BİR REDİF ALAYININ SEFERBERLİK DENEYİMİ: 1897 OSMANLI-YUNAN SAVAŞI’NDA 45. ALAY
THE MOBILIZATION EXPERIENCE OF A REDİF REGIMENT: THE 45TH REGIMENT IN THE 1897 OTTOMAN-GREEK WAR

Summary/Abstract: The Greco-Ottoman War of 1897 represents a significant turning point that vividly reflects the Ottoman Empire’s military, political, and social transformation. Regarded as the last victory of the Ottoman army, this war witnessed the joint mobilization of both regular (nizamiye) and reserve (redif) forces. Among the units participating in the campaign was the 45th Redif Regiment, based in İzmir. This study examines, through archival documents, the regiment’s mobilization process, the logistical and recruitment challenges it encountered, the disruptions in troop deployment, and the delays in its arrival at the front. The experience of the regiment not only illustrates the wartime performance of a single military unit but also reveals the structural strengths and weaknesses of the redif organization. In this context, the case of the 45th Redif Regiment provides valuable insight into the level of Ottoman military modernization achieved by the late nineteenth century.

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