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The Moltke Myth in German–Turkish relation
Author(s) -
Stein Oliver
Publication year - 2019
Publication title -
history compass
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.121
H-Index - 1
ISSN - 1478-0542
DOI - 10.1111/hic3.12582
Subject(s) - turkish , german , ottoman empire , friendship , contradiction , mythology , relation (database) , classics , history , empire , ancient history , political science , psychology , law , philosophy , archaeology , social psychology , computer science , epistemology , linguistics , politics , database
Helmuth von Moltke, who worked in the Ottoman Empire between 1835 and 1839, is generally considered the founder of German–Turkish friendship. However, it is forgotten that close relations between Prussia and the Ottoman Empire began under Frederick the Great. This article will deal with Moltke's role in Prussian–Ottoman relations on the basis of literature, testimonies, and files. Here, the contradiction between the low importance of his activity in the Ottoman Empire and the well‐kept myth of his person as a central identification figure for the German–Turkish relations becomes clear. The study focuses on the German perspective but also incorporates the Turkish Moltke myth.