Today in 1920s Turkey: 2 August 1923 (Peace Cannons)

(Cover page by Ahmet Münif Bey, Kelebek or “Butterfly,” 2 August 1923, no. 17, page 1.)

Türkçe
— Paşam, yüz bir pare sulh topunu attık. Artık ıstrahat edelim mi?
— Evet fakat her ihtimale karşı topları tekrar doldurduktan sonra!

English
— General, we have shot one hundred peace (cannon) rounds. Shall we rest now?
— Yes, but after you load the cannon once more, just in case!

Comments:
This cartoon was published in Istanbul on 2 August 1923, on the cover of the weekly journal, Kelebek (“Butterfly”). Commemorating the signing of the Treaty of Lausanne a week earlier on 24 July 1923, the cartoon betrays a cautious approach to digesting the recent news that peace has finally and officially been achieved. Signed by the Turkish Grand National Assembly Government and Allies, this peace treaty marked the definite end of the Turkish War of Independence (1919-1923). The nationalist war was led by Mustafa Kemal (later, Atatürk) against invading Allied forces who had partitioned the waning Ottoman Empire’s remaining territories in the aftermath of the Axis powers' loss in World War I (1914-1918).

The imagery and language of this cartoon concur that the signing of international agreements is no guarantor of a war’s conclusion. The cartoon, which spans the entirety of the page, is comprised of two men and a large field cannon betwixt them. The man on the left, a soldier, stands at attention and faces the higher-ranked officer on the right. The officer on the right is the leader of the War of Independence, Mustafa Kemal Pasha—referred to in the text only as Pasham or “My General.” Both the Pasha, with his right arm on his hip, and the cannon face forward as if challenging the world or even the veracity of the treatise. The cartoon stresses national security and adopts a cautiously defensive opinion about the arrival of peace. Here, Mustafa Kemal’s confrontational pose is paired with his directive to load the cannon once more. The cartoon's message may constitute a response to persisting concerns regarding national defense and security. This cartoon may also present a broader claim regarding the challenges that lay ahead in the aftermath of the war (i.e. nation-building).

This article has been updated and modified from its first iteration published right here on Steemit on 2 August 2016. For the original version see:
1. Today in 1920s Turkey: 2 August 1923 (Peace Cannons)

(Cover page by Ahmet Münif Bey, Kelebek or “Butterfly,” 2 August 1923, no. 17, page 1.)