naryeffectonofficersandsoldiersalike.Thenaturalgloomoftheretreatchangedatonce.
[...]Fromthismomenton,Ihadmytroopsundercontrol.Discipline,orderandmilitary
prowessweregrowingwitheachday.”¹⁴⁷Nonetheless,theGermanofficerspleadedtosendafull-scalemilitarymissionto
entirelyreformtheOttomanarmy.TheGermanmissionwastohavefarreaching
rightsandassertatypeofaprotectorateovertheOttomanHighCommand.In
thisregard,theGermansdiplomactswerenottoshyawayfromblackmailing
theOttomangovernment:“EitheryoutaketheGermanmissionasweintend
togiveittoyou,orwewillleaveyouhighanddry.”¹⁴⁸
ForOttovonLossow,theOttoman‘rebirth’withthehelpofGermanywas
onlypossiblethankstoachangeinpowerintheOttomanstate.Anauthoritarian
leaderhadtoturnthewholestateinsideout.HereLossowexpandedtheideasof
CaptainEndres:
“Itispossible-shouldthecountrybefortunateenoughtogetaSultan,who(likeFrederick
theGreatorPetertheGreat)wouldtakethefateofthecountryintohishandswithaniron
fist,whowouldraiseanewgenerationwiththehelpofone,butjustonegreatpower,who
wouldeducatethepeoplebyreformsinallareasofpubliclifetoduty,order,work,honesty
andtruth.”¹⁴⁹WiththeoutbreakoftheSecondBalkanWarinJune 1913 ,theOttomanarmywas
abletoregainthebordercityEdirne,which“restoredsomethingofitsmilitary
pride.”¹⁵⁰Theunexpectedsuccesshelpedraisetheself-confidenceamongthe
Ottomanofficer,alsoforthosewhowerealreadyGermanminded:
“TheBulgariansarefleeingandchasingthem,withinthreedaysourarmyhascovereda
distanceofmorethan 100 kilometers.ThisisafantasticperformanceasintheBerlin
waracademytheyhadtoldus,thatanarmycancoveradistanceof20kilometersaday
atmost,andanarmycorpsonly25kilometers.”¹⁵¹AftertheendoftheSecondBalkanWarinAugust 1913 ,Ottomanofficersbegan
toevaluatethereasonsfordefeat.¹⁵²Thewar’soutcomehadbeenasevereblow
Lossow,“GeschichtederDenizli-Division,” 36.
Endres,“TeilnahmeamBalkankrieg,” 33.
OttovonLossow,SecretreportfromDarboğazTahufuzhane,2April 1913 ,24.BayHStAIV
HS 157 1.
Al-Askari,ASoldier’sStory,47.
AliNuri[Okday]tohiswifeEdibe, 16 July 1913 .QuotedafterOkday,DerletzteGrosswesir
undseinepreussischenSöhne,54.
Akmeşe,TheBirthofModernTurkey,1 24 – 131.
TheBalkanWars,1912/13:TestingGroundforthe‘GermanSpirit’ 61