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Wilhelm Leopold Colmar Freiherr von der Goltz (12 August 1843 – 19 April 1916), also known as ''Goltz
Pasha Pasha, Pacha or Paşa ( ota, پاشا; tr, paşa; sq, Pashë; ar, باشا), in older works sometimes anglicized as bashaw, was a higher rank in the Ottoman Empire, Ottoman political and military system, typically granted to governors, gener ...
'', was a
Prussia Prussia, , Old Prussian: ''Prūsa'' or ''Prūsija'' was a German state on the southeast coast of the Baltic Sea. It formed the German Empire under Prussian rule when it united the German states in 1871. It was ''de facto'' dissolved by an em ...
n
Field Marshal Field marshal (or field-marshal, abbreviated as FM) is the most senior military rank, ordinarily senior to the general officer ranks. Usually, it is the highest rank in an army and as such few persons are appointed to it. It is considered as ...
and military writer.


Military career

Goltz was born in ,
East Prussia East Prussia ; german: Ostpreißen, label=Low Prussian; pl, Prusy Wschodnie; lt, Rytų Prūsija was a province of the Kingdom of Prussia from 1773 to 1829 and again from 1878 (with the Kingdom itself being part of the German Empire from 187 ...
(later renamed Goltzhausen; now Ivanovka, in Polessky District,
Kaliningrad Oblast Kaliningrad Oblast (russian: Калинингра́дская о́бласть, translit=Kaliningradskaya oblast') is the westernmost federal subject of Russia. It is a semi-exclave situated on the Baltic Sea. The largest city and administr ...
), into the impoverished
Von der Goltz Von der Goltz is the name of an old and influential German noble family whose members occupied many important positions in the Kingdom of Prussia and later in the German Empire. History The family can trace their lineage from East Brandenburg ...
noble family. He grew up at the manor house of Fabiansfelde near
Preußisch Eylau Bagrationovsk (russian: Багратио́новск; german: Preußisch Eylau; pl, Pruska Iława or '; lt, Ylava or ') is a town and the administrative center of Bagrationovsky District in Kaliningrad Oblast, Russia, located close to the borde ...
, which had been bought by his father in 1844. His father spent some nineteen years in the
Prussian Army The Royal Prussian Army (1701–1919, german: Königlich Preußische Armee) served as the army of the Kingdom of Prussia. It became vital to the development of Brandenburg-Prussia as a European power. The Prussian Army had its roots in the co ...
without rising above the rank of lieutenant, and his efforts at farming were similarly unfruitful, and he eventually succumbed to
cholera Cholera is an infection of the small intestine by some strains of the bacterium ''Vibrio cholerae''. Symptoms may range from none, to mild, to severe. The classic symptom is large amounts of watery diarrhea that lasts a few days. Vomiting and ...
while on a trip to Danzig (now
Gdańsk Gdańsk ( , also ; ; csb, Gduńsk;Stefan Ramułt, ''Słownik języka pomorskiego, czyli kaszubskiego'', Kraków 1893, Gdańsk 2003, ISBN 83-87408-64-6. , Johann Georg Theodor Grässe, ''Orbis latinus oder Verzeichniss der lateinischen Benen ...
) when Colmar was six years old. Goltz entered the Prussian infantry in 1861 as a second lieutenant with the 5th East Prussian Infantry Regiment Number 41, in
Königsberg Königsberg (, ) was the historic Prussian city that is now Kaliningrad, Russia. Königsberg was founded in 1255 on the site of the ancient Old Prussian settlement ''Twangste'' by the Teutonic Knights during the Northern Crusades, and was named ...
(now
Kaliningrad Kaliningrad ( ; rus, Калининград, p=kəlʲɪnʲɪnˈɡrat, links=y), until 1946 known as Königsberg (; rus, Кёнигсберг, Kyonigsberg, ˈkʲɵnʲɪɡzbɛrk; rus, Короле́вец, Korolevets), is the largest city and ...
). During 1864 he was on border duty at
Toruń )'' , image_skyline = , image_caption = , image_flag = POL Toruń flag.svg , image_shield = POL Toruń COA.svg , nickname = City of Angels, Gingerbread city, Copernicus Town , pushpin_map = Kuyavian-Pom ...
, after which he entered the Berlin Military Academy, but was temporarily withdrawn in 1866 to serve in the
Austro-Prussian War The Austro-Prussian War, also by many variant names such as Seven Weeks' War, German Civil War, Brothers War or Fraternal War, known in Germany as ("German War"), (; "German war of brothers") and by a variety of other names, was fought in 186 ...
, in which he was wounded at
Trautenau Trutnov (; german: Trautenau) is a town in the Hradec Králové Region of the Czech Republic. It has about 29,000 inhabitants. The town centre is well preserved and is protected by law as an urban monument zone. Administrative parts Trutnov is ...
. In 1867 he joined the
topographical Topography is the study of the forms and features of land surfaces. The topography of an area may refer to the land forms and features themselves, or a description or depiction in maps. Topography is a field of geoscience and planetary sci ...
section of the general staff, and at the beginning of the Franco-Prussian War of 1870-71 was attached to the staff of
Prince Frederick Charles A prince is a male ruler (ranked below a king, grand prince, and grand duke) or a male member of a monarch's or former monarch's family. ''Prince'' is also a title of nobility (often highest), often hereditary, in some European states. The ...
, commanding general of the Prussian Second Army. He took part in the battles of
Vionville Vionville () is a former commune in the Moselle department in Grand Est in north-eastern France. On 1 January 2019, it was merged into the new commune Rezonville-Vionville. The battle of Vionville (Rezonville or Mars-la-Tour) was fought here ...
and
Gravelotte Gravelotte (; german: Gravelotte) is a commune in the Moselle department in Grand Est in north-eastern France, 11 km west of Metz. It is part of the functional area (''aire d'attraction'') of Metz. Its population is 827 (2019). From 1871 ...
