What was the impact of the British Mandate on the Turkish War of Independence?

The British Mandate was one of several factors that had an impact on the Turkish War of Independence. After World War I, the Ottoman Empire was partitioned by the victorious Allies, and the Ottoman government was replaced by a military administration known as the Ottoman Interim Government. However, the Ottoman Interim Government was unable to restore order and stability to the country, and the Allies soon began to pursue their own interests in the region.

In particular, the British were keen to secure control of the oil-rich territories in the Middle East, and they saw the Ottoman Empire as an obstacle to this goal. As a result, the British began to occupy parts of the Ottoman Empire, including the city of Istanbul, and to support various separatist movements in the region.

In the case of Turkey, the British supported the Greeks in their attempt to seize control of the city of Izmir (Smyrna) and the surrounding region. However, the Turkish Nationalist Movement, led by Mustafa Kemal Ataturk, was able to mount a successful resistance to the Greek invasion, and eventually to drive the Greeks out of Anatolia altogether.

The British Mandate did not have a direct impact on the course of the Turkish War of Independence, but it did contribute to the destabilization of the region, and to the emergence of a new set of political realities that would shape the future of the Middle East.