Colmar Freiherr von der Goltz

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honest. Most of the time, it is the case that those Greeks, Bulgarians, and Serbs, who have had terrible experiences at the hands of their very own nationals, ask for Turkish protection. They know that the Turks are filled with generosity and compassion. They forgot and forgive. For being compassionate to the weak is part of their national traditions and they are proud of it." Goltz denied the charge of widespread human rights abuses against the Christians, writing: "Now, the Ottoman administration there is much better than it is thought. The Ottoman governors there, either generals or civilian employees, are young, healthy and knowledgeable men. If they are left to themselves, they can protect the peace perfectly well." Anyhow, Goltz wrote the Europeans "never think about the real owners of the country, the Turks, who constitute the majority in Macedonia … Ottoman staff officers, since 1887, under my direction, have prepared the maps of the Ottoman Balkans and we have found many Turkish villages, which have not been shown in other maps, besides Slav and Greek ones. Turks, in short, have a great right to be in Macedonia. Goltz advised his protégés in the

1171: 655:" propaganda being offered by his own government, Goltz had considerable respect for Asian peoples, and wrote in 1905 to Pertev: "The East is beginning to awake; once it is awakened, it will not go to sleep again." Stressing that these were his own views, not those of the German government, Goltz speculated that sometime in the future a war would begin between the "yellow race" of the Japanese, Chinese and Mongols against the "Anglo-Saxon" powers, the United States and Great Britain. Goltz argued that neither Germany nor the Ottoman Empire could remain indifferent to this war, and it was necessary that Germany learn to understand "the rising peoples of East Asia." Goltz concluded his letter to Pertev: "Since we will engage much more in the East in the future, it would be sensible to learn the special power…given to them by nature." 874: 1094: 1108: 1124: 1187: 198: 1004: 1137: 1101: 271: 1154: 186: 25: 595:

military and political life. Goltz, who learned to speak fluent Turkish, was a much admired teacher, regarded as a "father figure" by the cadets, who saw him as "an inspiration." Attending his lectures, in which he sought to indoctrinate his students with his "nation in arms" philosophy, was seen as "a matter of pride and joy" by his pupils. As a result, it was the Ottoman army rather the German army which first embraced Goltz's "nation in arms" theory as the basis of its understanding of war. After some years he was given the title

237: 174: 1077: 727: 1924: 95: 1227: 507:. The views expressed in the latter work were unpopular with the powers that be and led to Goltz's being sent back to regimental duty for a time, but it was not long before he returned to the military history section. In 1878 Goltz was appointed a lecturer in military history at the military academy in Berlin, where he remained for five years and attained the rank of major. He published, in 1883, 638:. An Anglophobe, Goltz believed that the great coming war of the new 20th century would be an inevitable Anglo-German war for world domination. Goltz took for granted that the world was too small for the British and German empires to share, and one or the other would have to go. Starting in 1899, Goltz wrote to his Ottoman protégés, asking them to start preparing plans for invading 503:'s efforts to raise new armies after September 1870, argued that the French "people's war" might have been successful had Gambetta been able to better train his new armies. Goltz argued that henceforward a new age in war had begun, that of the "nation in arms," where the state would seek to mobilize the entire nation and its resources for war, what today might be called 590:"The Stambul Efendi, whose father held a well-paid sinecure, reward by Sultan Hamid for his faithfulness, and who enjoyed to the fullest the good life, now knowing the struggle for existence, could not be a great leader on the battlefield. As long as Sultan Abdulhamid and the present ruling classes remain at the rudder, one may not speak of the rescue of Turkey." 747:

railway and telegraph lines are destroyed will be punished without pity (whether they are guilty or not of the acts in question). With this in view hostages have been taken in all villages near the railway lines which are threatened by such attacks. Upon the first attempt to destroy lines of railway, telegraph or telephone, they will immediately be shot."

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showed such orders to Goltz he approved of them as a military necessity. In the words of one historian, "Goltz's later actions to stop deportations indicate it is unlikely that he understood its larger significance." In December 1915 Goltz directly intervened, threatening to resign his command if the

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The old Reich knew already how to act with firmness in the occupied areas. That's how attempts at sabotage to the railways in Belgium were punished by Count von der Goltz. He had all the villages burnt within a radius of several kilometres, after having had all the mayors shot, the men imprisoned and

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in early September 1914, the newly appointed Goltz proclaimed: "It is the stern necessity of war that the punishment for hostile acts falls not only on the guilty, but on the innocent as well." On 5 October, he was even clearer when he ordered: "In the future, villages in the vicinity of places where

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and for invading Persia as the prelude for an invasion of India. Goltz also believed that the European era of dominance would come to a close in the 20th century, pointing to the rise of new powers like the United States, Japan and eventually China. Goltz was greatly impressed with Japan's victory in

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In an article on 24 July 1908, Goltz denied the charge often made in the West that the Ottoman authorities had oppressed the Christian population of Macedonia and were committing systematic human rights abuses. Goltz wrote: "Nevertheless, what the Westerners write about the Turkish government is not

