Ferik (Lt-Gen) Esat Pasha

[michaeldr]

Several references mention that Ferik (Lt-Gen) Esat Pasha became commander of the First Army in early November 1915
e.g.:
On November 3, 1915, when Goltz Pasha went to the Mesopotamian front, he became the commander of the First Army. [http://turkeyswar.com/whoswho/esat/#:~:text=In%20the%20World%20War%2C%20Esat,northern%20part%20of%20the%20peninsula.]
and
he was assigned to be the commanding general of the First Army in Istanbul on 5 November 1915
[https://encyclopedia.1914-1918-online.net/article/pasha_esat]

Can anyone confirm for me when he actually left the Gallipoli front to take up his new appointment?

 

Thanks for any help here, Michael

[stevenbecker]

Mate,

What I have on him is not much

Mirliva / Tümgeneral    General    Mehmet Esat or Mehmed Esad or Essad Pasha (Bülkat)     Dardanelles Fortified Area Command & Commander 3rd Corps 1914/15 & Comdr 1st Army (from von Goltz) 10-15 to 2-18 (shown Comdr 5th Army (from Kamil) 2-18 to 6-18) & Comdr 3rd Army (from Vehib) 6-18 to 11-18        (born 1862 at Ioannina died 2-11-1952) graduated from the Army Staff School 1890 aide to Colmar von der Goltz 1893 Greco-Turkish War of 1897 to General 1902 Balkan War Fortified Zone of Ioannina during WWI retired 1919 brother Vehib

I don't show the Ferik, but many Ottoman officers don't show there full names in documents

 

Edited 10 February by stevenbecker

[michaeldr]

Thanks Steve. 
Per the February 1916 Handbook, the Ottoman ranks were 
Miralai = Colonel, 
Liva = Maj-General 
Ferik = Lieutenant-General
Wiki has it that he was “promoted back to the rank of Ferik (Lieutenant General) on 15 September 1915”

[stevenbecker]

Mate,

The way it was given to me by Tosun,

here are the ottoman turkish officer ranks
Zabit namzeti : Officer candidate (This rank was renamed during republican ara as Asteğmen)
Mülazim-ı evvel: 1st Lt (This rank was renamed during republican ara as Teğmen)
Mülazım-ı sani. 2nd Lt.(This rank was renamed during republican ara as Üsteğmen)
Yüzbaşı
Binbaşı
Kaymakam: Lt.Col. (This rank was renamed during republican ara as Yarbay)
Miralay: (This rank was renamed during republican ara as Albay)
Mirliva: (This rank was divided into 2 during republican ara as Tuğgeneral(Brigadier) and Tümgeneral(majorgenaral))
Ferik: (This rank was renamed during republican ara as Korgeneral)
Birinci Ferik : (This rank was renamed during republican ara as Orgeneral ( Colgeneral))
Müşir: Fieldmarshall. Mareşal

[emrezmen]

Hi Michael, 

According to the book "Birinci Dünya Savaşı'na Katılan Alay ve Daha Üst Kademedeki Komutanların Biyografileri vol.1, p.39" (attached) by Turkish General Staff, Esat Paşa was appointed as 1st Army Commander on 12 October 1915. He left the Peninsula two days later.

 

 

Edited 12 February by emrezmen

[michaeldr]

1 hour ago, emrezmen said:

appointed as 1st Army Commander on 12 October 1915. He left the Peninsula two days later.

Many thanks for that, Emre

best regards, Michael

[stevenbecker]

I am not sure he was commander 1st Army for only a few days, as he was shown here a lot longer?

"12 ekim 1915 'te 1 nci ordu komutanligina tayin edildi" and

"26 temmuz 1917'de almanlarin harp tecrubelerinden faydalanma uzere bir heyetle almanya 'ya gitti ve 7 Augstos 1917 'de yurda dondu"

"He was appointed as the commander of the 1st Army on 12 October 1915"

He went to Germany with a delegation to benefit from the German war experiences on 26 July 1917 and returned home on 7 August 1917

No where does it say he was not commander 1st Army during that time, in fact it does say he was?

The Turkish Site shows this on him

Mehmet Esat was born in Ioannina in 1862. In the year he graduated from the Army Staff School, 1890, he was sent to Germany on a military mission. He returned to Istanbul in 1893 and he was assigned as an aide to Colmar von der Goltz, the German general who was in charge of reforming the Ottoman Army.

When the Turco-Greek War broke out in 1897, he went to his hometown Ioannina, as the chief of staff of the corps stationed there. After the war, he began to teach at the War Academy. Mehmet Esat, who was made General in 1902, became the deputy commander of the Third Army, then stationed in Salonica.

In 1911, following Italy’s declaration of war on Turkey, Esat Pasha returned to the corps in Ioannina, this time as the commander. In the Balkan War,  he managed to defend the city successfully for seven months, together with his brother Vehib, who was the commander of the Fortified Zone of Ioannina.

In the World War, Esat Pasha was one of the main Turkish actors in the Gallipoli campaign. He was the commander of both the III Corps and the Arıburnu North Army Group. He was very successful in organizing the Turkish efforts in the Conkbayırı section, the northern part of the peninsula. On November 3, 1915, when Goltz Pasha went to the Mesopotamian front, he became the commander of the First Army. In 1917, Esat Pasha went to Berlin and toured both the eastern and western fronts of Germany.

Upon his arrival to Turkey, he was made the commander of the Fifth Army on February 21, 1918, where he stayed for four months, before assuming the command of the Third Army in the Caucasus. He retired in 1919.

Esat Paşa died in 1952 in Istanbul. He was 90 years old.

By the looks of it he was not with his Army all the time, if he also went to Germany and the Western & Eastern Fronts

But he is shown commander from Oct/Nov 1915 to Feb 1918

It also lists the commanders 1st Army

Otto Liman von Sanders
(November 1914–March 1915)
Colmar von der Goltz
(March–October 1915)
Esat Pasha (Bülkat)
(October 1915–24 February 1918)

 

Edited 13 February by stevenbecker