Blog on Turkish War of Independence August / September 1921
Affairs are continuously improving for the Turkish during this period. During a struggle against takeovers from several different countries, including France, Armenia, and the Soviet Union and a battle for independence in such an oppressed state, Turkey kept strong against its opponents.
The Turks liberated the city of Erzurum at the beginning of August 1921. Their opponents, the Armenians, suffered 2,600 deaths, and 500 were captured, while Turkey suffered a total of fewer than 2,000. On August 16, 1921, however, the French took over the Turkish city of Kahramanmaras while Turkey was completely unprepared, and the city was left undefended.
Nevertheless, the Turks won a victory at Agri on September 1, 1921. Turkish forces eliminated all 1,500 Armenian forces completely, with the Turks suffering only 1,200 out of 4,000 casualties. At the battle at Kars, on September 2, 1921, a crushing victory drew the Armenians back into Russia completely, suffering only 1,000 Turkish veteran and 70 regular casualties and leaving Russian leading forces furious. Finally, Turkey retook the city of Ardahem on September 16, 1921, and the Armenians lost half of their forces.
