SEFERBERLİĞİN İLANINDAN SARIKAMIŞ HAREKÂTI’NA KADARKİ GELİŞMELERDE HAFIZ HAKKI BEY

Hafız hakkı Bey, who joined to the Committee of Union and Progress

while he was in Macadonia, made great contributions to the proclamation of

the Second Constitutionalist Period. For this reason he became one of the significant

members of the Committee of Union and progress in a very short time.

Hafız Hakkı Bey, who was also effective in stopping the 31 March revolt, was

assigned to deputy chief of the Turkish general staff after rejuvenation of the

army. He was assigned to Reis-i Sanilik in Karargah-ı Umumi which was established

with the proclamation of mobilization on 2 August 1914. Hafız Hakkı

Pasha’s main effort during this position was stopping Germany’s efforts about

forcing Ottoman Empire to the war right away. On 2 August 1914- the day

on which proclamation of mobilization- a collusive agreement with Germany

was also signed. According to this agreement Ottoman Empire had to join the

war on the side of Germany immediately. However, Hafız Hakkı Bey and other

military officers in Karagah-ı Umumi asserting that preparation of mobilization

of Ottoman Empire were completed, tried to retard Ottoman Empire’s joining

to war by objecting this provision. Hafız Hakkı Bey ,who didn’t want to join to

the war until the spring, asserted this idea in his war plans which he prepared

in different times. However with the eruption of Black sea incident all these

activities failed and Ottoman Empire started to fight with Russia. After Ottoman

Empire’s joining to war Hafız Hakkı Bey’s opinions changed quickly and he

started to have a bellicist attitude. Hafız Hakkı Bey, who especially thought an

attack towards Russia in Caucasian front line would be successful, started to

define rudiments of this attack since November. Hafız hakkı Bey who went to

third military territory for inspection, sent positive reports to the center about

possibility of the attack in spite of harsh winter conditions. Hafız Hakkı Pasha’s

this attitude caused Sarıkamış Operation and calamity after it.