Wehavetowork[since]everydayandnightawar,acatastrophecanhappen.”⁵⁵
Theseweretoprovepropheticwords.
ButGoltzalsotriedtopersuadetheofficersofOttomanGeneralStaffwith
reasonableargumentstoimplementaspectsofthe‘GermanSpiritʼin their
dailyroutine.Here,hebenefitedfromhispleasant,grandfatherlyappearance.
GoltztookpartinthemeetingsoftheOttomanmilitarycouncil.⁵⁶Inoneof
thesegatherings,theOttomanministerofwarwascalledout.Goltzusedthisop-
portunityandhisstandingwiththeassembledeliteoftheOttomanmilitarylead-
ershiptopointtoanimminentproblemwiththeworkingmoraleinthewarmin-
istry.WhenGoltz’spleatoremovetheOttomancapital⁵⁷failed,herephrasedhis
ideainamorediplomaticway:
“GoltzPasha[said]:ʻMovetheOttomancapitalfromIstanbultoAnatolia,toKonya,forex-
ample,sinceIstanbulisnotaplaceofworkandsufficientactivity.Naturewantedtoestab-
lishparadiseonearthandchoseIstanbul.ʼInthismoment,aservantenteredandtold
[General]NazımPasha(thelaterministerofwarandsupremecommanderintheBalkan
Wars):ʻSomebodycameandwantstoseeyouʼandNazımleftthemeeting.GoltzPashapro-
ceeded:‘Ofcourseyouwanttolivethisparadisiacallife.ThisBosphorus,thisÇamlıca
[hill],those[Prince]Islands,theyincreaseone’spleasure.Yourhousesareinoneofthecor-
nersofthisparadise.Youcometotheofficeandyoubarelyworkuntilnoon.Yourcoffeeis
delicious,yourcigarettesareexcellent.Sinceyouhadalongwayofcourseyouwillhavea
coffeeandacigarette.Meanwhileguestsstarttomaketheirvisits.Youaretheworld’skind-
est,mostfriendlyandhospitablepeople.Ofcourseyouwillwelcomeyourguestsandoffer
something.Coffee,cigarettes,pleasantchats,andthenyoulook-thesteamboatdeparture
timehascome!Inbetweenoneortwopapers,maybesigned[byyou]withoutreading
them,youariseandleave.ʼDidn’tNazımPashaentertheroomagainintheverysamemo-
mentsayingʻMyexcellency[Goltz],Ibegyourpardon,toreachthesteamboatforSarıyerI
havetoleaveʼ?GoltzPashacouldnotendureit,leanedbackinhischairandburstinto
laughterforseveralminutes.”⁵⁸Thisincidentindicatesthattherewasabigdifferenceinconceptionsofdutybe-
tweenGermanmilitarypracticeandtherealitiesoftheOttomanmilitaryadmin-
Erkan-iHarbiyeUmmumiyeBirinciŞubesiMemurYüzbaşıTopcanlıNazım,OsmanliOrdusu’-
nun 1326 RumeliManevralarınaHakkındaMütalaat[Evaluationregardingthe 1326 /1910Rumeli
ManeuversoftheOttomanArmy](Istanbul:n.p., 132 7/1911), 16.
ForGoltzattendingtheAskerŞurasıcf.Swanson,MahmudŞevketPaşa,98.
ThefollowinganecdotehasasimilardictionasoneofGoltz’repeatedlyʻceterocenseo’about
theremovaloftheOttomancapitalhisarticle“StärkeundSchwächedestürkischenReiches,”
DeutscheRundschau 93 (1897), 114 – 116.
HasanCemilÇambel,“MilliHastalığımız:Tenbellik”[OurNationalMalady:Laziness]Dünya
Gazetesi5April 1960 ,quotedinHasanCemilÇambel,MakalelerHatıralarEssays,Memoirs, 10 2.
40 2ThePeakofKnowledgeTransfer