The Ottoman Empire officially fell with the abolition of the Ottoman Sultanate on November 1, 1922. This marked the end of the empire that had lasted for over six centuries. The last Ottoman Sultan, Mehmed VI, left the country on November 17, 1922. Subsequently, the Republic of Turkey was established in 1923 under the leadership of Mustafa Kemal Atatürk. The Caliphate, a religious institution linked to the Ottoman dynasty, was abolished later on March 3, 1924. The fall of the empire followed its defeat in World War I and the subsequent partitioning of its territories under treaties such as the Treaty of Sèvres. The Turkish War of Independence played a crucial role in finally ending Ottoman rule and establishing the modern Turkish state.