“[I]nthetoneofcommandthereisstillsomeschematismandpendantismvisible,accord-
ingtotheFrenchexample[...][however,someTurkishcommanders]demandedthemore
freeGermanprocedurewithitsharshdriveforoffensive.[...]Theforeigninstructors
enjoyconfidence.AdmittedlyintheOrientnobodyissafefromintrigues.Itisabsolutely
wrongtostatethattheTurkishoffcersbelievetheyknoweverythingand[could]disrepect
anddisallowtheforeigner.Theonewhowritesthingslikethathasnoideaofthemodern
Turkish[army’s]mind.”²²⁰Regardingthosereports,NadolnywascorrectwhenhestatedthatKlewitzhad
servedtheGermancauseinTurkey.²²¹TheTurkish-Germanmilitarycooperation
wasbynomeansaone-wayroad,incontrasttotheargumentsputforthbypre-
viousresearch.²²²ForGermany,sendingretiredofficersasinstructorstoTurkey
wasanopportunitytomaintainGermaninfluenceandgatherinformationonthe
developmentofTurkishwarfarecapabilities.Germanmilitaryregulationswere
acceptedbymostoftheTurkishstudentsbecausetheprestigeoftheGerman
armyremainedhigh.²²³
AfterKlewitz’suddendeathin 1928 ,GeneralRobertBührmann(18 79 – 1940)
becamethemainpersonofcontactfortheGermanauthorities.TheGeneralwas
carefultoavoiddisturbingthegoodrelationswiththeTurkishGeneralStaff.He
rejectedretiredGermanofficerswhotriedtogainemploymentintheTurkish
armyunderfalsepretenses.²²⁴However,theworldeconomiccrisisalsoaffected
theTurkishstateandresultedinatemporaryreductioninthesalariesofGerman
instructors.²²⁵Forthisandotherreasons,Bührmanndidnotextendhiscontract
withtheTurkishstate.²²⁶TheTurkisharmyrequestedanewGermanstaffofficer
withexperienceinconductingarmycorps’andbiggerformation’soperations
and, if possible, had apersonality similar to the “very successful Kleviç
Bey.”²²⁷Fortunately,aBavarianGeneralnearingtheendofhiscareeragreed
totheTurkishterms.
Anonymous,ProgressesintheTurkishArmy.NadolnytoForeignMinistry,17April 1927 .AA-
PAR3 064 9:K01 71 99-K01 7201 .Duetowartimefiredamage,notallpartsofthisreportwereread-
able.
Schallehu,WilhelmvonKlewitzzumGedächtnis,n.p.
Mangold-Will,BegrenzteFreundschaft,3 75.
Çelikoğlu,BirDarbeciSubayınAnıları, 41.
BührmanntoReichswehrMinsteryviatheIstanbulEmbassy,30Janauary 1930 .AA-PAR
78562.
Forthereductionby10percentseeTucher,IstanbulEmbassy,totheForeignMinistryfor
ReichswehrMinistry,18May 19 32.AA-PAR 7856 2.
BührmanntotheReichswehrMinister,GeneralvonSchleicher, 25 April 1932 .BA-MAN42/
86 ,1 13 – 113a.
TurkishembassyinBerlintotheGermanForeignMinistry,3August 19 32.AA-PAR 7856 2.
GermanstotheLectureRoomFont, 1925 – 1939 211