ThefewGermanofficersthathadremainedintheOttomancapitalaftertherev-
olutiondidnotserveregularlyandhadnoimpactonthereformationoftheOtto-
manarmy.ForStrempel,theywerenotqualifiedforamilitarymission,since
theyhadnotservedintheGermanarmyforthelast8to 25 years.³⁸Intheopinion
oftheGermanmilitaryattaché,theGermanarmyshouldpromoteadvancedmili-
taryeducationinGermany.Therebythoseofficerswouldhave“cultivatedfurther
thelovefortheirrulerandempire,espritdecorps,disciplineandmilitaryknowl-
edgeaftertheirreturntoTurkey.”³⁹ThecareerofthoseOttomanofficerstrained
abroadhadbeencumberedundertheoldregime,butnowatleasteightGerman
trainedmenhadrisentoinfluentialpositions.Strempelevenenvisionedthepos-
sibilitiesofan“armywithinthearmy”⁴⁰thatwouldconsistofofficersfavoring
Germany.SincetheOttomanofficersinthecapitalsawthemselvesasthesaviors
ofthenationandaspiredpoliticalpower,Germaninfluenceonthisgroupwas
seenasespeciallycrucial.⁴¹Though,stillanofficialGermanmilitarymission
wasnotrequestedofficiallysincemanyOttomanCUPofficersfearedthecharis-
maticinfluenceofColmarvonderGoltz.⁴²Between 1909 and 1912 ,theOttoman
armyhiredonlyagroupofseveraldozen,independentlyfromoneanotheract-
ingGermaninstructors.ItbecameevidentthattheOttomansidefavoredlimited
Germanassistance,sincenotallofficersininfluentialpositionswereGermano-
philes.
Inautumn1908,vonderGoltzcametotheOttomancapital,butdidnotstay
forlong.InConstantinople,hegatheredfirsthandinformationthatheimmedi-
atelypassedontotheGermanGeneralStaffandtheForeignMinistryinhisre-
ports.FortheGermanmilitaryattaché,Goltz’sfirstvisitwasasuccess,yetthe
long-termoutcomeofthemilitaryreformwasdoubtful.Strempelfearedthat
theOttomanindifferencecouldresurface,since“ableforeignofficerstinkered
withtheTurkisharmyfor 150 years,withoutanylastingsuccess.”⁴³Amajorset-
backfollowedshortlyaftertheinternalunrestwithintheOttomanarmy.InMay
1909 ,aconservativegroupinthearmyhadstagedacoupinthecapitaltorein-
troducetheabsolutistruleofAbdülhamidandabolishtheparliamentarysystem.
IthadbeencounteredbytroopsloyaltotheCUPfromSalonikiandresultedina
MilitärberichtNr.172,4;n.d.AA-PAR 13254.
MilitärberichtNr.1 05 ,3;dated5August1908.AA-PAR 1335 9.
MilitärberichtNr.1 15 ,5;dated 17 August1908.AA-PAR 1335 9.
Cf.thereportonthegatheringintheIstanbulTaşkışlabarracksinOsmanischerLloyd,6Feb-
ruary 1909.
Krethlow,GeneralfeldmarschallGoltz,3 41.
MilitärberichtNr.2 38 :6,n.d.AA-PAR1 3255.
Goltz’Counseling, 1908 – 1910 37