Despiteallefforts,theplansofDiemandSelimSırrıtoestablishtheOGD
andtheBJDasanumbrellaparamilitaryorganizationofferingregularsportex-
ercisesfailedinbothcountries.Nonetheless,bothmenresumedtheirwartime
agendaintheirpostwarsuccessorstates.
BacktoCivilLife:SelimSırrı 1918 – 1927
IntheRepublicofTurkey,SelimSırrıcontinuedhiscivilcareeraswellashisac-
tivitiesasanauthor.InNovember 1923 hewaselectedpresidentoftheTurkish
NationalOlympicCommittee.¹⁶³Hisenthusiasmforparamilitaryeducationofthe
younggenerationwasstillevident.Yethispositionwasnotundisputedinthe
Republicanera.DuringaBoyScoutgatheringinIstanbul’sMakrıköydistrict
in 1923 ,hefelturgedtopubliclyexplainthatscoutingandbeingasoldier
weretwodifferentthings:
“WearenottryingtomakesoldiersoutofyoungBoyScoutsbutmen.Ourorganization
trulyresemblesthemilitaryorganization,howevernothingcouldbefartherfromusthan
amentalityofmakingsoldieringagame.”¹⁶⁴SelimSırrıclaimedthattheBoyScoutmovementwouldprepareboysforthe
armyoftherepublicandeasetheworkofthelatter.HereferredtotheRegiments
ScolaireswhichhadalongtraditioninFrance.DistancinghimselffromtheGer-
manwartimeally,theformerco-organizeroftheOGDreiteratedtheideasof
HeinrichvonHoffwithoutmentioninghisname.Inthoseyears,oncecensorship
wasnolongerineffect,thewartimeresistanceagainstthepoliciesoftheCUP
withtheassistanceofHeinrichvonHoffbecamevisible.ABoyScoutleadercom-
plainedabouttheworkofHoffwhohademphasizedsoldieringintheOGD,with-
outpayingattentiontotherealneedsoftheyoungboys.Ottomanyouthhadbe-
comeatoyinthehandsofHoffandhisstaff,evenusingforcebycallinginthe
Gendarmerietopickupreluctantteenageboysforexercises.Thisledtoresist-
anceamongtheBoyScoutgroups.¹⁶⁵
IntheTurkishMinistryofWar,theOGDwasalsonotheldinhighesteem.In
a1 92 3articleinthemainmilitaryperiodical,HeinrichvonHoff’snamewasnot
İstanbulluoğlu,TürkiyeMilliOlimpiyatKomitesi’nin,20.
Anonymous,“MakrıköyKeşşaflarınınAndMerasimi”[SwearingCeremonyoftheMakrıköy
BoyScouts],Keşşāf 1 – 4( 26 May1 33 9/ 1923 ),5.
Anonymous,“TürkİzciliğinİnkişafıTarihi”[HistoryoftheDevelopmentoftheTurkishBoy
Scouts],TürkİzcilerBirligi2( 1925 ), 22 – 23.
136 3German-Ottoman/TurkishCooperationintheMobilizationofYouth