Investigates the Ottoman bureaucrats who resisted the ethnic cleansing in the Smyrna region in 1919-1923 Offers an unorthodox and challenging reinterpretation of the history of modern Turkey and the role of ethnic cleansing in its formation Based on seven years of research in archival and primary sources in four languages, in Istanbul, Ankara, Athens, London, Paris and Nantes Provides histories of key actors on both sides of the conflict, drawn from public records, memoirs and personal correspondence Includes four biographical case studies exemplifying the collaboration between Ottoman bureaucrats and the Greek administration in order to provide a holistic picture of politics at the time in the region The Greek landing in Smyrna in May 1919 is widely seen as the catalyst of the Turkish national struggle but even during the chaos of between 1919-1923, the diverse peoples of Asia Minor coexisted and created astonishing but fragile infra-national solutions. In sharp contrast to popular history, this book tells the often-overlooked story of cooperation and resistance in a province renowned for its rich and prosperous ethnic and religious diversity in the face of a larger geopolitical struggle. As such, this research demonstrates that even the most contested national conflicts can display a remarkable degree of capacity for coexistence at the local level, a capacity that is all too easily forgotten amid global conflicts today. This study is distinguished from other books by its extensive use of archival material and new interpretations of the discussions about the nation-building period in Turkey. The Greco-Turkish War of 1919-1922, which led to the expulsion of over a million people from Asia Minor, resulted in a bloodbath but also came to be an essential part of the heritage of national pride in Turkey, while the catastrophic experiences of the people who established close connections with the Greek administration had to be banished to oblivion. The historical and theoretical framework for this study is drawn from extensive research concentrated on three areas: political and social conditions in Ottoman Anatolia at the beginning of the twentieth century with particular emphasis on provincial governance, the Greek administration in the region and its administrative and social reforms, and the relationships of Ottoman civil servants and military officers with the Greek administration. The primary sources which form the backbone of the project were collected from several archives in Istanbul, Athens, London, Paris, and Nantes during seven years of research.