propagatedtheGermanrolemodelinpersonalcontactswiththeOttomanstaff
officers.StrempelsoonrealizedthatGermanyhadtofindakindofemotional
connection,sincethereformworkoftheGermanofficersafterthemilitarymis-
sionunderColmarvonderGoltzhadalsocreateddiscordintheOttomanarmy.
ParadingGermansoldiersalwaysleftanimpressiononeveryOttomanmilitary
visitortoGermany,likeontheothersidetheGermanofficersinOttomanservice
wereattiredintheregularFridayprayerparadesoftheSultan’slifeguard.¹⁸
StrempelwasofasimilarmindandhadtheideaofinvitingOttomanofficers
toBerlinfortheparadeinautumn 1910 .Strempelremarked:
“Thehoursundertheparadepoplarwouldmeanaroad-to-Damascusexperienceforsome
oftheOttomanofficers![...]Thebitterpillformanyofficersofdoingnow,forthefirsttime
intheirlife,systematicserviceduetotheirGermaninstructorscouldbecomegolden-col-
oredbytheimpressionsinGermany.”¹⁹HereStrempelmadeuseoftheapostlePaulus’sconversionstory.Thelatterhad
beenthepaganSaulusbeforeandhadbeenproselytizedbyhisencounterwith
theresurrectedJesusonhiswaytoDamascus.²⁰However,Strempeldidnotrefer
tothevoiceoftheMessiah,buttotheblaringPrussianmarchingmusicandthe
synchronicgoosestepofthousandsofsoldiers,whichweretoassistinthecon-
versionofthereluctantOttomanofficersintofieryGermanophiles.Strempelpro-
posedtomakeuseofColmarvonderGoltz’prestige.Goltz,theveteranofthe
Ottoman-Germanmilitaryrelations,shouldinvitetheOttomanofficersforthe
parade.InordertolureintheOttomanguests,theGermanstatewastocover
railwayexpenseswithinGermanborders.²¹Strempel’sproposalwaseventually
acceptedandanOttomandelegationofseveralofficerswatchedthe 1910 parade
whichconcludedtheautumnmanoeuvres.
Strempelhadcalculatedcorrectly.On 28 August 1910 ,Enver,theOttoman
militaryattachéinGermany,describedhisDamasceneexperienceundertheʻpa-
radepoplar’closetoKönigsberg:“YesterdayIwatcheda33, 000 menstrongGer-
KarlAulernotedthefollowingontheSelamlıkparadesin 1910 :“Thedeploymentofthe
troopsneverfailedtohaveaneffectontheGermanfellowsoldiers,andthemilitaryeyesrejoiced
inthesplendidhumanmaterialwhichevenisnotchosenfortheguard’scorpsinConstantino-
pleespecially.”“DieTürkischeArmee,”undated,HStASM660/0 51 Heft5,1.
Militär-BerichtNr.2 87 ,dated28May 1910 :3,AA-PAR1 3360.
TheBible,ActsoftheApostles,Chapter9.
Militär-BerichtNr.2 87 ,dated28May 1910 ,AA-PAR1 3360 ,4.
32 2ThePeakofKnowledgeTransfer