This paper aims to investigate the professional military education system during the Turkish war of Independence and its legacy on the postwar Turkish Armed Forces. First of all, the existing peacetime Ottoman professional military education system and then the system introduced during the First World War are briefly discussed. Secondly the foundation of a new officer training corps in Ankara is examined putting emphasis on continuity and change. Thirdly the combat effectiveness of the graduates, feedback and criticism coming from the units and the reaction of the training corps are provided. The main theme of this paper is although the experience of the PME during the Independence War was brief interlude within the well-established Ottoman tradition why it had far reaching results on the Turkish higher military educational institutions. While investigating these issues cultural and social factors behind them in terms of individual and social level are also covered.