MSB | T.C. Millî Savunma Bakanlığı

Mareşal Mustafa Fevzi ÇAKMAK 1876 yılında İstanbul’da doğdu. Harp Okulundan 1896 yılında teğmen, devam ettiği Harp Akademisinden 1898 yılında kurmay yüzbaşı olarak mezun oldu. 6 Şubat 1901’de kurmay kıdemli yüzbaşılığa, 19 Ağustos 1909’da kurmay binbaşılığa, 29 Eylül 1910’da kurmay yarbaylığa yükseldi. 1911 yılına kadar ordunun çeşitli kademelerinde görev aldı. Trablusgarp Savaşı ve Balkan Savaşı’na katıldı. 2 Ağustos 1913’te Ankara Redif Tümen Komutanlığına, 6 Kasım 1913’te 2’nci Tümen Komutanlığına atandı. 24 Kasım 1913’te kurmay albay rütbesine yükseldi. Birinci Dünya Savaşı’nda 22 Aralık 1914’te 5’inci Kolordu komutanı olarak atandı. 2 Mart 1915’te tümgeneralliğe yükselen ÇAKMAK, 13 Temmuz 1915’te komutanı olduğu 5’inci Kolordu ile Çanakkale Cephesi’ne katıldı. Bu cephede İkinci Kerevizdere Muharebesi’nde düşmanı püskürtmeye muvaffak oldu. 10 Aralık 1915’te 5’inci Kolordu Komutanlığı uhdesinde kalmak üzere Anafartalar Grubu komutan vekili olarak görevlendirildi. 19 Nisan 1916’da Doğu Cephesi’nde 3’üncü Mıntıka komutanı olarak atandı. Bu cephede Çoruh-Kaledere-Tercan Muharebelerinde Ruslara karşı çarpıştı. 7 Eylül 1916’da 2’nci Kafkas Kolordu komutanı, 5 Temmuz 1917’de Diyarbakır’da bulunan 2’nci Ordu komutanı oldu. 9 Ekim 1917’de Filistin Cephesi’nde bulunan 7’nci Orduya komutan olarak tayin edildi. Bu cephede 30 Ekim-3 Kasım 1917 tarihlerinde Gazze-Birüssebi ve 15 Kasım 1917’de Kudüs-Yafa Muharebelerine katıldı. Daha sonra hastalanarak tedavi için İstanbul’a gitti. 28 Temmuz 1918’de korgeneralliğe terfi eden ÇAKMAK, 24 Aralık 1918’de Genelkurmay Başkanı oldu. 14 Mayıs 1919’da 1’inci Ordu Kıtaatı müfettişi olarak atandı. 3 Kasım 1919’da Meclis-i Vükela kararı ile Anadolu’daki komutan ve subayların durumunu tahkik için gönderilecek Nasihat Heyetinde görevlendirildi. 31 Aralık 1919’da Askerî Şûra üyesi, 3 Şubat 1920’de Harbiye nazırı olarak atandı. 8 Mart 1920’de kurulan Salih Paşa Kabinesinde tekrar Harbiye nazırı olarak atandı. 8 Nisan 1920’de Kabinenin çekilmesiyle nazırlık görevi sona erdi. 27 Nisan 1920’de Ankara’ya gelerek Millî Mücadele’ye katıldı. 3 Mayıs 1920’de Kozan milletvekili sıfatıyla Millî Savunma bakanı olarak seçildi. Aynı zamanda Heyet-i Vekile (Bakanlar Kurulu) başkan vekilliği görevini yaptı. 9 Kasım 1920’de diğer görevlerine ek olarak Genelkurmay Başkan (Erkânıharbiyeiumumiye Vekâleti) vekili, 24 Ocak 1921’de önceki görevlerinin yanı sıra Heyet-i Vekile başkanı oldu. 3 Nisan 1921’de orgeneral olan ÇAKMAK, 5 Ağustos 1921’de Millî Savunma Bakanlığı görevinden çekilip asaleten Genelkurmay başkanı olarak atandı. 10 Temmuz 1922’de Heyet-i Vekile Başkanlığı görevinden istifa etti. 31 Ağustos 1922’de mareşalliğe terfi eden ÇAKMAK, 27 Ekim 1922’de İsmet Paşa’nın Dışişleri bakanı olması üzerine Genelkurmay Başkanlığı uhdesinde kalmak üzere Batı Cephesi Komutanı olarak atandı. 14 Ağustos 1923’e kadar Kozan milletvekili, bu tarihten sonra da İstanbul milletvekili olarak görev yaptı. 31 Ekim 1924’te milletvekilliğinden istifa etti. 23 yıl Genelkurmay Başkanlığı görevinde bulunduktan sonra 12 Ocak 1944’te yaş haddinden emekliye ayrıldı. Sivil yaşamında, 1946 yılında VIII. Dönem Demokrat Parti listesinden İstanbul milletvekili olarak seçildi. 1948’de Millet Partisinin kurulmasında görev aldı ve şeref başkanlığı yaptı. Osmanlı Devleti, Alman İmparatorluğu ve Avusturya-Macaristan İmparatorluğu tarafından verilen çeşitli nişan ve madalyalar ile TBMM tarafından verilen İstiklal Madalyası sahibi olan Mareşal Mustafa Fevzi ÇAKMAK 10 Nisan 1950’de vefat etmiştir.

