2The PeakofKnowledgeTransferinthe Second
ConstitutionalPeriod(1908–1918)
ChapterOutline
IntheaftermathoftheYoungTurkrevolutionandthereinstatementofthecon-
stitutionon 24 July1908,theOttomanofficercorpsdominatedthepoliticsofthe
empireforthefollowingdecade.Mostoftheofficersamongtheformeropposi-
tionalCommitteeforUnionandProgress(CUP;İttihadveTerakkıCemiyeti)held
theviewthattheyweretheonlysocialgroupabletomodernizeandleadthe
multi-ethnicstate.Thisattitudebecameespeciallyevidentafterthedeposition
ofSultanAbdülhamidIIon 27 April 1909 .¹Themenofthismovementwithmili-
tarybackgroundweretotransformthelateOttomanstateandtherepublican
successorstateuntilthebeginningofmulti-partyrule.²AccordingtotheGerman
emperorWilhelmII,theOttomanpoliticalcircumstancesaftertherevolution
weretotheadvantageofGermaninfluence:
“TherevolutionisnottheworkofʻYoungTurksʼfromParisorLondon,butofthearmy
alone,infactexclusivelyoftheʻso-calledGermanofficersʼeducatedinGermany.Apurely
militaryrevolution.TheseofficersareincontrolandtheyareentirelyGermaninfeeling.”³ButwerethosemenreallythatGermanmindedastheGermanemperorhad
hopedforinhisenthusiasticremarkin 1908 ?Wasn’titratherthecasethat
theGermansideneededtopersuadetheirprospectiveallyofthesuperiorityof
themartialʻGermanSpiritʼovertheprestigiousEuropeancompetitors?Didthe
implementationofthisspiritmakesenseinallcasesorweretherelimitations?
Ofimportancetotheanalysisofthemilitaryknowledgetransferinthischapter,
isthequestionofwhatandhowtheOttomanarmyappropriatedelementsofthe
GermanwayofwarfareandhowtheGermanmilitaryrepresentativesactedin
thistransfer.DidtheOttomansidehaveconfidenceintheinstructionsolely
byGermanadvisors,ordidtheyratherapplyamixtureofdirectandindirectap-
propriations,thatis,bypresentingtheirownreadingofGermansourcestotheir
Cf.FerozAhmad,TheMakingofModernTurkey(London:Routledge,1 99 3), 16 – 30.
Zürcher,Turkey,9 7 – 137.
FinalremarkofEmperorWilhelmIIinadiplomaticmemorandumregardingtheYoungTurk
revolution, 14 August1908.GPDEKvol. 25 ,part2,2nded.(Berlin:DeutscheVerlagsgesellschaft
fürPolitikundGeschichte, 1927 ), 608 Nr.8 906 ;cf.JohnC.Röhl,WilhelmII.Vol.3:DerWeginden
Abgrund1 900 – 1941 (Munich:C.H.Beck, 20 08), 74 3.
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