Militarisation of Youth in Early Republican Turkey: Preparation for Military Service Courses

Since the 19th century, modern states have commenced to implement policies aiming for militarization of the youth in order to prepare them for the warfare in parallel with the universal conscription and total warfare. one of these policies was offering military courses in civilian schools. in this study, similar policies will be discussed in the early years of the republic and the preparation for military service courses added to curriculum for the male students in middle school and high school in 1926 will be examined. these courses influenced by the state of mind and practices between the two world wars will be analyzed through the textbooks of the courses. especially, the praises of “national army” and the idea of “inevitability of wars”, emphasis on values about military such as obedience and discipline and the glorification of death, imaginations of millet-i müsellaha (nation in arms) within the context of “mobilization of the people” in the textbooks will be focused on. this study aims to contribute to the discussions such as the perception of the young republic about the youth and the militarist policies of youth and education in this period.