"تاريخ الحرب الكبرى استنادًا إلى وثائق رسمية. الحملة في بلاد الرافدين ١٩١٤-١٩١٨. مجلد I" [ظ‎‎٢‎٣] (٤٥٤/٥١)

26 HISTORY OF THE WAR : MESOPOTAMIA
in return for his services, received a grant of land at Fao and
an annuity. This fact—put forward by the Turks as implying
their suzerainty over Kuwait—led till recent years to various
unsuccessful attempts by the Turks to exercise pressure to
obtain what they professed to be their rights in this area.
Thus, when war broke out, his interests had forced the Shaikh
of Kuwait into a definitely anti-Turkish attitude.
To turn to the Turkish Army, the following summarised
description is based upon information collected before, during
and after the war and may not be wholly accurate. In 1914,
the effects of the Balkan war of 1912-1913 were still manifest
in grave deficiencies in organisation and equipment and added
to the disorganisation caused by the declaration of war ; during
the war many new formations were called into being, some of
them to replace others captured or decimated, and there was
often consequent confusion as to title numbers of units and
formations. The numbers and armament of the Turkish
forces at any fixed time cannot be estimated with entire
accuracy ; their own figures, obtained during and after the
war, are often unreliable ; desertions were rife, and disease
was constant and often of an epidemic nature, causing sudden
and considerable reductions; casualties were frequently not
reported ; and fraudulent returns were not unknown.
The Musalman Turk is courageous, enduring and obedient,
and makes an excellent private soldier. Although in 1914
his prestige had been somewhat lowered by the events of the
Balkan war, in the Dardanelles, Palestine and Mesopotamia he
proved to be a formidable opponent.
The reorganisation of the Turkish army was undertaken by
Germany in 1882. Colonel Kohler, who commenced the work,
died in 1883 and was succeeded by Lieutenant-Colonel von der
Goltz. The latter “was appointed sub-chief of the General
Staff as well as Inspector-General of Education, and in this
double capacity effected all that was, humanly speaking,
possible in a country like Turkey, where the reformer usually
finds more obstacles than encouragement.”*
The system introduced by von der Goltz held good, with
certain modifications, up to the year 1911, when a fresh
organisation was adopted on the advice of the same officer,
under which the Empire, excluding the Red Sea provinces
and Iripoli in Africa, was divided into four Ordus or Army
Inspections.
Foundations of Reform,” by the Military Correspondent of ” The Times.”