Iraq Area Command (Ottoman Empire)

Iraq Area Command
Irak ve Havalisi Genel Komutanlığı
Iraq Area Command; Irak ve Havalisi Genel Komutanlığı
Active	August 26, 1914 – April 19, 1916
Country	Ottoman Empire
Type	Corps-Army
Garrison/HQ	Basra, Baghdad
Patron	Sultans of the Ottoman Empire
Engagements	Mesopotamian campaign; Fao Landing; Battle of Basra; Battle of Qurna; Battle of Es Sinn; Battle of Ctesiphon; Siege of Kut; Sheikh Sa'ad; Battle of Wadi; Battle of Hanna; Battle of Dujaila
Commanders
Notable; commanders	Cavit Pasha (August 26, 1914 – January 20, 1915; Kaymakam Süleyman Askerî Bey (December 20, 1914/January 20, 1915 – April 14, 1915); Miralay Nureddin Bey (April 20, 1915 – January 10, 1916); Miralay Halil Bey (January 10 – April 19, 1916)

The Iraq Area Command or Iraq Regional Command of the Ottoman Empire (Turkish: Irak ve Havalisi Genel Komutanlığı) was one of the military formation of the Ottoman Army. It was formed in Iraq in the initial stage of World War I.

Formations

Order of Battle, November 1914

In November 1914, the corps was structured as follows:^[6]

Iraq Area Command (Commander: Cavit Pasha)
- 38th Division

Order of Battle, January 1915

In January 1918, the corps was structured as follows:^[4]

Iraq Area Command (Commander: Kaymakam Süleyman Askerî Bey)
- 38th Division
- Sahrıca Detachment (Provisional Dicle Division since January 25, 1915)
- Kerha Group
- Fırat Group

Because Süleyman Askerî Bey committed suicide on April 14, 1915, Nureddin Bey was appointed the commander on April 20. Nureddin Bey arrived in June to take command of the Iraq Area Command and he was appointed the Governor of Basra Province and Baghdad Province at the same time.^[5] On December 21, 1915, German Generalfeldmarschall Colmar von der Goltz arrived at Baghdad and changed the name of the Command as the Iraq Army (Irak Ordusu).^[2]

Order of Battle, Late 1915

In late 1915, the corps was structured as follows:^[7]

Iraq Area Command (Commander: Miralay Nureddin Bey)
- XIII Corps
  - 35th Division, 38th Division
- XVIII Corps (Commander: Miralay Halil Bey)
  - 45th Division, 51st Division

Sources

^ ^a ^b Birinci Dünya Harbi'nde Türk Harbi: Irak-İran Cephesi, 1914–1918, Vol. III, Part I, Genelkurmay Basım Evi, 1979, p. 42. (in Turkish)
^ ^a ^b ^c ^d Orhan Avcı, Irak'ta Türk ordusu (1914–1918), Vadi Yayınları, 2004, ISBN 978-975-6768-51-8, p. 30. (in Turkish)
^ ^a ^b Emin Demirel, Teşkilat-ı Mahsusa'dan Günümüze Gizli Servisler, IQ Kültür Sanat, 2002, p. 180. (in Turkish)
^ ^a ^b Orhan Avcı, Irak'ta Türk Ordusu (1914–1918), Vadi Yayınları, 2004, ISBN 975-6768-51-7, p. 28. (in Turkish)
^ ^a ^b T.C. Genelkurmay Harp Tarihi Başkanlığı Yayınları, Türk İstiklâl Harbine Katılan Tümen ve Daha Üst Kademelerdeki Komutanların Biyografileri, Genelkurmay Basım Evi, 1972, p. 32. (in Turkish)
^ Edward J. Erickson, Order to Die: A History of the Ottoman Army in the First World War, Greenwood Press, 2001, ISBN 0-313-31516-7, p. 43.
^ Orhan Avcı, Irak'ta Türk Ordusu (1914–1918), Vadi Yayınları, 2004, ISBN 975-6768-51-7, p. 29. (in Turkish)

[Harbi-1] Birinci Dünya Harbi'nde Türk Harbi: Irak-İran Cephesi, 1914–1918, Vol. III, Part I, Genelkurmay Basım Evi, 1979, p. 42. (in Turkish)

[Orhan30-2] Orhan Avcı, Irak'ta Türk ordusu (1914–1918), Vadi Yayınları, 2004, ISBN 978-975-6768-51-8, p. 30. (in Turkish)

[Demirel-3] Emin Demirel, Teşkilat-ı Mahsusa'dan Günümüze Gizli Servisler, IQ Kültür Sanat, 2002, p. 180. (in Turkish)

[Orhan28-4] Orhan Avcı, Irak'ta Türk Ordusu (1914–1918), Vadi Yayınları, 2004, ISBN 975-6768-51-7, p. 28. (in Turkish)

[Genelkurmay32-5] T.C. Genelkurmay Harp Tarihi Başkanlığı Yayınları, Türk İstiklâl Harbine Katılan Tümen ve Daha Üst Kademelerdeki Komutanların Biyografileri, Genelkurmay Basım Evi, 1972, p. 32. (in Turkish)

[Erickson43-6] Edward J. Erickson, Order to Die: A History of the Ottoman Army in the First World War, Greenwood Press, 2001, ISBN 0-313-31516-7, p. 43.

[Orhan29-7] Orhan Avcı, Irak'ta Türk Ordusu (1914–1918), Vadi Yayınları, 2004, ISBN 975-6768-51-7, p. 29. (in Turkish)

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v t e Ottoman Forces during World War I
Army groups	Yildirim Caucasus Eastern
Armies	1st 2nd 3rd 4th 5th 6th 7th 8th 9th
Corps	I II III IV V VI VII VIII IX X XI XII XIII XIV XV XVI XVII XVIII XIX XX XXI XXII XXV Iraq Area Halil I Caucasian II Caucasian Hejaz
Fortified areas	Dardanelles Bosphorus Chataldja Adrianople Smyrna Erzurum Kars
Infantry divisions	1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40 41 42 43 44 45 46 47 48 49 50 51 52 53 54 55 56 57 58 59 60 61 1 Caucasian 2 Caucasian 3 Caucasian 5 Caucasian 9 Caucasian 10 Caucasian 11 Caucasian 36 Caucasian 37 Caucasian
Other divisions	1 Cavalry 2 Cavalry 3 Cavalry Van Gendarmerie
Others	1st Expeditionary Force 5th Expeditionary Force German Asia Corps Africa Hejaz Expeditionary Force 1st Provisional Force 2nd Provisional Force Islamic Army of the Caucasus 57 Rgt. 177 Rgt.

Iraq Area Command Irak ve Havalisi Genel Komutanlığı
Active	August 26, 1914^[1] – April 19, 1916^[2]
Country	Ottoman Empire
Type	Corps-Army
Garrison/HQ	Basra, Baghdad
Patron	Sultans of the Ottoman Empire
Engagements	Mesopotamian campaign Fao Landing Battle of Basra Battle of Qurna Battle of Es Sinn Battle of Ctesiphon Siege of Kut Sheikh Sa'ad Battle of Wadi Battle of Hanna Battle of Dujaila
Commanders
Notable commanders	Cavit Pasha (August 26, 1914^[1] – January 20, 1915^[3] Kaymakam Süleyman Askerî Bey (December 20, 1914^[4]/January 20, 1915^[3] – April 14, 1915) Miralay Nureddin Bey (April 20, 1915^[5] – January 10, 1916^[2]) Miralay Halil Bey (January 10 – April 19, 1916^[2])