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Writing in response to Goltz's article praising the revolution, one Unionist Major Ali Fuad wrote: "This article written by our Honorable Master should be repeatedly read by all soldiers from field marshal to lieutenant … it always should be read ... and should be taken as a guide in all our efforts

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unless the Ottoman Army stopped their advance at that point. On his return to Germany in 1895 Goltz became a lieutenant-general and commander of the 5th Division, and in 1898, head of the Engineer and Pioneer Corps and Inspector-General of Fortifications. In 1900 he was made General of Infantry and

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and ultra-nationalist who believed war was necessary, desirable and inevitable. In Goltz's Social Darwinist perspective, just as "survival of the fittest" prevailed in nature, the same principle applied to international relations with "strong" nations rightfully devouring "weak" nations. Goltz, who

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Goltz achieved some reforms, such as lengthening the period of study at military schools and adding new curricula for staff courses at the War College. From 1883 to 1895, Goltz trained the so-called "Goltz generation" of Ottoman officers, many of whom would go to play prominent roles in Ottoman

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Goltz often expressed admiration for the ordinary Turkish soldier, whom he regarded as immensely tough, brave and willing to suffer without complaint. By contrast, Goltz had nothing but contempt for the young people in Germany, who he charged were being "corrupted" by hedonism, urbanization,

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So to win war in the future would require that "the great civilized nations of the present bring their military organization to ever greater perfection." To that end, Goltz thought society needed to be militarized in peacetime on an unprecedented level, and what was required was "the full

499:, the campaign of the Loire and the partisans behind German lines, the latter tying down 20% of German strength), the implication being that it was therefore unrealistic to expect a quick victory over France in any future war. Goltz, who wrote with open admiration about 675:

and initiatives. … I assure you, Honorable Master … that we shall stick exactly to your advice and we shall regard it as our guide." Goltz replied that he was overjoyed with the affection from his "old friends," and would be more than happy to offer his advice.

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in the early 20th century, Goltz was very pro-Ottoman, saying that the Ottomans had every right to remain in Macedonia. In his letters to his Ottoman protégés, he often urged them to invade Bulgaria to punish the Bulgarian government for its support of the

799:, which was a draw, as both sides retreated from the battlefield. However, with the British retreating, Goltz turned his army around and followed them down the river. When Townshend halted at Kut, Goltz laid siege to the British position (see the 815:

Pasha had to fight off a major British effort to relieve the Kut garrison while maintaining the siege. All told the British tried three different attacks and each one failed at a total cost of 23,000 casualties. The battles included

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in 1902 commander of the I. Army Corps. After returning to Germany in 1895, Goltz was in close contact with his students, and offered them his advice. In an 1899 letter to Colonel Pertev Beyone, one of his protégés, Goltz wrote:

687:"inspire a patriotic and soldierly spirit in youth, to fill them with joy at the fame and greatness of Turkey, and at the same time to give them a healthy physical education, which prepares them for the military profession." 586:. Baron von der Goltz was sent. He spent twelve years on this work, which provided the material for several of his books. During his time in the Ottoman Empire, Goltz had a very negative view of Abdülhamid II, writing: 629:

industrialization, prosperity, liberalism and Social Democracy, something that he believed was rendering the next generation of Germans increasing unfit for the test of war. In articles he published in Germany on the

651:, and saw it as confirming his theory that in war, it is ultimately the will to win that makes the difference, and the side with the stronger will always prevailed. In contrast to the anti-Asian racist " 2163: 477:), published in 1875 and 1877 respectively. The latter was translated into French the same year, and is considered by many historians to be his most original contribution to military literature. 548:"The day of Cabinet wars is over. It is no longer the weakness of a single man, at the head of affairs, of a dominant party that is decisive, but only the exhaustion of the belligerent nations." 558:

saw the carnage of war as the most beautiful thing in the world wrote: "It is an expression of the energy and self-respect which a nation possesses.... Perpetual peace means perpetual death!"

1939: 670:"The great Revolution of 1908 is the work of…Young Turks and in particular young officers. Most of them were in their 30s or even younger…They were the saviors of the fatherland." 666:

of 1908, which should come as no surprise given that most of the officers leading the revolution were men he had personally trained. Goltz wrote about this revolution of 1908:

924:. Footage exists of his funeral cortège, flanked on both sides by military officers and citizens of a grateful empire. Coincidentally, nineteen months later, British General 695:"the formation of the patriotic sense, love of the fatherland, soldierly virtues and the toughening of the body, less so the technical preparation of the growing generation." 2198: 738:. In that position, he dealt ruthlessly with what remained of Belgian resistance to German occupation, mostly sniper-fire and the damaging of rail and telegraph lines. As 2208: 893: 2183: 2178: 2103: 2188: 658:

In 1907 he was made Inspector-General of the newly created Sixth Army Inspection established at Berlin, and in 1908 was given the rank of colonel-general (

517: 912:, although apparently there were rumors that he had been poisoned. In accordance with his will, he was buried in the grounds of the German Consulate in 683:: "Be powerful so you will not be subject to injustice." In 1910, Goltz advised Pertev to create a para-military youth organization that would serve to 1978:

