tarymissionwastohavenopowerofcommandovertheFirstOttomanarmy,
whichwasdeployedinthedefenseofthestraits.¹⁸⁶
ColmarvonderGoltzsupportedtheideaofamilitarymissionbutwarned
thatthiswasnottobethesolefundamentofOttomansuccessinfuturebattles.
TheOttomanarmyhadtointernalizetheGermandoctrineandadaptittoitsown
standards.Thenewmilitarymissionwasthustoonlysendthemostqualifiedof-
ficersinordertoacceleratethereformprocess,aswellastoputthemunderuni-
fiedcommand.¹⁸⁷TheGermanambassadorwasofasimilaropinion.Forthe
newlyappointedWangenheim,thiswasawonderfulopportunitytoexertpolit-
icalinfluence:
“No[Ottoman]governmenthostiletoGermanywouldstayinpowerwhenthearmyiscon-
trolledbyus.[...]Also,theentrustmentofGermanywiththereformofthe[civil]education
sectoroffersopportunitiestousthatarecurrentlynotquantifiabletoimbuetheTurkish
peoplewiththeGermanSpirit[...].”¹⁸⁸ThenegotiationsprolongedduetotheresistancefromRussiandiplomats,who
fearedGermancontroloverthestraits.ItwaseventuallyagreedthattheGerman
headofthemilitarymissionwastohavenocommandovertheOttoman 1 st
army.¹⁸⁹Astheheadofthemilitarymission,militaryattachéStrempelwas
alsounderconsiderationbutonlybrieflyashehadnoexperienceincommand-
ingdivisions.ColmarvonderGoltzwasalsotakenintoaccountbuthisextensive
networkamongtheOttomanmilitaryandpoliticalcircleswasregardedasahin-
drancetoanindependentconductofreforms.¹⁹⁰Insteadofpostinganinsider,a
commandinggeneralwasselected:
“LimanvonSandersmakesanelegantmilitaryappearance,haseloquentmannersandis
versatileandwell-educated.HehasbeenamemberoftheGeneralStaffformanyyearsand
hasservedindifferentdeploymentswithgreatsuccess.”¹⁹¹ForanoverviewofthelengthynegotiationsseeAksakal,TheOttomanRoadtoWarin1 914 ,
79 – 83.
Goltz,“Militär-MissioneninfremdenStaaten”.
“[...]dastürkischeVolkmitdeutschemGeistezudurchdringen[...],”WangenheimtoAA, 26
April 1913 ;GPDEKvol38, 1926 ,2 00.
ForthenegotiationprocessseeRobertJ.Kerner,“TheMissionofLimanvonSanders,”The
SlavonicReview 6 – 16 (19 27 ), 12 – 27 ;6– 17 (19 27 ), 344 – 36 3; 6 – 18 (19 28 ), 543 – 560 ;7– 19 (19 28 ),
90 – 112.
Römer,MilitärhilfefürdasOsmanischeReich,75.
HeadofthemilitarycabinetGeneralLynckertoWangenheim, 30 June 1913 .AA-PAR1 3256.
FromÇatalcatoÇanakkale:AlltheOtto’smen,July 1913 – August 1914 69