Muriel Mirak-Weissbach’s new book reassesses the legacy of German general linked to Armenian Genocide
Berghahn Books has announced the publication of A German General and the Armenian Genocide: Otto Liman von Sanders Between Honor and State, the latest work by Muriel Mirak-Weissbach.
The legacy of German General Otto Liman von Sanders remains highly contested in the history of 20th-century Europe and the Middle East. Celebrated for leading the Ottoman Fifth Army in the successful defense of the Dardanelles and Gallipoli in 1915, his lesser-known role in opposing the Young Turks’ genocidal policies—and protecting Armenians, Greeks and Jews—has long been overshadowed by his postwar imprisonment for alleged war crimes in 1919.
In this deeply researched and thought-provoking reassessment, Mirak-Weissbach draws on previously unpublished archival materials to uncover new dimensions of Liman’s story. In doing so, she explores broader ethical questions about individual responsibility during global crises, the moral dilemmas of military conflict and the challenges of justice in the wake of mass atrocities.
Reflecting on the book’s origins, Mirak-Weissbach said: “Before 2015, I had never heard the name of General Otto Liman von Sanders. That year, during the centenary of the Armenian Genocide, a German-Canadian historian, Fred Kautz, contacted me for help regarding a historical controversy surrounding Liman. A military hero buried in a ‘grave of honor’ at the historic Old Cemetery in Darmstadt, Germany, he had recently been stripped of that designation following a historians’ commission review that rejected honors granted solely for military reasons. The commission also alleged that Liman had been complicit in the genocide of Armenians.”
Kautz’s research, however, told a different story—suggesting that Liman had, in fact, intervened to block deportation orders issued by the Young Turk regime, saving thousands of lives.
As an Armenian whose ancestors were massacred and whose orphaned parents were saved by compassionate Turks, Mirak-Weissbach was both dismayed and intrigued. “If this German military leader had also acted to protect Christian minorities, I wanted to know more,” she said. “Why was he not acknowledged for these interventions? Who was he really, and what had he done during the war—and why?”
She discovered that after the armistice, Liman was unlawfully arrested and interned by the British in Malta on charges related to the atrocities, though no formal accusations were ever brought. “Who was responsible for his imprisonment? How did he gain his freedom? Why was he never officially rehabilitated? These questions became not just matters of historical justice but a personal obligation, given my family background. I wanted to set the record straight.”
Despite his significance, Liman has never been the subject of a serious biography, and few historical works examine his actions in detail. Through years of research in government, military, university and family archives—including those of Liman’s descendants—Mirak-Weissbach unearthed the documents necessary to reconstruct his life. Three key documents are included as appendices to the book.
According to her, the archival record reveals that Liman von Sanders was not a perpetrator of the genocide. On the contrary, in more than 10 documented instances, he intervened to halt or reverse deportation orders, and to provide food, shelter and protection for Armenians and Greeks.
These findings, she argues, offer a factual foundation for restoring Liman’s honor. The debate over his legacy extends far beyond the cemetery in Darmstadt, casting a long shadow over every historical account in which his name appears. His imprisonment also offers insight into the postwar actions of the Allied powers and their struggle to define and prosecute war crimes—raising essential questions about the role of the individual in times of collective violence, the tension between duty and morality, and the political and cultural forces that shape the concept of “honor.”
Ultimately, the book confronts a fundamental question: How can genocide be stopped?
Reviews
“This is a very valid inquiry into a multifaceted, fascinating German general during a late-Ottoman era of extremes…Based on primary sources, the author succeeds in giving a sober, but poignant portrait of a man of ‘honor’ in times of disregard for human dignity.” —Hans-Lukas Kieser, University of Newcastle, Australia
“The author frames her story as an effort to salvage the reputation of this remarkable person, which she does. Her account of his repeated refusals to obey deportation orders from the Young Turk regime is well-documented, gripping and fast-paced; the behind-the-scenes drama of his imprisonment on Malta appears here for the first time. A book devoted to Liman von Sanders and his ‘honor’ is ideal to assign in upper-level classrooms, for it provokes the question: What would it take to stop genocide?” —Margaret Lavinia Anderson, University of California, Berkeley
Copies of A German General and the Armenian Genocide: Otto Liman von Sanders Between Honor and State are available for purchase from Berghahn’s website. Enter code Mira0387 at the checkout to receive 50% off (valid until August 31).
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