Rossbach und Jena. Studien über die Zustände und das geistige Leben der preußischen Armee während der Uebergangszeit von XVIII. zum XIX. Jahrhundert

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Von Jena bis Pr. Eylau, des alten preussischen Heeres Schmach und Ehrenrettung; eine kriegsgeschichtliche Studie von Colmar Frhr. v. d. Goltz

2173: 2123: 485: 624:"All the hopes of Turkey rest on her youth, the generation to which you belong, and which can save the country, once it reaches the top." 1944: 461:), both published in 1873. In 1874 he was appointed first general staff officer (Ia) of the 6th Division, and while so employed wrote 2203: 2193: 2168: 1863: 1841: 1819: 1815: 350:

without rising above the rank of lieutenant, and his efforts at farming were similarly unfruitful, and he eventually succumbed to

1855: 1833: 1803: 861:, was able, if briefly, to influence domestic policy. However, he was able to effect only a temporary reprieve, and then only in 873: 2098: 370:

Goltz entered the Prussian infantry in 1861 as a second lieutenant with the 5th East Prussian Infantry Regiment Number 41, in

2228: 2153: 1916: 1198: 2068: 865:. It would have been almost unheard of for a senior officer to resign during wartime, and in the end Goltz did not do so. 2148: 936:

From the 1870s until World War I, Baron von der Goltz was more widely read by British and American military leaders than

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von der Goltz (1802-1849) and his wife, Palmine Schubert (1815-1893). He grew up at the manor house of Fabiansfelde near

2128: 427: 567: 68: 46: 39: 2143: 2158: 680: 1312:, etc.), can be used, but are regarded as a dependent part of the surname, and thus come after any given names ( 1086: 784: 735: 496: 1236: 1655: 1294:. Before the August 1919 abolition of nobility as a legal class, titles preceded the full name when given ( 1041: 754:, who in September 1941 linked Nazi atrocities in Eastern Europe with those in Belgium during World War I. 1318:). Titles and all dependent parts of surnames are ignored in alphabetical sorting. The feminine forms are 768:

Soon afterward Goltz gave up that position and became a military aide to the essentially powerless Sultan

525:), both of which quickly became military classics. The latter also became the theoretical handbook of the 2223: 2064: 1254: 1052: 1665:. Vol. 31 (12th ed.). London & New York: The Encyclopædia Britannica Company. p. 297. 1128: 1116: 840:, German officers had recommended the selected deportation of the local Armenian population in Eastern 796: 1661: 1249: 603:(field-marshal). His improvements to the Ottoman army were significant. It is noteworthy that in the 1159: 1898: 1066: 604: 407: 403: 126: 33: 1259: 1100: 2002:

Anatolische Ausflüge, Reisebilder von Colmar Freiherr v. d. Goltz; mit 37 Bildern und 18 Karten.

599:(a signal honor for a non-Muslim) and in 1895, just before he returned to Germany, he was named 480:

Goltz stressed how, despite the rapid initial victory against the Imperial French forces at the

2113: 1014: 877: 773: 383: 50: 2093: 1210: 1093: 817: 792: 710: 663: 612: 270: 2088: 2083: 1175: 701: 530: 442: 419: 415: 346:, which had been bought by his father in 1844. His father spent some nineteen years in the 308: 240: 8: 1288:

was a title before 1919, but now is regarded as part of the surname. It is translated as

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threatened the Ottoman Sultan that he would be attacking the Ottoman Empire from eastern

411: 399: 391: 387: 275: 258: 254: 533:. During his residence in Berlin, Goltz contributed many articles to military journals. 2014:

Von Rossbach bis Jena und Auerstedt; ein Beitrag zur Geschichte des preussischen Heeres

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At the outbreak of the First World War Goltz was recalled to duty and appointed the

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Absolute Destruction: Military Culture and the Practices of War in Imperial Germany

1719: 1654: 1179: 858: 808: 554: 500: 2138: 2060: 1862:(in German), vol. 1, Berlin: Gedruckt in der Reichsdruckerei, 1895, p. 1840:(in German), vol. 1, Berlin: Gedruckt in der Reichsdruckerei, 1886, p. 1163: 987: 889: 821: 705:(Field Marshal), and retired from active service in 1913. In 1911 he founded the 481: 287: 236: 726: 1705: 1693: 1232: 1192: 1107: 983: 854: 739: 583: 575: 571: 526: 203: 161: 2077: 2050: 1935: 1930: 1217: 925: 804: 490: 347: 343: 332: 215: 191: 1883:

Colmar Freiherr von der Goltz: Ein Kämpfer für den militärischen Fortschritt

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Das Volk in Waffen, ein Buch über Heerwesen und Kriegführung unserer Zeit.

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in 1871, promoted to captain, and placed in the historical section of the

1890: 862: 845: 777: 608: 375: 262: 1948:. Vol. 12 (11th ed.). Cambridge University Press. p. 227. 1638: