918 with the entry of French troops and followed by British forces on 13 November, Allied powers—including Italy and Greece—established military occupation zones across Constantinople. An Allied military administration was set up in early December 1918, and the arrangement was formalized ahead of the Treaty of Sèvres in 1920.
The occupation, along with the Allied-backed Greek landing at Smyrna, galvanized Ottoman opposition and directly spurred the founding of the Turkish National Movement under Mustafa Kemal. This led to the Turkish War of Independence and ultimately the Treaty of Lausanne (1923), which ended the occupation and recognized the modern Turkish state.