themilitarygainedinfluenceontheOttomancivilgovernment.Inthesameyear,
asanewcivilianinitiativetheTurkishPowerAssociation(TürkGüçDerneği,TGD)
hadbeenfoundedbythenationalistTurkishHearths(TürkOcakları)associa-
tion.⁵⁵Consequently, alsotheOttomanBoyScoutsinthecapitalstartedto
focusmoreonparamilitarytrainingbytheemploymentoftheBelgiancitizen
HaroldParfitt.HesupportedtheOttomaneffortsinscoutingbetweenspring
andSeptember 191 4.ButParfittsintentionswereclearsinceforhimtheOttoman
BoyScoutswere“aschoolwhichpreparesboysasdevotedslavestothearmy.”⁵⁶
Themaindifficultyoforganizingtheyouthmovementwastheinadequate
Ottomanschoolsystem.Outsideoftheurbancenters,mostofthechildrendid
notevenreceiveprimaryeducation.Thisledtoanaverageanalphabetrateof
morethan 90 percent.⁵⁷IntheeyesofColmarvonderGoltz,thesechallenges
weretobeovercome.⁵⁸InareportwrittenduringhisstayinConstantinoplein
1910 ,GoltzunderlinedthattheOttomanstateshouldnotsimplycopyWestern
modelsofyouthorganizationsandeducation.Intermsoftheeducationof
youthinamilitaryspirit,firstofalltheteachershadtobepreparedbetterfor
theirprofession.Retiredofficersshouldalsobehiredasassistantteachers.In
Goltz’sview,themaintaskwasto“inspireapatrioticandsoldierlyspiritin
theyouth,tofillitwithjoyforthegloryandmagnitudeofTurkeyandtogive
itahealthyphysicaleducationthatpreparesitforamilitaryprofession.”⁵⁹
SelimSırrı,aformerofficerandinspectorofphysicaleducationintheOttoman
ministryofeducationsince 1911 hadalreadystartedtoworkinthisfield.Inthe
lastyearofhismilitarycareer,inanarticleforthemilitaryjournalAsker,hepro-
posedtostrengthensportsinOttomansociety.SelimSırrıwaskeenonrevivethe
oldEuropeansaying“strongasaTurk”,mostlikelytocounterthepejorativeEu-
rocentricviewofthe‘sickmanofEurope’.⁶⁰
veToplum8( 20 09), 55 .SeealsoBeşikçi,TheOttomanMobilizationofManpower,2 03 – 24 5;Ateş,
AskerEvlatlarYetiştirmek.
FüsunÜstel,İmparatorluktanUlus-DevleteTürkMilliyetçiliği:TürkOcakları,1 912 – 1931 [Turk-
ishNationalismfromEmpiretoNation-State:TheTurkishHearths,1 912 – 19 31](Istanbul:İleti-
şim, 199 7), 64.
QuotedafterAkmeşe,TheBirthofModernTurkey,170.
Cf.theestimatedaveragenumbersinFrançoisGeorgeon,“LireetÉcrireàlaFindel’Empire
Ottoman:QuelquesRemarquesIntroductives,”RevueduMondeMusulmanetdelaMéditerranée
75 – 1( 1995 ), 17 1.
RegardingtheGermanroleinthemodernizationoftheOttomaneducationalsystem,Goltz
sidedwithcontemporaryGermanOrientalists.Cf.Becker,DastürkischeBildungsproblem,27.
BA-MAN7 37 /V.10, 57.
“Türkgibikuvvetli”;SelimSırrı:“HayatHarekettir!”[LifeisMovement!],Asker,11July1 32 4/
1908,198.
TheOttomanYouthMovementbeforetheDeploymentofHoff, 1910 – 1916 115