The last sultan of the Ottoman Empire was Mehmed VI, who reigned from 1918 to 1922. His rule came during a tumultuous period marked by World War I and the subsequent dissolution of the empire following the war. Mehmed VI attempted to navigate the challenges posed by nationalist movements and Western powers but ultimately had limited influence over the empire's fate. In 1922, the Turkish Grand National Assembly abolished the sultanate, leading to the establishment of the Republic of Turkey under Mustafa Kemal Atatürk, marking the end of centuries of Ottoman rule.