'Military report on Tehran and adjacent Provinces of North-West Persia (including the Caspian Littoral)' [‎39v] (83/610)

66
Bolshevik occu
pation of Gilafl
Fall of Yusuq
ud-Dauleh’s
Cabinet.
After much negotiations, six ships were admitted
in April, to be interned, and were dismantled. The ^
Bolshevik revolution in Baku in the cn o P • w ithout
a Bolshevik flotilla of 13 ships arrived ofi Enzal^ and, vnthout
warning be<mn to shell the port. General Champam, m com
mandofthe British troops in North West ^sxa, Md^ force,
at Enzali to protect the port, but, as it was desirab
if possible, any action which might lead to a
of war, he opened negotiations and + a g r + ee ^ a f ^ t ^ot to
withdrawal of his troops under an armistice to Ran ^ a * •
offer resistance to the Bolsheviks entering Enza ,, • ex .
the interned ships—which was the professed purpose of the
pedition. The ships were removed, but the Bolsheviks ^mained
and seized all British stores at Enzali. Whdst enqu: y
being made of Moscow and Baku as to the cause o
sion, the British troops were withdrawn from Rasht * ^r
Thus an undefined Bolshevik menace was hanging -
Persia when the Shah returned, by way of the EersianGu
to his capital in May 1920. The Rrltlsh . + fX ^hS'
Norman, who had voyaged as far as Aden wit
arrived in Tehran early in June to relieve Sir Percy L . .
Meantime Vusuq-ud-Dauleh had been obliged Jo part, in
April, with two of his most influential colleagues—Akbar Mirza
Sarim-ud-Dauleh, and Sardar Leader of a tribe or a polity; also refers to a military rank or title given to a commander of an army or division. Mansur, Sipahdar-who had cabalh
ed against him. He was, himself, overworked and «f
and the laxity and corruption which pervaded the whole adm ^
tration had created wide discontent with the Govern! ,
the inertia he had displayed during the last few mon s ’‘
failure to take action regarding the Bolsheviks, to make J
himself with the execution of the Anglo-Persian agreemen
to summon the Majlis, had alienated British support, and it was
feared that his retention in office might provoke an emeute.
So soon as he had satisfied himself that the Shah was dis
posed to confide the affairs of the country to other hands he
tendered his resignation, and his Ministry came to an end m
June 1920.
Events were moving rapidly in Persia while this hook was
at press, and Appendix D (page 479) hfjs been added to cam o
the historical sketch to the end of 1921.