A New Perspective to the Issue of Hasan Tahsin and “The First Bullet” through Documents

Abstract

The thesis that Hasan Tahsin initiated the national struggle by being the first to open fire was later added to historical narrative. The narrative about "Hasan Tahsin" and "the first bullet" can't be found in the primary sources about the history of national struggle, notably in Nutuk. With a critical approach, this study aims to re-examine the thesis that Hasan Tahsin initiated the national struggle by being the first to open fire. In accordance with the historical methods, primary sources were first reviewed. As a matter of fact, a large number of documents were found in the Ottoman archives.Then, foreign archive documents related to the subject were revised, and finally the news in the Turkish press at that time were also investigated. Since eyewitness reports cover an extensive literature, it was considered a separate article subject and was left out of the study.