The emperor with our Turkish allies

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Movie
Original title The emperor with our Turkish allies
Country of production German Empire
original language German
Publishing year 1917
length 30 minutes
Rod
production Image and Film Office (Bufa)
occupation

The Kaiser with our Turkish allies or "Our Emperor with the Turkish allies" is a German propaganda film by the Image and Film Office (Bufa) from 1917. It shows the visit of the German Emperor Wilhelm II in Constantinople and reports, among other things, from the battlefields of Gallipoli and is designed to demonstrate the strength, determination and cohesion of the allied nations.

construction

The structure of the film consists of two parts, each of which is divided into 35 different sequences . Before they occur, these sequences usually have an intertitle with the insertion of a text that indicates and describes the events of the following scenario. The film is available in different editions. The version made available by the German Federal Archives has a total playing time of approx. 30 minutes, but there are also versions that last 34 minutes. The 30-minute version of the German Federal Archives was used for the article below.

action

The most important and well-known protagonists in the film play Kaiser Wilhelm II , Sultan Mehmed V and Enver Pascha , the then Minister of War can also be recognized in the film.

The first sequence shows a train pulling into the platform of the Sirkretschi station in Constantinople . A military band plays for the arrival of Kaiser Wilhelm II. The German Kaiser is then greeted by Sultan Mehmed V and the Minister of War Enver Pascha. Sultan Mehmed V and Kaiser Wilhelm II can then be seen walking past the front of honor . Sultan Mehmed introduces various high Turkish dignitaries to the emperor. After the emperor has greeted them, the emperor's entourage is presented.

The emperor is also briefly received by the people. A girl from a higher Turkish girls' school presents the emperor with flowers and greets him with a short speech. After the greeting text is displayed, you can briefly see the girl handing the flowers to the emperor and he then get into a coach or carriage with Sultan Mehmed. Then you can see the emperor's carriages driving through the streets past the front of honor. Turkish flags and flags of the German Empire can be seen everywhere and the streets are splendidly and festively decorated. The streets in Constantinople are very busy and lively on the day of arrival. Everything in the city center is decorated and in the background you can see the holy mosque Hagia Sophia . This is to show that one is happy about the visit of the emperor.

Then you can see the Galata Bridge and Pera can be seen in the background . Turkish naval units can be seen marching on the bridge. They look determined and proud. The bridge is also festively and pompously decorated. This sequence then shows a camera perspective from a carriage or a wagon. You can see how the large crowds gather around the emperor's path. There is a lot of commotion. This is followed by a picture of Stambul . This is still a part of Istanbul today.

The emperor's ways are documented. The emperor and the sultan can be seen returning from an apartment visit. In the center of the picture you can see several carriages accompanied by many riders. After that, the emperor visited the graves of the German Embassy Park of Therapia . These graves are from the fallen German soldiers who died in the war at the time. The emperor reaches the embassy park via a steamer. Accompanied, he disembarks and walks past a small naval honor front. From there it goes to the resting places of Field Marshal von der Goltz-Pascha and Baron Wangenheim. Accompanied, the emperor climbs the stairs and passes another small naval unit. From the resting place, the camera still shows the view of the sea. The emperor himself laid new flowers for the graves, which should indicate the grief and the heavy loss.

From the grave you go straight to the building site intended to build the House of Friendship, Divan Jolu Street. Here the emperor is greeted by men in civilian clothes. Afterwards, the emperor will be demonstrated what the construction plan for the project looks like. The next sequence shows the walkways of the Ewkafs Museum. Accompanied, the emperor walks through the gallery and turns right into a building, then the inner courtyard is shown. In Ewkaf Museum arrived the emperor wears in the Golden Book one. Here, too, the emperor is accompanied by the military. Then comes the departure from the museum in a car. The following shows that the emperor and his companions come out of the mosque and get back into a car.

The subsequent film sequences show shots of busy and festively decorated streets in Istanbul and German naval units marching over the Galata Bridge. Mixed crowds and elaborate decoration of the streets create a harmonious picture that suggests the strong ties between the German Empire and Turkey.

Then there is a cut in the film, the action now takes place on the Turkish warship Yawus Sultan Selim. The emperor reaches the ship and is received by the cheering crew and a marching band. During a conversation between the German Emperor and His Excellency Essad Pascha, there is lively activity on deck. Soldiers rush back and forth behind the interlocutor and seem to be busy with their work. Finally, the Kaiser is escorted from board while dozens of smaller warships can be seen in the background. The cameraman stays on board the Yawus Sultan Selim and films the emperor's casting off boat which is on its way to a tour of Fort Hamidi.

Once there, a Turkish general there gives the emperor a lecture about the course and the scenes of the first years of the war in the Dardanelles . In order to make the lecture as clear as possible, the general illustrated his stories by pointing to the map on the hood and by making direct notes on site.

In order to generally show a picture of the surrounding landscape, attention is now paid to this in several film sections. A tent camp is shown in the steppe and Turkish guards standing on the coast near Ari-Bonur. In the background you can see the island of Imbros , which was occupied by the British . The guards are always on site with binoculars and weapons ready to fight in order to offer resistance in an emergency.

Then it is shown how the emperor drives away in a car. While in the car, His Excellency Djeuad Pascha gives the emperor a lecture on the fighting at Kilid-Bahr , which many men standing around the car eagerly follow.

After the end of the conversation, the action takes place again on board the Yawus Sultan Selim, in addition to the Emperor, His Excellency, Essad Pascha and Enver Pascha, the commander of the German Asia Corps, Colonel von Frankenberg , is now also present.

Again the meeting is presented in a festive way, decorated with music and flags. Before the emperor finally leaves the ship, he hands out awards to the ship's officers and crew.

The boat with which the emperor leaves the Yawus Sultan Selim moored at the quay of the Cheragan Castle, from where the tour of the Hahgia-Sofia started.

The emperor strides out of the mosque in front of his entourage. When he reaches the gate, your wife in a light nurse's dress hands him a large bouquet of flowers. Then you see a close-up of the Haghia-Sofia and how the emperor is driven on in a car.

The end of the film consists of festive parades, in the presence of the janissaries , soldiers, standard-bearers and marching bands. Janissaries stand in front of the Merasimkiosk, the residence of the emperor during his stay, while the emperor descends the stairs of the villa and walks out of the right edge of the screen.

background

Loyal Allies - Field Postcard from the German Reich (1917)

The Ottoman Empire was before the First World War through the Balkan wars of 1912 and 1913 and the coup of the Young Turks in 1908 in an unstable position. In the course of the July crisis of 1914, the war minister Enver Pascha therefore sought cooperation with the German Empire that would strengthen the Ottoman Empire in the long term. The German Reich refused this offer for the first time.

At the end of the July month, however, Kaiser Wilhelm II proposed cooperation. In the event of a war against Russia, the Ottoman Empire should assist the German Empire. In this way, Kaiser Wilhelm II instrumentalized the Ottoman Empire, as they had a good position in global strategy. On August 2, 1914, the alliance treaty was signed without any specific war objectives being agreed in the treaty.

The visit of Kaiser Wilhelm II was intended to reflect and clarify the solidarity of the allies in the First World War. Kaiser Wilhelm also felt himself to be the protector of the “Muslims” for a long time and saw a deep friendship with the Ottoman Empire. The Ottoman Empire and the German Empire had benefited from economic relations on both sides even before the brotherhood in arms . Even if the war situation made it seem hopeless in 1917, the propaganda was still designed to speak for the given alliance. The film shows a typical means of propaganda. In the film it becomes clear how the First World War is harmonized and embellished despite losses and fallen.

Subheads and fade-ins

As usual for silent films, the film uses subtitles. In general, the film is divided into Part I and Part II. A total of 35 subtitles are used to structure the film and to give the viewer information about what has been seen. The film is freely accessible in the film library of the Federal Archives Germany . The Federal Archives do list the subtitles, but the list there is incorrect and difficult to understand.

number Subheads / fade in
part One
1 Presentation of the high Turkish dignitaries
2 Presentation of the Emperor's entourage SM
3 Presentation of flowers by a pupil from a higher Turkish girls' school with the words: “Your Majesty I reverently ask you to accept these flowers as a greeting from the Turkish youth. May your fresh scent be a sign to Your Majesty that our young hearts beat out full of love and admiration for the illustrious friend of our Padishah and our people! "
4th Under the roaring cheers of the crowd, the car, accompanied by a division of the imperial bodyguard, sets in motion.
5 Street life on the day of arrival.
6th On the Galata Bridge in the background Pera
7th View of Stambul
8th Return of the Sultan's SM from the first visit to the Emperor in his new residence
9 The emperor's first exit SM was to visit the graves in the Embassy Park of Therapia .
10 At the resting places of Field Marshal von der Goltz-Pascha and Baron von Wangenheim .
11 Visit to the construction site of the House of Friendship to be built in Divan Jolu
12 In the walkways of the Ewkaf Museum.
13 SM the Kaiser inscribes himself in the golden book of the Ewkaf Museum
14th After visiting the Fatih Mosque
Part II
15th His Majesty crosses the Bosporus in the Staatskaik
16 .... and goes to see the old seraglio.
17th A coffee break in the Medschidkiosk.
18th The emperor's high on board the Yawus Sultan Selim (Goeben)
19th The first morning on board the ship
20th His Majesty goes to visit Hamidi Fort
21st A Turkish general lectures to the emperor about the great battles that took place in the Dardanelles in the first years of the war.
22nd Breakfast in the Ari-Burnu tent camp
23 Turkish watch on the coast at Ari-Burnu. In the background the island of Imbros, occupied by the British.
24 Exc. Djevad Pascha gives SM lecture about the fighting at Kilid-Bahn
25th That by Engl. Fire destroyed Kilid-Bahr
26th S. Exc. Essad Pascha welcomes SM ON BOARD on the second morning.
27 Flag parade
28 The Turkish War Minister Enver Pascha welcomes the commander of the German Asia Corps, Colonel von Frankenberg.
29 Before the departure of Javus Sultan Selim, SM the Kaiser hands out awards to officers and men of the ship.
30th Leaving the ship
31 Arrival at the quay of the Tscheragan castle and continuation to visit some mosques
32 Leaving Haghia Sofia
33 The janissaries in front of the military museum
34 The Janissaries play farewell in front of the Merasimkiosk, the residence SM
35 Departure SM of the emperor from Merasimkiosk

literature

  • Hans Barkhausen: Film Propaganda for Germany - In the First and Second World Wars. Ulm's press, Hildesheim; New York; Zurich. 1982 ISBN 3-487-08243-8 .
  • Jürgen-Klaus Bremm: Propaganda in the First World War. Verlag Theiss, Darmstadt, 2013, ISBN 978-3-8062-2754-3 .
  • Uli Jung: History of Documentary Film in Germany. Volume 1: Empire: 1895–1918. Reclam, Stuttgart, 2005, ISBN 3-15-030031-2 .

Web links

Individual evidence

  1. ^ Early Cinema Data Base , accessed February 24, 2016.
  2. ↑ The Kaiser with our Turkish allies , accessed on February 24, 2016.
  3. ↑ a b c quoted from Doris Götting: The Turkish-German Brotherhood of Arms in the First World War . In: bpb.de. September 1, 2014, accessed February 23, 2016.