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Fevzi Çakmak Diaries

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Held at: Princeton University Library: Manuscripts Division [Contact Us]

This is a finding aid. It is a description of archival material held at the Princeton University Library: Manuscripts Division. Unless otherwise noted, the materials described below are physically available in their reading room, and not digitally available through the web.

Overview and metadata sections

Çakmak was born in Istanbul, Turkey, in 1876 to a family rich in the tradition of military service. Beginning in 1899, he actively participated in the military actions in the Balkans, which included the Balkan Wars, World War I, and the War of Independence. Later Çakmak developed a career as a government official, first as part of the Ottoman Government and later the Turkish Republic. He held various positions which include Chief of the General Staff, Minister of War, Minister of National Defense, and Head of the Council of Ministers. Çakmak died on April 10, 1950. 1

Information collected from Nilüfer Hatemi, "Unfolding a Life: Marshal Fevzi Çakmak's Diaries" (Ph.D diss., Princeton University, 2000).

Consists of six diaries, a notebook, and a calendar that primarily document Çakmak's experiences and observances during his military career in Albania and the Balkans (1911-1921). Prominent in the diaries are entries about the Balkan Wars and World War I. Two small diaries cover the first several months of 1950 and include the final four entries made before Çakmak died.

The collection has been arranged by material type (diary, notebook, and calendar) and then chronologically.

Gift of Prof. Ahmet Sefik Cakmak in 2002 (2003-32).

For preservation reasons, original analog and digital media may not be read or played back in the reading room. Users may visually inspect physical media but may not remove it from its enclosure. All analog audiovisual media must be digitized to preservation-quality standards prior to use. Audiovisual digitization requests are processed by an approved third-party vendor. Please note, the transfer time required can be as little as several weeks to as long as several months and there may be financial costs associated with the process. Requests should be directed through the Ask Us Form.

This collection was processed by Karla J. Vecchia in 2002. Finding aid written by Karla J. Vecchia in 2002.

No appraisal information is available.

Publisher
Manuscripts Division
Finding Aid Author
Karla J. Vecchia
Finding Aid Date
2002
Access Restrictions

Collection is open for research use.

Use Restrictions

Single photocopies may be made for research purposes. No further photoduplication of copies of material in the collection can be made when Princeton University Library does not own the original. Inquiries regarding publishing material from the collection should be directed to RBSC Public Services staff through the Ask Us! form. The library has no information on the status of literary rights in the collection and researchers are responsible for determining any questions of copyright.

Collection Inventory

Diary, 1911 March 29 - 1913 July 23. 1 folder.
Scope and Contents

[Read from the front] Daily entries with information on Albania, the Balkans, and the Balkan Wars; includes 2 loose sheets

[Read upside down from the back] Notes, calculations, and drawings

Physical Description

1 folder

Diary, 1913 July 25-1915 August 14. 1 item.
Scope and Contents

Daily entries with information on the situation after the Balkan Wars, and the outbreak and fighting of World War I; notes; calculations; and tables; includes 1 loose sheet

Physical Description

1 item

Diary, 1915 August 14-1918 July 31. 1 item.
Scope and Contents

Daily entries with information about a major part of World War I; includes 2 postcards and a pencil

Physical Description

1 item

Diary, 1918 August 1-1921 December 31. 1 item.
Scope and Contents

Includes 4 loose sheets and 3 small cards

Physical Description

1 item

Diary, 1950 January 1-1950 March 24. 1 item.
Physical Description

1 item

Diary, 1950 March 23-1950 April 2. 1 item.
Scope and Contents

Last four diary entries before Çakmak's death

Physical Description

1 item

Notebook, 1915-1917. 1 item.
Scope and Contents

Calculations concerning military matters, copies of military orders, and sketches

Physical Description

1 item

Calendar: 1922, dates not examined. 1 item.
Scope and Contents

Title in Ottoman script: Takvim-i Milli, 1338

Notes, foreign vocabularies (English, French, German, etc.), calculations, and sketches

Physical Description

1 item

Print, Suggest