General and president of Turkey. He successfully defended Gallipoli against a British and Australian assault force during World War I, one of the pivotal battles of world history, in that Turkish failure might have ended the Great War or at least resupplied the Russians and thus prevented the Bolshevik revolution. Later he saved Turkey from invading Greek armies and subsequently westernized and secularized Turkey by decree and force. Overnight Turks had to learn and adopt a new Western alphabet and dress and accept the emancipation of women and much else, but the reforms succeeded, and Ataturk died a revered figure. Today Turkey largely follows Ataturk's political and cultural blueprint, but the idea of westernization and secularization still remains controversial.