[MIDDLE EAST / ARMISTICE & OCCUPATION PERIOD OF ISTANBUL] Original two gelatin silver photographs of Italian soldiers in Istanbul during the occupation of Constantinople

Constantinople (Istanbul), 1922.

Original two gelatin silver photos. 9x14,5 cm and 8x13 cm. Captioned in Italian. Restored tears on one photo, otherwise good prints.

Rare two photographic images of Italian colonels with their uniforms, medals and women in Istanbul during the occupation of Constantinople (or Armistice Period, 1918-1923) in 1922.

1. Revista statuto, 1922, Constantinopoli. [i.e. Statute review, 1922, Constantinople]. 2. Corne d'Oro, 7 Mars 1922. [i.e. The Golden Horn, March 7, 1922]: Commissione di guchiesta nelle fabbriche. Nazionale ottomane. [i.e. Commission of inquiry in national Ottoman factories], captioned names: "Col. Abraham, Col. Tenperlas, Col. Twidale(?), (?)".

The occupation of Constantinople (November 13, 1918 - October 4, 1923) the capital of the Ottoman Empire, by British, French, Italian, and Greek forces, took place in accordance with the Armistice of Mudros, which ended Ottoman participation in the First World War. The first French troops entered the city on November 12, 1918, followed by British troops the next day. The Italian troops landed in Galata on February 7, 1919.

Allied troops occupied zones based on the sections of Constantinople (now Istanbul) and set up an Allied military administration early in December 1918. The occupation had two stages: the initial phase in accordance with the Armistice gave way in 1920 to a more formal arrangement under the Treaty of Sèvres. Ultimately, the Treaty of Lausanne, signed on 24 July 1923, led to the end of the occupation. The last troops of the Allies departed from the city on 4 October 1923, and the first troops of the Ankara government, commanded by Şükrü Naili Pasha (3rd Corps), entered the city with a ceremony on 6 October 1923, which has been marked as the Liberation Day of Constantinople and is commemorated every year on its anniversary.

1918 saw the first time the city had changed hands since the Fall of Constantinople in 1453. Along with the Occupation of Smyrna, it spurred the establishment of the Turkish National Movement, leading to the Turkish War of Independence. (Wikipedia).