and in the siege of Metz. After Metz fell he served under Prince Friedrich Karl of Prussia in the campaign of the Loire, including the battles of Orleans and
Le Mans Le Mans (, ) is a city in northwestern France on the Sarthe River where it meets the Huisne. Traditionally the capital of the province of Maine, it is now the capital of the Sarthe department and the seat of the Roman Catholic diocese of Le Man ...
. Goltz was appointed professor at the military school at
Potsdam Potsdam () is the capital and, with around 183,000 inhabitants, largest city of the German state of Brandenburg. It is part of the Berlin/Brandenburg Metropolitan Region. Potsdam sits on the River Havel, a tributary of the Elbe, downstream of B ...
in 1871, promoted to captain, and placed in the historical section of the
general staff A military staff or general staff (also referred to as army staff, navy staff, or air staff within the individual services) is a group of officers, enlisted and civilian staff who serve the commander of a division or other large military un ...
. It was then that he wrote ''Die Operationen der II. Armee bis zur Capitulation von Metz'' (''The Operations of the Second Army until the surrender of Metz'') and ''Die Sieben Tage von Le Mans'' (''The Seven Days of Le Mans''), both published in 1873. In 1874 he was appointed first general staff officer (Ia) of the 6th Division, and while so employed wrote ''Die Operationen der II. Armee an der Loire'' (''The Operations of the Second Army on the Loire'') and ''Léon Gambetta und seine Armeen'' (''Léon Gambetta and his armies''), 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. Goltz stressed how, despite the rapid initial victory against the Imperial French forces at the
Battle of Sedan The Battle of Sedan was fought during the Franco-Prussian War from 1 to 2 September 1870. Resulting in the capture of Emperor Napoleon III and over a hundred thousand troops, it effectively decided the war in favour of Prussia and its allies, ...
, the new French Republic had been able to mobilise national will for a ("War of the People") which dragged on for many more months (the Siege of Paris, 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
Léon Gambetta Léon Gambetta (; 2 April 1838 – 31 December 1882) was a French lawyer and republican politician who proclaimed the French Third Republic in 1870 and played a prominent role in its early government. Early life and education Born in Cahors, Ga ...
'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.Akmeșe, Handan Nezir ''The Birth of Modern Turkey The Ottoman Military and the March to World I'', London: I.B. Tauris page 22 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
total war Total war is a type of warfare that includes any and all civilian-associated resources and infrastructure as legitimate military targets, mobilizes all of the resources of society to fight the war, and gives priority to warfare over non-combata ...
.Akmeșe, Handan Nezir ''The Birth of Modern Turkey The Ottoman Military and the March to World I'', London: I.B. Tauris page 22 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, ''Roßbach und Jena'' (new and revised edition, ''Von Rossbach bis Jena und Auerstadt'', 1906) and '' Das Volk in Waffen'' (''The Nation in Arms''), both of which quickly became military classics. The latter also became the theoretical handbook of the
Argentine Army The Argentine Army ( es, Ejército Argentino, EA) is the land force branch of the Armed Forces of the Argentine Republic and the senior military service of Argentina. Under the Argentine Constitution, the president of Argentina is the commander- ...
, and in 1910 Goltz headed the German diplomatic mission to the
Argentina Centennial The Argentina Centennial was celebrated on May 25, 1910. It was the 100th anniversary of the May Revolution, when viceroy Baltasar Hidalgo de Cisneros was ousted from office and replaced with the Primera Junta, the first national government. Co ...
. During his residence in Berlin, Gilt contributed many articles to military journals. The ideas that Goltz first introduced in ''Léon Gambetta und seine Armeen'' were further expanded in ''The Nation in Arms'', where he argued: 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."Akmeșe, Handan Nezir ''The Birth of Modern Turkey The Ottoman Military and the March to World I'', London: I.B. Tauris page 22 To that end, Goltz thought society needed to be militarized in peacetime on an unprecedented level, and what was required was "the full amalgamation of military and civilian life."Akmeșe, Handan Nezir ''The Birth of Modern Turkey The Ottoman Military and the March to World I'', London: I.B. Tauris page 22 Goltz was a militarist,
Social Darwinist Social Darwinism refers to various theories and societal practices that purport to apply biological concepts of natural selection and survival of the fittest to sociology, economics and politics, and which were largely defined by scholars in W ...
and ultra-nationalist who believed war was necessary, desirable and inevitable.Akmeșe, Handan Nezir ''The Birth of Modern Turkey The Ottoman Military and the March to World I'', London: I.B. Tauris page 22 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.Akmeșe, Handan Nezir ''The Birth of Modern Turkey The Ottoman Military and the March to World I'', London: I.B. Tauris page 22 Goltz, who saw the carnage of war as the most beautiful thing in the world wrote: "It aris an expression of the energy and self-respect which a nation possesses.... Perpetual peace means perpetual death!"Akmeșe, Handan Nezir ''The Birth of Modern Turkey The Ottoman Military and the March to World I'', London: I.B. Tauris page 22


