AfterthedeathofhismentorGoltzinApril 1916 ,Hofflostastrongsupporter
ofhisideas.¹¹⁸Hoffalsosufferedfromregularfeverattacks,sincehisbodywas
notfullyaccustomedtotropicaldiseases.¹¹⁹Afirstrequesttobecalledbackto
Germanyduetohealthissuesandthefearofcareerdisadvantagesbecauseofhis
serviceinaremotetheaterofwarwasdeclinedbyhissuperiorMarchthalerafter
aformalobjectionbyBronsartvonSchellendorf.InhisanswertoHoff,March-
thalertriedtoencouragehim,noting:“[H]oldoutatyourpostandsecurethe
continuityofyourcreation[i.e.theOGD],whichisalsoofhighimportancefor
Germany.Youdonothavetobeafraidforyourfuturemilitary[career].”¹²⁰
HoffwaseventuallycalledbacktoStuttgartinAugust 191 7forfurtherde-
ploymentattheWesternfront.¹²¹AssumptionsthatHofflefttheOttomanEmpire
duetodissentwithOttomanrepresentativesarewrong.¹²²InalettertoEnver,
Hoffevenoffered“toaccomplish[theOGDproject]underthecircumstancesof
peace”afterthewarandregrettedbeingcalledbacktoStuttgart.¹²³TheGerman
specialistalsoseemstohaveenjoyedtheatmosphereintheOttomancapital.He
showedconsiderableinterestinthecultureofhisenvironmentandstayedin
contactwithhispersonalassistant,AsımBey.¹²⁴
HoffcontinuedtowritearticlesfortheOGDperiodicaluntillate1918,onlyto
beinterruptedwhenhisobligationsasafieldcommanderontheWesternfront
nolongerallowedhimtosparetimeforwritingmonthlyarticles.¹²⁵Hoff’sefforts
werefinallyofficiallyacknowledged,whentheGermanandtheOttomangovern-
mentagreedintheveryfirstparagraphoftheir1 91 7MilitaryConvention:“[Phys-
ical]strengtheningofyouthandmilitaryeducation(Jugendwehr)shallbeintro-
ducedandcarriedoutinbothcountriesfollowingsimilarprinciples.”¹²⁶
SeeonthisincidentHoffʼsreportontheGoltzfuneralceremonyintheOttomancapital;
HeinrichvonHoff,“DieBeisetzungunseresFeldmarschalls,”Jungdeutschland-Post,1August
1916 ,1–2.
Hoff’sReportNo.4toMarchthaler,14August 191 7,2.HStAStgtM660/1 15 Nr.55.
MarchthalerlettertoHoff, 29 October 1916 .HStAStgtM660/1 15 Nr.55.
ForasummaryoftheeventsseeHoffʼsdiaryentryatthebeginningofNovember 191 7.HStA
StgtM660/1 15 Nr.4,34etseqq.
Beşikçi,TheOttomanMobilizationofManpower,2 41.
UndatedcopyofHoff’slettertoEnverPaşa.HStAStgtM660– 115 Nr.39.
SeehisnotesontheMuslimcallforprayer,HStAStgtM660/1 15 Nr.3followingpage70;the
listofTurkishnamesinHStAStgtM660/1 15 Nr.4,60andthelettersHStAStgtM660/1 15 Nr.55.
CftheletterofAsımBeytotheWürttembergMinistryofWarandthefirstdraftofHoff’s
answertoMarchthalerforwardedtocolonelAsımBey,7July1918.HStAStgtM660– 115 Nr.4,
n.p.Akcan,İttihatveTerakkiFırkası’nın,2 26 alsomentionsthefurtherdedicationofHoffto
theOGDprojectin 191 7/1918.
Jäschke,“Deutsch-TürkischeMilitärkonvention,”198.Cf.alsoAkcan,İttihatveTerakkiFır-
kası’nın,2 25.
128 3German-Ottoman/TurkishCooperationintheMobilizationofYouth