Djemal Pasha

Ahmed Djemal Pasha ( Ahmet Cemal Paşa in Turkish) was born from a father Pharmacien Militaire: Mehmet Nesip Bey. Between 1908 and 1918, Djemal was one of the most important administrators of the Othoman government. It was graduate military academy of Kuleli in 1890, then of the military academy in 1893 with Istanbul. It initially was useful for the 1st department of the Ministry for the Military Problems, then it worked at the Department of Construction of Fortifications of Kirkkilise attached to the 2nd army. Djemal was indicated with the Second Army corps in 1896. Two years later, it became ordering Division Beginner at Thessalonique.

In 1905, when it became Major and was indicated as an inspector of the railroads, it started to sympathize with the reforms of the Young person-Turks in connection with the military problems. In 1906, it joined the Othoman Liberal Société. He became a man of influence in the department of the military problems of the Young person-Turks. He became member of the Council of the Third Army corps in 1907. He worked there near the Major Ali Fethi Okyar and Mustafa Kemal.

War of Balkans

First World War

Syria

Djemal Pasha was named with the full powerss with the civil cases and soldiers in Syria in 1915. A temporary law granted to him capacities of help in May of this year. All the decrees of cabinet of Istanbul related to the Syria became prone to its approval. Its offensives on the Suez Canal failed. Coupled with the requirements of time of war and the natural disasters which afflicted the area during these years, this alienated the population of the government Othoman, and led to the Arab Révolte.

As of on March 29th, 1915, Djemal Pasha makes publish a decree according to tequel any Moslem who would be caught some with a Armenian would be submitted in martial court. At the beginning of the summer, it gives additional orders to prevent the massacre of Armenians To the autumn, it makes stop, then to judge two officers Turkish, Cerkez Ahmed and Galati Halil, implied in exactions antiarméniennes in the vilayet of Diarbekir, and in the assassination of two Armenian members of Parliament. In January and February 1916, it makes submit other Turks, as well as Kurds, in front of the courts, for their atrocities against the moved Armenians. The criminals are condemned to died and are hung.

In January 1916, it releases appropriations in favor of the reinstalled Armenians of force in Syria and publishes a declaration in connection with the Armenians: according to this text, they were moved only for reason of State, and their life, their honor, their property, will be guaranteed by the Othoman authorities, in the only condition which they are honest. In March of same, Djemal Pasha organizes a provisioning and medical supplementary programme of food for the Armenians.

A Armenian survivor of the deportations, who was assigned with Alep, described Djemal Pasha like “a great man”, who saved “a half-million Armenians”. Djemal was called by other deportees “the pasha of the Armenians”.

At the end of 1915, Djemal Pasha started of the secret negotiations with the Alliés to put an end to the war (he proposed to reverse the Othoman government). They did not lead to nothing, partly because the Alliés could get along on the future territory of the Ottoman Empire. Historian A.L. Macfie doubts that Djemal Pasha “ever undertook a so risky company, in particular because it was characterized by his patriotism” (“ever cuts undertaken so riky year adventure, particularly ace He was noted for his patriotism”).

With the Spring 1915, whereas the Arab Révolte went up, Djemal Pasha instituted the strict control of the Syria against the Arab adversaries of the Othomans. The forces of Djemal also fought against the Arab nationalists as from 1916. The Othoman authorities occupied the French consulates with Beirut and Damas and confiscated the French secret documents which indicated the activities and the names of the Arab insurrectionists. Djemal used this information belonging to the Party of Decentralization. Djemal believed that the Insurrection under French control was the primary reason of its military failures. With the documents which it joined together, Djemal faced the forces of Insurrection carried out by the political leaders and cultural Arab. Followed military attempts at insurgent in which these leaders were punished.

At the end of 1917, Djemal reigned from its station with Damas as a leader quasi-independent on his portion of the Empire. In 1917, following the defeats of the Othoman army vis-a-vis the English of the General Allenby, it resigned of the 4th army and turned over to Istanbul.

Third Parliament

With the last congress of the Young person-Turks in 1917, Djemal Pasha was elected with the council of central administration.

With the defeat of the Empire in October 1918 and the resignation of the cabinet of Talaat Pasha the November 2nd 1918, Djemal fled with seven other leaders of the Young person-Turks in Germany, then in Suisse.

Martial court

Djemal Pasha was shown to persecute Arab subjects of the Ottoman Empire, and was condemned to died by Contumace. Later, Djemal went in Central Asia, where he worked with the modernization of the Afghan army. Because of the success of the Revolution Bolshevik, Djemal travelled to Tbilissi where he was assassinated, like its secretary, the July 21st 1922 by Stepan Dzaghigian, a Armenian, which regarded it as person in charge of massacres of Armenians - a thesis now rejected, even by historians regarding the Armenian hecatomb as a genocide, in particular Vahakn Dadrian.

In its Memories any responsibility in the atrocities antiarméniennes challenges, proposes its role of assistance to the deportees, and estimates that a million and half of Moslems were assassinated by the Armenian militia and the troops arméno-Russian.

The remainders of Djemal were buried with Erzurum.

Its grandson, Hassan Cemal, is a Journaliste, Chroniqueur and known writer in Turkey.

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