“Noindividualisticspiritprevailedinourhome,butthespiritofPrussiansenseofcom-
munity.Forme,subordinationwassomethingnaturalwhenIbecameasoldierandofficer.
ByupbringingIwasconvictedthatthefulfillmentofmydutiesrangedonthefirstplace.”¹⁰⁶TheOttomanrequirementforthistypeofGermanmilitaryandcivilianculture
hadbecomeevidentintheOttomanmilitarycommandperformanceduring
theBalkanWars.¹⁰⁷ItisnotsurprisingthatMustafamentionedthedetailed
andproperpreparationsforeverymove.¹⁰⁸Mustafaʼsinterestwasalsocaught
bytheburialofasoldierwhohaddiedon 28 August 1912 .Duringa45km
marchinthehotAugustsun,arecruithadpassedawayfromtheconsequences
ofaheatstroke.FortheOttomanLieutenant,however,suchmarcheswerenec-
essaryandheemphasizedtheofficialGermanviewofthenecessitiesofthecom-
ingwar.Duringtheburialceremony,threedaysafterthesoldier’sdeath,delega-
tionsfromeachcompanypaidtheirlastrespecttothedeceasedsoldier,inthe
accompanimentofregimentalmusic.Mustafawassurprisedbythecarefullypre-
paredfuneralserviceforacommonsoldier,duringwhicheventhecommander
oftheGrenadierRegimentNo. 10 gaveashorteulogy.¹⁰⁹Thisincidentformedthe
endofhisreportonhistimewiththeGermanarmywhichwasinmanypara-
graphspraising,butalsoinfluencedbyincredulousamazement.SomeofLieu-
tenantMustafa’sobservationswerealsosharedbyCaferAl-Askari,whoserved
inthe 1 stBadonianLifeGrenadierRegimentNo. 109 inKarlsruhefrom 1910 to
1912 .Al-Askari’smorepersonalimpressionsrevealthattheauthorhadnoted
themdownlater,whenhehadhadtimetoreflectabouthisstayinGermany.
Hecontinuedtobeimpressedinretrospect:“Whatreallyastoundedmeabout
theGermanswastheirmeticulousattentiontodetail.Therewasacertain[sic]
thoroughnesscarriedouttothepointofperfectionineverythingtheydid.”¹¹⁰
QuotedafterGotthardBreit,DasStaats-undGesellschaftsbilddeutscherGeneralebeider
WeltkriegeimSpiegelihrerMemoiren(Boppard:HaraldBoldt,1 97 3),18.
Lossowinearly1 913 :“Theslowwayofgivingorders,thelackingsenseforthevalueoftime
amongtheTurkishGeneralStaff(deficientpracticaltroopsexperience-thepeoplehavenoidea
thatthetroopsalsorequiresometimeforthepreparationstomarch)areoneofthereasonsfor
failure.”BayHStAIVGS 26 0,8.
Mustafa,“AlmanOrdu’daMüşahedatım,” 39 5;cf.Lossow’shalfsarcasticremarkatErgene
from 27 October1912:“ThesameeveningIwroteareportandanexactsketchwiththesubscrip-
tionofthetroopscheduleintodetail.Herethe[Ottoman]corps[commanders]didnotfeelhurt
inanyway,ifone–accordingtoGermanterms–didinterveneintheirauthorityofcommand.
Onthecontrary,theyaregratefuliftheyfindanexactplanandifonesparesthemtheburdenof
thinking,ifpossible.”BayHStAIVGS 26 0,22.
Mustafa,“AlmanOrdu’daMüşahedatım,” 400 – 401.
Al-Askari,ASoldier’sStory,30.
GermanDailyRoutineServiceinOttomanView 51