TNT History Archives: Ottoman Army's Retreat From Palestine (1918)/Part II

//Ed. note: Continuing on with his introduction, Major Vecihi
focuses on the insincerity of ally Germany and the foolish 
pride of the Ottoman commander Enver Paşa.  He waxes 
fondly about the Turkish victory at Çanakkale (1915), as
well.//



While we were thrown into the War supposedly to defend ourselves and
our country, we ultimately realized that we sacrificed ourselves on the
basis of the Germans' oft-repeated slogan of "common goal", which I
still do not comprehend in any way shape or form.  But we weren't, as
Ludendorph said, wretches hugging the Germans' skirt. 

On the contrary, before the War started German agents settled in to
Istanbul and engaged in a thousand intrigues that brought about the
Black Sea calamity (provoking Russia into the War).  Yet, today, in
their memoirs they shamelessly refer to the wretched and sluggish
Turk they had to rely on.  This is their latest trap against us. 


       Kaiser Wilhelm II and Enver Paşa

After securing cooperation from our bewildered young commander
(Enver Paşa) by means of flattery and honors, the Germans dragged
us into the War by essentially having us provoke Russia, our fierce
enemy, which has coveted our geography for centuries, to align with
the Entente Powers.  That is how it happened.

Whenever we Turks become imbued with patriotism there is no
sacrifice we will not make.  At the beginning of the War, we spilled a
flood of blood at Çanakkale and, with the heroism we displayed,
secured a great and magnificent victory, after the many defeats of the
last three centuries.  In particular, our defense of Edirne, Yanya and
İşkodra the year before was not enough to clean away the stain on the
Turkish race left by the  Balkan War, but Çanakkale secured our bloody
revenge and proved that we are deserving our our ancestors' warrior
legacy.

With this victory that astonished the world, the heroic Turkish soldiers
defended Istanbul, the capital of Islam for centuries, with just the
bayonets in their hands and the fire in their hearts.  This latest defense
of Istanbul was just as precious as the conquest (1453).  In antiquity
Istanbul was the nexus of two contintents by land and five by sea.  Its
importance has fluxuated depending on events, but it has always been
a vital crossroads for not just military activities, but political and
economic ones, as well. 


"We froze at Sarıkamış and died at Çanakkale for the 
Homeland."

Napoleon said that if the Earth were a single state, Istanbul would be
its capital.  The Great War was a disaster for our reputation but the
silver lining was Çanakkale, where despite all odds we proved our
mettle.  The army of  Moscow impressed the world with its decisive
blow against the Turks at the outset of the War (Battle of Sarıkamış),
but Çanakkale righted that wrong. 

The Bulgarians proved themselves in the Balkan War and the Turks
did the same with the defense of  Çanakkale and there is no need to
look to Berlin for the reason for this success, rather than to look toward
Istanbul.  Our commander's (Enver Paşa) duty was to transform the
victory at Çanakkale to future success, for the good of the nation, and
to beware of events that could inflict sudden damage.  However,
Germany's rashness and arrogance, coupled with the flattery that it
heaped on our commander to inflate his pride, carried the day. 

//END of PART II//