Service with the Ottoman Empire

Defeated in the
Russo-Turkish War (1877–1878) The Russo-Turkish War of 1877–1878 ( tr, 93 Harbi, lit=War of ’93, named for the year 1293 in the Islamic calendar; russian: Русско-турецкая война, Russko-turetskaya voyna, "Russian–Turkish war") was a conflict between th ...
, Sultan Abdülhamid II, of the
Ottoman Empire The Ottoman Empire, * ; is an archaic version. The definite article forms and were synonymous * and el, Оθωμανική Αυτοκρατορία, Othōmanikē Avtokratoria, label=none * info page on book at Martin Luther University) ...
, asked for German help to reorganize the
Ottoman Army The military of the Ottoman Empire ( tr, Osmanlı İmparatorluğu'nun silahlı kuvvetleri) was the armed forces of the Ottoman Empire. Army The military of the Ottoman Empire can be divided in five main periods. The foundation era covers the ...
, so that it would be able to resist the advance of the
Russian Empire The Russian Empire was an empire and the final period of the Russian monarchy from 1721 to 1917, ruling across large parts of Eurasia. It succeeded the Tsardom of Russia following the Treaty of Nystad, which ended the Great Northern War. ...
. 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: 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.Akmeșe, Handan Nezir ''The Birth of Modern Turkey The Ottoman Military and the March to World I'', London: I.B. Tauris page 23 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 military and political life.Akmeșe, Handan Nezir ''The Birth of Modern Turkey The Ottoman Military and the March to World I'', London: I.B. Tauris page 24 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
Pasha Pasha, Pacha or Paşa ( ota, پاشا; tr, paşa; sq, Pashë; ar, باشا), in older works sometimes anglicized as bashaw, was a higher rank in the Ottoman Empire, Ottoman political and military system, typically granted to governors, gener ...
(a signal honor for a non-Muslim) and in 1895, just before he returned to Germany, he was named
Mushir ( ar, مشير) is an Arabic word meaning "counsellor" or "advisor". It is related to the word shura, meaning consultation or "taking counsel". As an official title, it historically indicates a personal advisor to the ruler. In this use it is ...
(field-marshal). His improvements to the Ottoman army were significant. It is noteworthy that in the
Greco-Turkish War (1897) The Greco-Turkish War of 1897 or the Ottoman-Greek War of 1897 ( or ), also called the Thirty Days' War and known in Greece as the Black '97 (, ''Mauro '97'') or the Unfortunate War ( el, Ατυχής πόλεμος, Atychis polemos), was a w ...
, the Turkish army stopped just before
Thermopylae Thermopylae (; Ancient Greek and Katharevousa: (''Thermopylai'') , Demotic Greek (Greek): , (''Thermopyles'') ; "hot gates") is a place in Greece where a narrow coastal passage existed in antiquity. It derives its name from its hot sulphur ...
, only after Czar
Nicholas II of Russia Nicholas II or Nikolai II Alexandrovich Romanov; spelled in pre-revolutionary script. ( 186817 July 1918), known in the Russian Orthodox Church as Saint Nicholas the Passion-Bearer,. was the last Emperor of Russia, King of Congress Pola ...
threatened the Ottoman Sultan that he would be attacking the Ottoman Empire from eastern
Anatolia Anatolia, tr, Anadolu Yarımadası), and the Anatolian plateau, also known as Asia Minor, is a large peninsula in Western Asia and the westernmost protrusion of the Asian continent. It constitutes the major part of modern-day Turkey. The re ...
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 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.Akmeșe, Handan Nezir ''The Birth of Modern Turkey The Ottoman Military and the March to World I'', London: I.B. Tauris page 26 In an 1899 letter to Colonel Pertev Beyone, one of his protégés, Goltz wrote: 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, industrialization, prosperity, liberalism and Social Democracy, something that he believed was rendering the next generation of Germans increasing unfit for the test of war.Akmeșe, Handan Nezir ''The Birth of Modern Turkey The Ottoman Military and the March to World I'', London: I.B. Tauris page 27 In articles he published in Germany on the
Macedonian Question The region of Macedonia is known to have been inhabited since Paleolithic times. Еarliest historical inhabitants The earliest historical inhabitants of the region were the Pelasgians, the Bryges and the Thracians. The Pelasgians occupied E ...
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
Internal Macedonian Revolutionary Organization The Internal Macedonian Revolutionary Organization (IMRO; bg, Вътрешна Македонска Революционна Организация (ВМРО), translit=Vatrešna Makedonska Revoljucionna Organizacija (VMRO); mk, Внатр ...
. 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
Egypt Egypt ( ar, مصر , ), officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, is a transcontinental country spanning the northeast corner of Africa and southwest corner of Asia via a land bridge formed by the Sinai Peninsula. It is bordered by the Mediter ...
to take the
Suez Canal The Suez Canal ( arz, قَنَاةُ ٱلسُّوَيْسِ, ') is an artificial sea-level waterway in Egypt, connecting the Mediterranean Sea to the Red Sea through the Isthmus of Suez and dividing Africa and Asia. The long canal is a popular ...
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.Akmeșe, Handan Nezir ''The Birth of Modern Turkey The Ottoman Military and the March to World I'', London: I.B. Tauris page 28 Goltz was greatly impressed with Japan’s victory in the
Russo-Japanese War The Russo-Japanese War ( ja, 日露戦争, Nichiro sensō, Japanese-Russian War; russian: Ру́сско-япóнская войнá, Rússko-yapónskaya voyná) was fought between the Empire of Japan and the Russian Empire during 1904 and 1 ...
, 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 "
Yellow Peril The Yellow Peril (also the Yellow Terror and the Yellow Specter) is a racist, racial color terminology for race, color metaphor that depicts the peoples of East Asia, East and Southeast Asia as an existential danger to the Western world. As a ...
" 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."Akmeșe, Handan Nezir ''The Birth of Modern Turkey The Ottoman Military and the March to World I'', London: I.B. Tauris page 29 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." 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 (''Generaloberst''). Goltz welcomed the
Young Turk Revolution The Young Turk Revolution (July 1908) was a constitutionalist revolution in the Ottoman Empire. The Committee of Union and Progress (CUP), an organization of the Young Turks movement, forced Sultan Abdul Hamid II to restore the Ottoman Constit ...
of 1908, which should come as no surprise given that most of the officers leading the revolution were men he had personally trained.Akmeșe, Handan Nezir ''The Birth of Modern Turkey The Ottoman Military and the March to World I'', London: I.B. Tauris page 66 Goltz wrote about this revolution of 1908: 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 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. 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 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
Committee of Union and Progress The Committee of Union and Progress (CUP) ( ota, اتحاد و ترقى جمعيتی, translit=İttihad ve Terakki Cemiyeti, script=Arab), later the Union and Progress Party ( ota, اتحاد و ترقى فرقه‌سی, translit=İttihad ve Tera ...
: "Be powerful so you will not be subject to injustice."Akmeșe, Handan Nezir ''The Birth of Modern Turkey The Ottoman Military and the March to World I'', London: I.B. Tauris page 67 In 1910, Goltz advised Pertev to create a para-military youth organization that would serve to Goltz further added that the purpose of education of youth was Following the 1911 manœuvres Goltz was promoted to ''
Generalfeldmarschall ''Generalfeldmarschall'' (from Old High German ''marahscalc'', "marshal, stable master, groom"; en, general field marshal, field marshal general, or field marshal; ; often abbreviated to ''Feldmarschall'') was a rank in the armies of several ...
'' (Field Marshal), and retired from active service in 1913. In 1911 he founded the ''Jungdeutschlandbund'' (Young German League), an
umbrella organization An umbrella organization is an association of (often related, industry-specific) institutions who work together formally to coordinate activities and/or pool resources. In business, political, and other environments, it provides resources and ofte ...
of right-wing German youth associations.


Recalled from retirement: World War I


In German service (1914–1915)

At the outbreak of the First World War Goltz was recalled to duty and appointed the military governor of Belgium. 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
Martin Gilbert Sir Martin John Gilbert (25 October 1936 – 3 February 2015) was a British historian and honorary Fellow of Merton College, Oxford. He was the author of eighty-eight books, including works on Winston Churchill, the 20th century, and Jewish h ...
notes in ''The First World War,'' 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 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." Goltz' actions were praised by
Adolf Hitler Adolf Hitler (; 20 April 188930 April 1945) was an Austrian-born German politician who was dictator of Nazi Germany, Germany from 1933 until Death of Adolf Hitler, his death in 1945. Adolf Hitler's rise to power, He rose to power as the le ...
, who in September 1941 linked Nazi atrocities in Eastern Europe with those in Belgium during World War I.


In Ottoman service (1915–1916)

Soon afterward Goltz gave up that position and became a military aide to the essentially powerless Sultan
Mehmed V Mehmed V Reşâd ( ota, محمد خامس, Meḥmed-i ḫâmis; tr, V. Mehmed or ; 2 November 1844 – 3 July 1918) reigned as the 35th and penultimate Ottoman Sultan (). He was the son of Sultan Abdulmejid I. He succeeded his half-brother ...
. Baron von der Goltz did not get along with the head of the German mission to Turkey,
Otto Liman von Sanders Otto Viktor Karl Liman von Sanders (; 17 February 1855 – 22 August 1929) was an Imperial German Army general who served as a military adviser to the Ottoman Army during the First World War. In 1918 he commanded an Ottoman army during the Sin ...
, nor was he liked by the real power in the Ottoman Government,
Enver Pasha İsmail Enver, better known as Enver Pasha ( ota, اسماعیل انور پاشا; tr, İsmail Enver Paşa; 22 November 1881 – 4 August 1922) was an Ottoman military officer, revolutionary, and convicted war criminal who formed one-third ...
. Despite the mutual dislike, in mid-October 1915, with the British under General Townshend advancing on
Baghdad Baghdad (; ar, بَغْدَاد , ) is the capital of Iraq and the second-largest city in the Arab world after Cairo. It is located on the Tigris near the ruins of the ancient city of Babylon and the Sassanid Persian capital of Ctesiphon ...
, Enver Pasha put Goltz in charge of the Sixth Army (see the
Mesopotamian Campaign The Mesopotamian campaign was a campaign in the Middle Eastern theatre of World War I fought between the Allies represented by the British Empire, troops from Britain, Australia and the vast majority from British India, against the Central Powe ...
). Baron von der Goltz was in command at the Battle of Ctesiphon, 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
Siege of Kut The siege of Kut Al Amara (7 December 1915 – 29 April 1916), also known as the first battle of Kut, was the besieging of an 8,000 strong British Army garrison in the town of Kut, south of Baghdad, by the Ottoman Army. In 1915, its population ...
). Much like
Julius Caesar Gaius Julius Caesar (; ; 12 July 100 BC – 15 March 44 BC), was a Roman general and statesman. A member of the First Triumvirate, Caesar led the Roman armies in the Gallic Wars before defeating his political rival Pompey in a civil war, and ...
's legions at the Battle of Alesia, the Turkish 6th Army under the command of
Halil Kut Halil Kut (1881 – 20 August 1957) was an Ottoman Turkish military commander and politician. He served in the Ottoman army during World War I, notably taking part in the military campaigns against Russia in the Caucasus and the British in Me ...
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 The Battle of Wadi, The Battle of Hanna, and the
Battle of Dujaila The Battle of Dujaila ( tr, Sâbis Muharebesi) was fought on 8 March 1916, between British and Ottoman forces during the First World War. The Ottoman forces, led by Colmar Freiherr von der Goltz were besieging Kut, when the Anglo-Indian relief ...
.


Armenian Genocide

During the 1915 campaign of the Russians in eastern
Anatolia Anatolia, tr, Anadolu Yarımadası), and the Anatolian plateau, also known as Asia Minor, is a large peninsula in Western Asia and the westernmost protrusion of the Asian continent. It constitutes the major part of modern-day Turkey. The re ...
, German officers had recommended the selected deportation of the local Armenian population in Eastern
Anatolia Anatolia, tr, Anadolu Yarımadası), and the Anatolian plateau, also known as Asia Minor, is a large peninsula in Western Asia and the westernmost protrusion of the Asian continent. It constitutes the major part of modern-day Turkey. The re ...
, in case the Russian advance caused an uprising. When
Enver Pasha İsmail Enver, better known as Enver Pasha ( ota, اسماعیل انور پاشا; tr, İsmail Enver Paşa; 22 November 1881 – 4 August 1922) was an Ottoman military officer, revolutionary, and convicted war criminal who formed one-third ...
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 deportations were not halted. It was a measure of Goltz's stature in the
Ottoman Empire The Ottoman Empire, * ; is an archaic version. The definite article forms and were synonymous * and el, Оθωμανική Αυτοκρατορία, Othōmanikē Avtokratoria, label=none * info page on book at Martin Luther University) ...
that he, as a foreign military officer, was able, if briefly, to influence domestic policy. However, he was able to effect only a temporary reprieve, and then only in
Mesopotamia Mesopotamia ''Mesopotamíā''; ar, بِلَاد ٱلرَّافِدَيْن or ; syc, ܐܪܡ ܢܗܪ̈ܝܢ, or , ) is a historical region of Western Asia situated within the Tigris–Euphrates river system, in the northern part of the F ...
. It would have been almost unheard of for a soldier to resign during wartime, and in the end Goltz did not do so.


Death

Goltz died on 19 April 1916, just about two weeks before the British in Kut surrendered on the 29 April. The official reason for his death was
typhus Typhus, also known as typhus fever, is a group of infectious diseases that include epidemic typhus, scrub typhus, and murine typhus. Common symptoms include fever, headache, and a rash. Typically these begin one to two weeks after exposure. ...
, although apparently there were rumors that he had been poisoned.Barker, A. J., ''The First Iraq War: 1914-1918, Britain's Mesopotamian Campaign'' (Enigma Books, 2009), 228 In accordance with his will, he was buried in the grounds of the German Consulate in
Tarabya Tarabya ( ota, Tarabiye, el, Θεραπειά, translit=Therapiá) is a neighbourhood in the Sarıyer district of Istanbul, Turkey. It is located on the European shoreline of the Bosphorus strait, between the neighbourhoods of Yeniköy and Kir ...
,
Istanbul Istanbul ( , ; tr, İstanbul ), formerly known as Constantinople ( grc-gre, Κωνσταντινούπολις; la, Constantinopolis), is the List of largest cities and towns in Turkey, largest city in Turkey, serving as the country's economic, ...
, overlooking the
Bosporus The Bosporus Strait (; grc, Βόσπορος ; tr, İstanbul Boğazı 'Istanbul strait', colloquially ''Boğaz'') or Bosphorus Strait is a natural strait and an internationally significant waterway located in Istanbul in northwestern T ...
. 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
Frederick Stanley Maude Lieutenant-General Sir Frederick Stanley Maude KCB CMG DSO (24 June 1864 – 18 November 1917) was a British Army officer. He is known for his operations in the Mesopotamian campaign during the First World War and for conquering Baghdad in 19 ...
died in the same house in which Goltz had died.


