Itwaspublishedatatime,whentheTurkisharmyhadalreadybeguntopro-
ducesuchinstructionmanualsforpotentialcombatsituations,includingthe
correctbehaviorofsoldiersduringbreaksandrestperiods.²⁷⁷Turkishauthors
couldincludespecificactsofmisconductthatweremorecommonamongthe
TurkishforcesthanintheGermanarmy.Oneexamplewastheordernotto
leavebehindanywaste,sinceinIraqduringWorldWarOne,theBritishcavalry
hadbeenabletofindOttomaninfantryunitsbyfollowingthetrailofgarbage
theyleftbehindthem.²⁷⁸
TheTurkishArtilleryandCavalryinanAgeofRapid
AdvancesinMilitaryTechnology
TheTurkisharmyhadalsoevaluatedFrenchwartimeexperiences.Afterthede-
fenseexperienceinthelastphaseofWorldWarOneandthewarwithGreece,
theFrenchviewwasmoreappealing.Inthe 1920 s,severaldozenTurkishofficers
weresenttoFranceforadvancedmilitaryeducationorshortinternships,in
ordertocounterthestrongsympathizersofGermanmilitarythought.Thereport
ofartillerycaptainİsmailcontainedadetailedaccountofthebattleofVerdun,
includingthebloodyfightforthefortressesbetweenFrenchandGermantroops.
Thereportcapturedthedestructivepotentialofmodernordnance.²⁷⁹Thebattle
remainedasourceofinspirationforthewaylargeartilleryoperationswerecon-
ductedintheTurkishartillerycorps.²⁸⁰TheTurkishmilitaryleadershipdrew
otherlessonsfromthisstalematethantheFrenchgovernment.AMaginotline
wasnotfeasibleduetothelimitedTurkishbudget.Inaddition,theTurkishpres-
identhimselfwasnotconvincedaboutthiskindofwarfare:
“LetmeinsistthatIdon’tbelieveinthebenefitsofsuchaline.[...]Aforcethatisplaced
likemolesundertheearth,inbetontubesorinarmoredtowers,mustcountasaforcethat
isdeprivedfromwarbeforehand.Idonotknowwhatelseotherthandefeatinwarcanbe
wonbyannihilatingone’sownmaneuverability.”²⁸¹Bedevi,“MolalardaEr”[TheSoldierduringBreaks],PM 11 – 97 (1936), 52 – 55.
Bedevi,“MolalardaEr,” 53.
İsmail,“Fransa’daTopçuYüzbaşıİsmailEfendi’ninRaporları”[ReportsofArtilleryCaptain
İsmailEfendiinFrance],inAvrupa’daTahsildeBulunanZabitlerinRaporları,ed.T.C.Erkân-ıHar-
biyeUmmumiyeRiyaseti.Vol. 14 (Ankara:Erkân-ıHarbiyeUmmumiyeMatbaası,1 92 8), 158 – 16 1.
KemalKocer,“YüksekTopçuOkulu:Verdün”[Verdun:AnAcademyfortheArtillery],TM
17 – 105 (1937), 32 – 45.
Undatedstatement;quotedafterKaral,Atatürk’tenDüşünceler,1 14.
224 4German-TurkishMilitaryCooperationafter 1918