theHeimatlandperiodicalandadvocatedtofollowTurkey’sexample.Though,as
inhispreviouslettertotheReichsarchivonwartimeevents,Lossowstatedthat
theHeimatlandauthorshadnoclueaboutpostwarTurkey(eventhoughLossow
himselfhadleftIstanbulin1918).ThecircumstancesinTurkeywerequitediffer-
entfromthoseinGermanyandthesuccessofMustafaKemalwasnotreprodu-
cibleinthepoliticallydividedatmosphereinGermany.Lossowdidnotdistance
himselffromtheideaofdisposingoftheelectedGermangovernmentbyacoup
d’etat.However,thistaskneededmorepreparation.FortheBavarianReichswehr
commander,thenationalistgroupsassembledinMunichwereaminorityledby
incapablemen.Their‘revolution’wouldfailduetothelackofsupportfromout-
sidetheBavariancapital.Therefore,thenationalistmovementweretoputtheir
planstooverthrowtheBerlingovernmentonafirmnation-widefooting.By
usingtheexperiences fromtheTurkish nationalist movement,theyshould
alsogivetheleftistgroupsoftheGermansocietyanotherobjective“fortheir
mentalattitude.”¹⁶²Nevertheless,theBavarianReichswehrdidnotsupportthe
Hitlerputschandstayedintheirbarracks;onlythecadetsoftheMunichinfantry
schoolparticipatedintheuprising.Lossowwasfinallyforcedtoretireafterthe
Bavariangovernmentresignedon 18 February 1924 .Hewascriticizedinthesame
yearbyHansTröbstfortheBavarianReichswehr’swithdrawalofsupportforthe
nationalrevolutionatthiscrucialstage.¹⁶³However,evenTröbsthadsecond
thoughtsaboutanationalrenewalunderHitlerandinhismemoirsheprofessed
topreferaGeneralofthecaliberofErichLudendorff:
“WeGermansarenonationwhereyoucandorevolutionsoncommand;forthatwearetoo
clumsy.[...]IdonotconsiderHitleraleader[Führer]butawonderfulagitatorwhoknows
howtodeeplyincitethepeople.Hewillandhemustbethetrailblazerforanevenbigger
leader.”¹⁶⁴OttovonLossowclearlytransferredhisOttomanexperiencetotheGermanpolit-
icalsituation,justlikeHansTröbsthadusedhisTurkishimpressionsforhisar-
ticleseries.However,itisinappropriatetoratethe‘Ottoman/Turkishyearsofap-
prenticeship’ in the lifesof German officers as adecisive factor in their
ThememorandumfortheBavarianReichswehrandtheBavariangovernmentbyOttovon
Lossow,“HermitderAngora-Regierung!,”Undated,c.6November 1923 .BayHStAMA 194 3D.R.
Nr.4 73 .Quotedafter:ErnstDeuerlein,DerHitler-Putsch:BayerischeDokumentezum8./9.Novem-
ber 1923 (Stuttgart:DVA, 196 2),5 02 – 503.
Möllers,ReichswehrministerOttoGeßler 1998 ,2 39 – 244 ;Ihrig,AtatürkintheNaziImagina-
tion,9 8 – 100.
Tröbst,DieEreignisseinMünchen,n.p.
BetweentheFronts:AnkarainMunich 197