The \'German Spirit\' in the Ottoman and Turkish Army, 1908-1938. A History of Military Knowledge Transfer - Gerhard Grüßhaber

(やまだぃちぅ) #1

theGermanauthoritiesthattheTurkishstaterefusedtopayhispensiondueto
hishostilepublicationsuntilhefinallyreceivedahigherone.¹⁷⁶
Therewasalsoanothersensitivecase,namely,theformerheadofthemili-
tarymissionthreatendedtobringtheGermanstatetotrial.OttoLimanvonSand-
ersclaimedtohavelostallofhisfurnitureduringtheBritishoccupation.The
Germanauthoritieswerereluctanttogotocourtwhere“thepoliticalcircumstan-
ces[ofthemilitarymission]wouldmostlikelycomeup.”¹⁷⁷Fromthisincidentit
becomesevidentthattheGermanstatewasnotinterestedinexposingtheGer-
manmilitarymission’simpactuponOttomanwartimepolitics.Thisalsobecame
partoftheofficialReichswehrpolicy.Germanyfearedthecriticismofthevicto-
riouspowersfollowingpostwaraccusationsofaGermanparticipationinthe
genocideoftheArmenians.AfterthefirstaccusationsagainstthedeceasedCol-
marvonderGoltz,¹⁷⁸theformernavalattachéHansHumannwasremovedfrom
theGermanVersaillespeacetreatydelegation.Therehadbeenaseriouscriticism
ofhisallegedsupportfortheeliminationoftheArmenianpopulationinHenry
Morgenthau’sbookTheSecretsoftheBosphorus.¹⁷⁹Thispolicywascontinued.
OttovonLossowdidnotappearinpublicduringCemalPasha’s1 919 visittoMu-
nichandin 1921 healsodidnotattendthefuneralofTalaatPashatopreventa
badimageoftheReichswehr.¹⁸⁰Inthecaseofthelatterincident,theReichswehr
hadevenintervenedforaprematureterminationofthecourtagainstTalaat’sas-


CarlEndres’lettertotheGermanForeignMinistry,29March 1926 andthedecisionofthe
GermanMinistryofFinance,7April 1928 ,bothinBA-LR3901/10112.Thedisappointedformer
captainhadbecomeaharshcriticofthewartimeGermanmilitarysystemduringhiscriticalfi-
nancialsituation,Endres,“SoziologischeStruktur.”Forhissocialcondemnationamongveteran
officers,resultingfromthiskindofcriticism,seeSchaerer,“FranzCarlEndres,” 235 – 24 1.
HeeresabwicklungsamtPreußentoAuswärtigesAmt,24November 1920 .AA-PAR7 8553.
ObviouslyLimanvonSander’sfamilyhadexperienceinexploitingtheirprominentstatus.
Twopleadingletters,onein 195 1andtheotherin 1955 byLiman’sdaughter,DorisMayr,to
theTurkishPrimeMinisterAdnanMendereswerealsosuccessful.Theycontainedthesamelam-
entation,i.e.thereferencetoherfather’spropertydeprivationinlate 1918 combinedwiththe
materialfamilylossesduringtheSecondWorldWar.CemilGüngör,“LimanPaşaʼnınKızıMend-
eresʼtenYardımİstiyor”[LimanPasha’sDaughterWantsHelpfromMenderes],AtlasTarih 25
(2015), 18 – 19.
Seetheaccusation(from25November1918)thatGoltzknewaboutthe 1915 deportation
plansinadvance,however,fortheanonymousauthortheGermanshadnosignificantinfluence
ontheCUPgovernment.Anonymous,“DiedeutscheRegierungunddiearmenischeFrage,”
Deutsch-ArmenischeKorrespondenz2(1918),2.
HansHumanntoOttovonLossow, 28 May1 919 andHumann’ssisterMarieSarretoLossow,
27 May1 919 .BayHStAHS3158,n.p.
LettertoLossowbyanunknownsender,3April 1919 andHansHumanntoLossow 27 June
1921 ;BayHStAHS3158,n.p.


PoliticsandPensions 201
Free download pdf