Germany -- Foreign relations -- Turkey; Turkey -- Foreign relations -- Germany; World War, 1914-1918 -- Turkey
his sympathies had been with the Kaiser. Germany, the German Army and
Navy, the German language, the German autocratic system, exercised a
fatal charm upon this early preacher of Turkish democracy. When Hamid
fell, Enver had gone on a military mission to Berlin, and here the
Kaiser immediately detected in him a possible instrument for working out
his plans in the Orient, and cultivated him in numerous ways. Afterward
Enver spent a considerable time in Berlin as military attaché, and this
experience still further attached him to Germany. The man who returned
to Constantinople was almost more German than Turkish. He had learned to
speak German fluently, he was aping Germany in all matters, he was even
wearing a moustache slightly curled up at the ends; indeed, he had been
completely captivated by Prussianism. As soon as Enver became Minister
of War, Wangenheim flattered and cajoled the young man, played upon his
ambitions, and doubtless promised him Germany’s complete support in
achieving them. In his private conversation Enver made no secret of his
admiration for Germany.
Thus Enver’s elevation to the Ministry of War was virtually a German
victory. He immediately instituted a drastic reorganisation. Enver told
me himself that he had accepted the post only on condition that he
should have a free hand; and this free hand he now proceeded to
exercise. The army still contained a large number of officers who
inclined to the old régime rather than to the Young Turks--many of whom
were partisans of the murdered Nazim. Enver promptly cashiered 268 of
these, and put in their places Turks who were known as “U. and P.” men
and many Germans. The Enver-Talaat group always feared a revolution that
would depose them as they had thrown out their predecessors. Many times
did they tell me that their own success as revolutionists had taught
them how easily a few determined men could seize control of the country;
they did not propose, they said, to have a little group in their army
organise such a _coup d’état_ against them. The boldness of Enver’s move
alarmed even Talaat, but Enver showed the determination of his character
and refused to reconsider his action, though one of the officers removed
was Chukri Pasha, who had defended Adrianople in the Balkan war. Enver
issued a circular to the Turkish commanders practically telling them
that they must look to him for preferment alone, and that they could
make no headway by playing politics with any group except that dominated
by the Young Turks.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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