'Military report on Tehran and adjacent Provinces of North-West Persia (including the Caspian Littoral)' [‎32r] (68/610)

It was becoming evident, toward the end of 1917, that the Russian
barrier between East and West created by the contact of the
British Expeditionary force in Mesopotamia, with the Kussian
Expeditionary force under General Baratoff (holding t e
Enzall-Kirmanshah line in Persia) would soon give way by reason
of the dispersion of General Baratoff s army under stress of the
debacle in Russia. Thus a door would be opened to Central
Persia, and the East, for enemy emissaries and enemy propa
ganda—and even for the Turkish forces which were already
pressing forward on the heels of the Russians m full retreat
everywhere from Van to the Black Sea—just at the moment
when allied influence in Tehran, which since the autumn of
1915 had been fairly well maintained through the presence of
Russian troops in Northern Persia, was waning.
Further, the allies wished to support the provisional Govern
ment which had been formed in the Caucasus, and the most
ready means of communication with the Caucasus was by,
Baghdad, Kirmanshah and Enzali, to Baku. It had been
decided to send General Dunsterville from India, by this route,
to assist in organizing the national finances and army of tms
new government of a united Caucasus.
In January 1918 the army of General Baratofi was rapidly
breaking up. ^ The Board of Control Formally known as the Board of Commissioners for the Affairs of India, it was established by an Act of Parliament in 1784 to supervise the activities of the East India Company. appointed in the previous
autumn to control the expenditure of the sums advanced by
Great Britain for maintenance of this army was now engage
in providing funds for its gradual evacuation via Enzali, an
operation not completed till mid-April. Persia has not recog
nized how great and costly a service was rendered by Bntem
in securing its withdrawal in a fairly orderly manner The
much smaller force on the Urumieh front, under General Vad-
bolski, freely pillaged the villages on the line of its precipitate
and riotous retreat to Julfa early in January.
It was hoped for a time that a Russian volunteer force of
10,000 men, to be maintained at British expense, could be raised
by Colonel Bicherakoff, and that it would suffice for the purpose
of holding the line of communications in Persia, between Meso
potamia and the Caucasus. Only 3,000 men enrolled in January,
and even that number could not be maintained ; but the force,
served useful purposes during, and for some time after, the
evacuation of General Baratoff s army.
General Dunsterville, and his mission of about 60 officers
and non- Commissioned officers, travelling in armoured cars, were
delayed by bad weather on the journey to Rasht, and did not
arrive until February 18th at Enzali, where he found himself