Memoirs, among the essential sources of societies' political, social, and cultural history, are also crucial for military history. Particularly victorious wars take a great place in the memories of societies. The historical events are told to serve as a guide for the future. Without a doubt; history is tangible proof for those who wrote about the events during World War I and who want to grasp the present through memories. The main conducive to strengthening the collective memory, namely the memories of the military struggle, also maintains the causal link. In addition to this, memoirs also have a quality that brings culture, ideology and identity together in the routine of daily life and is a tool to analyze the period.
Mustafa Kemal Atatürk fought on many fronts in the First World War, which led to radical changes in the social, economic, and political order. Atatürk's passion for writing, who regularly took note of his experiences in the fronts he served, was also witnessed in his headquarters in 1916 when he served as the 16th Corps Commander. On the front mentioned above, on the one hand, he planned operations to save Muş and Bitlis from occupation, and on the other hand, he wrote down the events that would be considered turning points in the destiny of the nation. Thus, the brightest phase of Mustafa Kemal Atatürk's military life was engraved in the social memory through memories among the essential documents of history.
The opus called "Atatürk's Diary" was embodied by the narration of Mustafa Kemal's aide, Şükrü Tezer. Tezer has witnessed his life and military struggle closely since he was appointed to Mustafa Kemal Pasha in Edirne on February 28, 1916. This work, signed by Şükrü Tezer, is enriched with memories from Mustafa Kemal Pasha's pen in the notebook with floral motifs and yellow stars on the leaf margins between November-December 1916.
In this article, Şükrü Tezer's Atatürk's Diary will be examined. This review will also shed light on the year 1916 of the First World War. In the notes she wrote on this front, Mustafa Kemal also referred to the books that enriched her world of thought. Pasha's notes reflect her passion for literature as well as her interest in historical subjects. Pasha's experiences at the front serve as a guide to understand him. The useful information it provides for the Turkish nation is a light in every step taken to enlighten the future and reach the level of contemporary civilizations. These notes, written by Mustafa Kemal Pasha, on this front where he was assigned, also formed the basic principles for his nation in order to analyze the course of the period. These notes, written by Mustafa Kemal Pasha, on this front where he was assigned, also formed the basic principles for his nation in order to analyze the course of the period. This intellectual accumulation of Pasha not only gives ideas to the reader on many social, cultural, military and political issues through the notes in question, but also strengthens the consciousness and feeling of Turkishness. In the planning and implementation of the military operation, Mustafa Kemal Pasha's love for his duty, combined with his passion for recording the events, is no doubt that this work will give determination and confidence to future generations.
