JungdeutschlandintheOttomanLands:HeinrichvonHoff,
1916 – 1917
HeinrichvonHoffhadservedoneyearasabattalioncommanderontheWestern
front.BeingusedtobackofficeworkintheWürttembergministryofwar,his
healthwasaffectedbyalifeinthetrenches,resultinginacardiacdisease.He
becameunfitforfrontserviceandwaspostedbacktoStuttgart.⁶⁶Atthistime,
theOttomanministryofwarrequestedaGermanspecialistforthereorganization
ofOsmanlıGüçDerneği.
Notonlyqualifiedthroughhispublicationsbutalsoimmediatelyavailable,
HoffwaspostedtotheOttomanarmy.⁶⁷GoltzwishedHoffthathewould“findas
athome,alsoherethebestwaystosowanucleusforastalwartseedforthefu-
ture.”Goltzalsoexpressedhis“doubtsaboutafastandpleasantsuccess;you
willneedalotofpatience.”⁶⁸ForGoltz,thereorganizationandmodernization
oftheOttomanstatewasalong-termprojectofthemilitaryandciviliansphere
alike.ButHoffwhohadnoexperienceservingabroad,letaloneanyknowledge
ofthespecialOttomanwartimeconditions,seemednottohavebeenfullyaware
ofthistime-consumingwork.Hoff’sposturewaskeptasecretforalongtime.
Hisnamewasneithermentionedinthe 1940 listofGermanofficerswhohad
servedintheOttomanandTurkisharmy,norinthewartimeBritishhandbook
ontheOttomanarmy.⁶⁹
AfterHoffsarrivalintheOttomancapitalon 17 April 1916 ,inreplacementof
OsmanlıGüçDerneği,theOttomanYouthAssociation(OsmanlıGençDernekleri,
OGD)wasfounded.Hoffwasreceivedon2February 1916 bytheOttomanSultan
MehmedVReşadtogetherwiththeConstantinoplerepresentativeforthehouse
ofWürttemberg,KarlvonUrach.⁷⁰UrachintroducedHoff“asaliaisonofficer,
highlyestimatedbyField marshalvonderGoltzandsuccessfullyentrusted
Hoff’spersonalfile,HStASM4 30 Bü 89 3:n.p.
ThiswasnotthefirsttimethatGoltzrecommendedHoff.Inmid-July1 91 4Goltzhadrequest-
edHofffortheprojectedJungdeutschlandassociation’spressboardinBerlin.However,dueto
thewar,thoseplansbecameobsoletetwoweekslater.GoltztotheWürttembergMinisterof
WarMarchthaler,16July1 91 4.HStAStgtM1/3Bü 54 ,1 1 – 12.
LetterGoltztoHoff,8March 1916 .HStASM6 60 /1 15 Nr.35.
Anonymous,DeutscheOffiziereinderTürkei,(N.p., 194 1).TheBritishHandbookwasnotup
todateandstilllistedHaroldParfittastheheadoftheOttomanYouthorganization; 1916 Hand-
bookoftheTurkishArmy,ed.BritishGeneralStaff(London:ImperialWarMuseum,1996), 12 0.
BOAİ.MBH.Do 19 Gö 43.
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