Field Marshall Mustafa Fevzi ÇAKMAK was born in Istanbul in 1876. He graduated from the Military Academy as a lieutenant in 1896 and from the Military Academy in 1898 as a staff captain. He was promoted to staff senior captain on February 6, 1901, staff major on August 19, 1909, and staff lieutenant colonel on September 29, 1910. He served at various levels of the army until 1911. He participated in the Battle of Tripolitania and the Balkan War. On August 2, 1913, he was appointed as the Commander of the Ankara Redif Division, and on November 6, 1913, he was appointed as the Commander of the 2nd Division. On November 24, 1913, he was promoted to the rank of staff colonel. In the First World War, he was appointed commander of the 5th Army Corps on December 22, 1914. Promoted to the rank of major general on March 2, 1915, ÇAKMAK joined the Çanakkale Front as of July 13, 1915 with the 5th Corps under his command. On this front, he succeeded in repelling the enemy in the Second Battle of Kerevizdere. On December 10, 1915, he was appointed as the deputy commander of the Anafartalar Group, still as the commander of the 5th Corps.

On April 19, 1916, he was appointed commander of the 3rd Military Zone on the Eastern Front. On this front, he fought against the Russians in the Battles of Çoruh-Kaledere-Tercan. On September 7, 1916, he was appointed the commander of the 2nd Caucasian Corps; on July 5, 1917, to the command of the 2nd Army in Diyarbakır; and on October 9, 1917, to the command of the 7th Army on the Palestine Front, where he led in the Battles of Gaza-Beersheba on October 30–November 3, 1917, and Jerusalem-Jaffa on November 15, 1917. Later, he fell ill and went to Istanbul for treatment. Promoted to lieutenant general on July 28, 1918, ÇAKMAK became Chief of General Staff on December 24, 1918. On May 14, 1919, he was appointed inspector of the 1st Army Corps. On November 3, 1919, he was assigned to the Advisory Committee to be sent to investigate the situation of the commanders and officers in Anatolia with the decision of the Parliament. He was appointed as a member of the Military Council on December 31, 1919, and as the Minister of War on February 3, 1920. He was appointed as the Minister of War again in the Salih Pasha Cabinet established on March 8, 1920. Upon the withdrawal of the Cabinet on April 8, 1920, his duty as minister ended. On April 27, 1920, he went to Ankara and to take part in the Turkish War of National Sovereignty. On May 3, 1920, he was elected the Member of Parliament from Kozan, and was elected as the Minister of National Defense, and also served as the deputy chairman of the Council of Ministers. On November 9, 1920, in addition to his other duties, he became the deputy Chief of General Staff [Erkân-ı Harbiye-i Umumiye Vekâleti], and on January 24, 1921, in addition to his previous duties, he became the chairman of the Council of Ministers. ÇAKMAK, who was promoted general on April 3, 1921, resigned from the Ministry of National Defense on August 5, 1921, and was appointed the Chief of the General Staff. On July 10, 1922, he resigned from his position as Chairman of the Council of Ministers. Promoted to field marshal on August 31, 1922, ÇAKMAK was appointed as the Commander of the Western Front to remain under the responsibility of the General Staff upon İsmet Pasha's appointment as Minister of Foreign Affairs on October 27, 1922. He served as a Member of Parliament representing Kozan until he was elected as a Member of Parliament from İstanbul on August 14, 1923. On October 31, 1924, he resigned from Parliament. Having served as the Chief of General Staff for 23 years, he retired from office on January, 12, 1944, due to old age. 

In his civilian life, in 1946, nominated by the Democratic Party, he was elected Member of Parliament representing İstanbul in the VIIIth Term Parliamentary General Elections. In 1948, he took part in the founding of the Nation Party and served as its honorary chairman. Field Marshall Mustafa Fevzi ÇAKMAK, who was the recipient of various orders and medals conferred by the Ottoman State, the German Empire, the Austro-Hungarian Empire, and the Independence Medal given by the Turkish Grand National Assembly, passed away on April 10, 1950, in İstanbul.