Women, war and the foundations of the Turkish Republic: the vision of New Womanhood in Halide Edib Adıvar’s The Shirt of Flame (1922)

The First World War dealt a mortal blow to the Ottoman Empire, which after more than six centuries of rule across the Middle East and South-East Europe, had become known as the “sick man of Europe”. Following the war, the Empire was dismantled and partitioned by the victorious occupying forces, leading to a profound reshaping of the political contours of the region – including, ultimately, the foundation of the Turkish Republic following the Turkish Independence War (1919-1923). One of the under-explored stories of this period of dramatic change in Turkish society is the role of women – and the various advances, sacrifices and transformations that they experienced.