Writing career

From the 1870s until World War I, Baron von der Goltz was more widely read by British and American military leaders than
Clausewitz Carl Philipp Gottfried (or Gottlieb) von Clausewitz (; 1 June 1780 – 16 November 1831) was a Prussian general and military theorist who stressed the "moral", in modern terms meaning psychological, and political aspects of waging war. His mos ...
. In addition to many contributions to military periodicals, he wrote ''Kriegführung'' (1895), later titled ''Krieg und Heerführung'', 1901 (''The Conduct of War'' it. ''War and Army-Leadership''; ''Der Thessalische Krieg'' (''The War in Greece'', 1898); ''Ein Ausflug nach Macedonien'' (1894) (''A Journey through Macedonia''); ''Anatolische Ausflüge'' (1896) (''Anatolian Travels''); a map and description of the environs of Constantinople; ''Von Jena bis Pr. Eylau'' (1907) (''From
Jena Jena () is a German city and the second largest city in Thuringia. Together with the nearby cities of Erfurt and Weimar, it forms the central metropolitan area of Thuringia with approximately 500,000 inhabitants, while the city itself has a popu ...
to Eylau'').


Awards and decorations


See also

* Sigismund von Schlichting *
Julius von Verdy du Vernois Adrian Friedrich Wilhelm Julius Ludwig von Verdy du Vernois (19 July 1832 – 30 September 1910), often given the short name of Verdy, was a German general and staff officer, chiefly noted both for his military writings and his service on ...
*
Bund der Asienkämpfer The Bund der Asienkämpfer (BdAK), more rarely mentioned as Bund Deutscher Asienkämpfer (BDAK), meaning "League of Asian Warriors" or "League of German Asian Warriors", was a Social welfare provision, social welfare organization for German veteran ...


Notes


References

* * * *


Partial list of works

* ''Feldzug 1870-71. Die Operationen der II. Armee''. Berlin, 1873. * ''Angeline''. Stuttgart, 1877. * ''Leon Gambetta und seine Armee''. Berlin, 1877. * ''Rossbach und Jena. Studien über die Zustände und das geistige Leben der preußischen Armee während der Uebergangszeit von XVIII. zum XIX. Jahrhundert''. Berlin, 1883. * ''Das Volk in Waffen, ein Buch über Heerwesen und Kriegführung unserer Zeit.'' Berlin, 1883. * ''Ein Ausflug nach Macedonien.'' Berlin, 1894. * ''Kriegführung. Kurze Lehre ihrer wichtigsten Grundsätze und Formen''. Berlin, 1895. * ''Anatolische Ausflüge, Reisebilder von Colmar Freiherr v. d. Goltz; mit 37 Bildern und 18 Karten.'' Berlin, 1896. * ''Krieg- und Heerführung.'' Berlin, 1901. * ''Von Rossbach bis Jena und Auerstedt; ein Beitrag zur Geschichte des preussischen Heeres''. Berlin, 1906. * ''Von Jena bis Pr. Eylau, des alten preussischen Heeres Schmach und Ehrenrettung; eine kriegsgeschichtliche Studie von Colmar Frhr. v. d. Goltz''. Berlin, 1907. * ''Jung-Deutschland; ein Beitrag zur Frage der Jugendpflege''. Berlin, 1911. * ''Kriegsgeschichte Deutschlands im neunzehnten Jahrhundert''. Berlin, 1910-1912. * ''1813; Blücher und Bonaparte, von Feldmarschall Frhn. v. d. Goltz.''. Stuttgart and Berlin, 1913.


External links


Biography of Baron von der Goltz at First World War.com


* {{DEFAULTSORT:Goltz, Colmar Freiherr Von Der 1843 births 1916 deaths People from Kaliningrad Oblast People from the Province of Prussia German military writers Barons of Germany Pashas German military personnel killed in World War I German Army generals of World War I Field marshals of the German Empire Field marshals of Prussia Members of the Prussian House of Lords Field marshals of the Ottoman Empire German military historians German expatriates in Turkey Deaths from typhus German male non-fiction writers German occupation of Belgium during World War I Recipients of the Pour le Mérite (civil class) Recipients of the Iron Cross (1870), 2nd class Grand Crosses of the Military Merit Order (Bavaria) Chevaliers of the Légion d'honneur Recipients of the Order of the Medjidie, 1st class Recipients of the Gold Imtiyaz Medal Recipients of the Silver Imtiyaz Medal