istration.ThusanindividualconsultantlikeColmarvonderGoltz,whostayed
onlytwiceforseveralweeksinConstantinople,wasnotsufficienttopushfor-
wardthereformprocessoftheOttomanarmy.Thesituationwascomplicated
in 1909 bytheresignationofseverallongservingGermaninstructorsfromthe
daysofSultanAbdülhamid.Itisfortheseveryreasonsthatanewgeneration
ofGermaninstructorswasemployedtoreformtheOttomanarmy.
GermanInstructorsinOttomanService,1 909 – 1912
Between 1909 andthebeginningoftheFirstBalkanWarin1 912 ,morethan 30
GermanofficersservedasinstructorsintheOttomanarmy.Manyofthemheld
commandingpositionsinthenewlyfoundedmodelregimentsandatmilitary
trainingfacilitiesallovertheempire,wheretheytaughtGermanmilitarystand-
ardstotheirOttomanstudentsinuniform.
Youngandmiddle-agedofficerswithseveralyearsofexperienceincom-
mandingmilitaryunitsofthebattalionorregimentlevel,orwithteachingexpe-
rienceinoneoftheGermanmilitarytrainingfacilitieswerepreferredasinstruc-
tors.Despitesuchpreferences,mostofthesemenhadneverservedabroad
before,whichappearedtobeaproblemintermsofadaptivechallenges.At
thistimetherehadbeenanimmenseinterestforpositionsintheOttoman
armyamongadventurous,frustratedorpurelymonetarilyorientedGermanoffi-
cers.Inmostofthecasestheapplicantsdidnotfulfilltherequirementsofthe
GermanGeneralStaffandtheperiodicalDeutschesOffizierblatt(DOB)published
aninformativearticleclarifyingtherealityintheOttomanarmy.Germanofficers
werenoteligibleforserviceintheOttomancapitalalone,theycouldalsobesent
toperipheralgarrisons,inwhichcasetheGermanshadnointerpreterathand.
OftentheGermansweretoserveunderthecommandofmuchyoungerOttoman
superiorsasthearmypurgeditselfofseniorfollowersofthedeposedprevious
regime.ThedoubleincomeintheOttomanarmywasadjustedinaccordance
withthehighlivingcostsasaforeignerintheOttomanlands.⁵⁹Despiteall
thesedauntingconditions,theGermanGeneralStaffwasabletorecruitasuffi-
cientnumberofactiveGermanofficersfortheOttomanmilitaryauthorities.Most
oftheseofficersremainedinOttomanserviceuntiltheFirstBalkanWar.
Intheyearsafterthe 1908 revolutiontheactivitiesofGermanadvisorswere
notcoordinated,anomissionthatwaseventuallyrectifiedbytheconditionsof
Anonymous,Notitle,DOB 40 (1910), 82 7.
GermanInstructorsinOttomanService, 1909 – 1912 41