triedtopreparethisinformationinthesummerof1 91 7.Nonetheless,theunreli-
abilityofthosenumbersremainedaweakpointuntiltheendoftheOGD,⁹⁷since
“Ottomanofficialdomwasfrequentlyjustasconcernedwithproducingquantita-
tiveasqualitativeresults.”⁹⁸
InthefirstmonthsofhisstayinConstantinople,Hofftriedtoadapttothe
situationandgetusedtothenewenvironment.InhisfirstreporttotheWürttem-
bergministerofwar,hementionedthesevereconditionsofwarthattheOtto-
manstatewasexposedtosince1911.OnthetopicofhisandtheworkoftheGer-
manmilitarymission,headmittedthat
“Manya[German]forgetstheinfluencethatreligion,climateandOrientalcustomhaveto
haveandthatapeople[Volk]cannotchangeinnerlyovernightthanitusedtobesincelong
ago.Shakingtheheadinimpatience[...]onlyleadstofailure.[...]Initiallymyoccupation
extendedtothecreationofageneralyouthorganization;soonthepracticalimplementa-
tionofthesamewillleadmetolongjourneystoinnerAsiaMinor.”⁹⁹InthesamereportHoffalsomentionedtheratherpreparatorycharacterofOGD
training,aswasthecasewiththeBJDinGermany,andthebenefitsofleadership
experienceamongofficersandNCOs.¹⁰⁰ItwasabsolutelyessentialtoHoffthat
theOttomanschoolsystembeimproved.Hehighlightedthisfactwhenevaluat-
inghisexperiencesintheOttomanlands:
“FortheTurkishland[Türkenland]thatwasshortofschools,theGençDernekleriwere
nothingelsethanacommonelementaryschoolinitssimplestformforthewholemale
youthwiththelowestexpendituresinteachingmaterialandcosts.”¹⁰¹However,thealphabetizationoftheOttomanorrather,inHoff’sopinion,the
Turkishpartofthemalepopulationwasnotthefocusofhiswork.Inanother
articlebasedonhisdiariesandpublishedafterhisreturntoGermanyduring
thewar,HoffelaboratedonhisideaoftheprimaryeducationthatthoseMuslim
boysneededandwaysofachievingit.Hestartedwiththesituation,asitwas
whenhecametotheOttomanlands,initiallyfocusingonthesmallnumberof
schoolsinurbanareas:
BOADH.UMVM.Do 14 8Gö53.
Fortna,ImperialClassroom,1 22.
HofftoMarchthaler,Konstantinopel 29 March 1916 .HStAStgtM6 60 /0 27 ,1–5.
HStAStgtM6 60 /0 27 ,6.
Hoff,“DieosmanischeJugendorganisation,”DeutscheKulturinderWelt:VonderGoltz
Gedächtnisheft3/4( 191 7), 129.
TheOsmanlıGençDernekleribetweenAppropriationandOriginality 123