The \'German Spirit\' in the Ottoman and Turkish Army, 1908-1938. A History of Military Knowledge Transfer - Gerhard Grüßhaber

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hisenemy,LimanvonSanders,werenotacceptedbytheeditorialboardand
wereleftunused.⁸³
Leavingoutcriticalcommentsfromthevolumewasonechallengeforthe
editorsandtheunexpectedcriticismbyTurkishreadersanotherone.Priorto
thevolumeonlandwarfare,theNavyArchivesvolumeonthenavalOttoman
campaignshadbeenpublished.⁸⁴TheTurkishtranslationofthisbookledto
anoutcryintheciviliannewspaperCumhuriyet,causedbycriticalandoftenper-
sonalremarksonthewartimestateofthepersonneloftheOttomannavybyAd-
miralWilhelmSouchon.InthewordsofaTurkishreviewer,derogativeremarks
regardingthe‘unqualified’Ottomannavyofficers,were“deliberateandpolitical
liesbyAdmiralSouchon.”⁸⁵Therespectiveaccusationshadbeenusedun-
checkedbyAdmiralLorey,theeditor ofthevolume. Souchonhimselfwas
evenaccusedofnotbeingseaworthy,likemostofhisGermannavalreserveof-
ficers,sinceaccordingtotheTurkishreviewer,theGermanAdmiralhimselfhad
evenvomitedonceaboardanOttomanshipduringrelativelycalmseas.TheGer-
manembassycouldpreventfurthercriticismofthebookandurgedtheReich-
sarchivtobecarefulinfurthervolumeswhendealingwiththeOttomanarmy
andnavy.AccordingtoambassadorNadolny,even“GermanmindedTurks[...]
nolongersilentlyacquiesce[withsuchcriticism].”⁸⁶
Mühlmann’sdepictionofthebattleforthestraitsin1 915 avoidedLorey’smis-
takes.CarlMühlmannhadpreparedhisstudycarefullybyusingtheaforemen-
tionedquestionnairesandrefrainedfromexcessivelycriticizingOttomanmilitary
leaders.⁸⁷Priortoitspublication,theReichsarchivhadsensedthatthisstudy
wouldreceivethebroadestinterestamongTurkishveteransandthegeneralread-
ership.⁸⁸Thereafter,Mühlmann’sbookbecameastandardworkinGermanyand
Turkey.ItwasevenusedtoproveallegedmistakesinLimanvonSander’sstrategy


ThefirstphotographinthemonographontheDardanellescampaignshowedLimanvon
Sanderswithhishandwrittenmotto“Theonealwayshavingreservationswillneverreachthe
pathtoaction!”Mühlmann,KampfumdieDardanellen,table1.Accordinglytherewasonlymod-
erateandhiddencriticismofLiman’sspecialcharacter,cf.ibid. 16 2.
HermannLorey,DerKriegindentürkischenGewässern,vol.1:DieMittelmeer-Division(Berlin:
Mittler,1 92 7).Volumetwoofthismonograph,DerKampfumdieMeerengen,waseventuallypub-
lishedin 19 38.TheGermannavyhadestablisheditsownarchives(Marinearchiv),independent
fromtheReichsarchiv.
NadolnytotheGermanForeignMinistry, 10 August 1928 .AA-PAR7 8576 ,3.
NadolnytotheGermanForeignMinistry, 10 August 1928 .AA-PAR7 8576 ,2.
SeetheexertedfriendlycommentinMühlmann,KampfumdieDardanellen,81.
Itwasimmediatelytranslatedintheyearofitspublication;see[Carl]Mühlmann,Çanakkale
Muharebesi.[TheBattleofÇanakkale]trans.ColonelHalilKemal(Istanbul:AskeriMatbaa, 1927 ).
AsecondtranslationinLatinscriptfollowedin 1933.


Ina‘StormofPaper’II:AnswerstotheReichsarchivQuestionnaire 179
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