'Military report on Tehran and adjacent Provinces of North-West Persia (including the Caspian Littoral)' [‎24v] (53/610)

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came from Baghdad to Tehran escorted with great eclat by the
Gendarmerie with a large cortege and a plentiful supply of
money and munitions, and, to avoid a conflict wuth the Turks,
the Persian Cossack detachment had been ordered to leave
Kirmanshah 1 and the British and Russian colonies had decided
to accompany them. Conditions in Hamadan, Sultanabad,
Isfahan, were also menacing, while Wassmuss, the German
Consul at Shiraz, was creating trouble in Shiraz and Pars and
had gained the support of the Democrats.
The Majlis had become thoroughly pro-Turk and German
and was dominated by the ‘ Democrats,’ who, at any rate until
the Russian ultimatums 2 of 1911, had been friendly disposed
towards Great Britain, but now became anti-ally ‘ Nationalists ’
with the cry of “ Persia for the Persians.”
The Cabinet was too weak to take any action, and Persians
generally, while as yet having no idea of severing relations
with Great Britain and Russia, which would involve an imme
diate stoppage of trade and probability of ultimate retribution
from those powers, delighted at seeing the Russians flouted
with impunity and would not countenance any attempt to
check German activity.
After the arrival of some Russian reinforcements at Kazvin,
not, however, in sufficient force to control the situtation, the
centre of German activity shifted in June to Isfahan, where 30
Austrians, who had escaped from Transcaspia, were the nucleus
for an irregular force. The Germans were busy in other places
also in raising Persian levies.
The number of Germans and Austrians near Isfahan increased
to 300 with a plentiful supply of arms and a wireless installation.
The Russian Bank Manager at Isfahan had been murdered in
May ; the British Residency An office of the East India Company and, later, of the British Raj, established in the provinces and regions considered part of, or under the influence of, British India. at Bushire was attacked and in
August Bushire was occupied by a British force ; an attempt
was made on the life of the British Consul-General at Isfahan
and in September the British and Russian colonies evacuated
the town; the British and Russian Consuls attempting to return
to Kirmanshah were attacked en route by the German Consul
at Kangavar and obliged to go back to Hamadan; the Gendar
merie practically became an enemy force and were assisting
the Germans in the importation of arms ; numerous parties
of Germans arrived in Tehran from Baghdad and popular
orators were declaiming against the allies.
1 The Turks, however, delayed their advance beyond Karind, as their irregulars
toy pillaging m that neighbourhood had aroused anti-Turkish feeling. In June
h-htmg occurred between the Karindis and Turks and the latter were ejected.
a See para. 3, page 30.