The Third Army was originally established in Skopje and later defended the northeastern provinces of the Ottoman Empire. Its initial headquarters was at Salonica, where it formed the core of the military forces that supported the Young Turk Revolution of 1908. Many of its officers who participated in the Revolution, including Enver Pasha and Mustafa Kemal Atatürk, rose to fame and power.
By 1911, the Army had been moved to Erzincan in northeastern Anatolia, and with the onset of World War I, it was moved to Erzurum. During the war, it fought against the Russian Caucasus Army, Armenian volunteer units and behind the lines dealt with the Armenian Resistance within its designated area. During this period, the Battle of Sarikamish, Battle of Koprukoy and the Battle of Erzurum were significant engagements. The army's headquarters was moved to Susehir (a town near Sivas) after the disastrous Battle of Erzurum, and by late 1916 the army lacked any offensive capability. After the Russian Revolution, the Russian Caucasus Army disintegrated.
Between 1917 and 1918 it advanced against forces of the Armenian national liberation movement established by Armenian Congress of Eastern Armenians which became the Armenian Army with the declaration of the Democratic Republic of Armenia. During this period, the Third Army engaged the Armenian forces at Sardarapat, Abaran, and Karakilisa.
Formations
Order of Battle, 1908
After the Young Turk Revolution and the establishment of the Second Constitutional Era on July 3, 1908, the new government initiated a major military reform. Army headquarters were modernized. Its operational area was Western Rumelia, and it had units in Europe (Albania, Kosovo, Macedonia) and Minor Asia (Aydın). It commanded the following active divisions: The Third Army also had inspectorate functions for twelve Redif (reserve) divisions:
Third Army
5th Infantry Division (Beşinci Fırka) 6th Infantry Division (Altıncı Fırka) 17th Infantry Division (On Yedinci Fırka) 18th Infantry Division (On Sekizinci Fırka) 3rd Cavalry Division (Üçüncü Süvari Fırkası) Fortress Artillery Battalion x 4 Redif divisions of the Third Army (name of the division denotes its location) 9th Monastir Reserve Infantry Division (Dokuzuncu Manastır Redif Fırkası) 10th Köprülü Reserve Infantry Division (Onuncu Köprülü Redif Fırkası) 11th Salonika Reserve Infantry Division (On Birinci Selânik Redif Fırkası) 12th Aydın Reserve Infantry Division (On İkinci Aydın Redif Fırkası) 28th Üsküp Reserve Infantry Division (Yirmi Sekizinci Üsküp Redif Fırkası) 29th Pirştine Reserve Infantry Division (Yirmi Dokuzuncu Pirştine Redif Fırkası) 30th Pirzerin Reserve Infantry Division (Otuzuncu Pirzerin Redif Fırkası) 31st Serez Reserve Infantry Division (Otuz Birinci Serez Redif Fırkası) 32nd Berat Reserve Infantry Division (Otuz İkinci Berat Redif Fırkası) 33rd Görüce Reserve Infantry Division (Otuz Üçüncü Görüce Redif Fırkası) 34th Debre-i Bala Reserve Infantry Division (Otuz Dördüncü Debre-i Bala Redif Fırkası) 54th Gevgili Reserve Infantry Division (Elli Dördüncü Gevgili Redif Fırkası)
Order of Battle, 1911
With further reorganizations of the Ottoman Army, to include the creation of corps level headquarters, by 1911 the Army was headquartered in Erzincan. The Army before the First Balkan War in 1911 was structured as such: