'Military report on Tehran and adjacent Provinces of North-West Persia (including the Caspian Littoral)' [‎265v] (535/610)

484
was dissipated by the sudden evacuation of Manjxl by British
troops on July 30th, which laid open a wider field to enemy
activities. Detachments of gendarmerie had been posted on
the passes on the principal mule routes leading from the Caspian
to Kazvin and Tehran, but the rumour of the approach of a
Jangali-Bolshevik raiding party was sufficient to frighten them
out of Alamut North East of Kazvin and they inspired no con
fidence. An offensive was, however, soon undertaken by the
Cossacks and their advance and capture of Rasht on 23rd August
showed that the enemy were less formidable than had
been supposed. With the advent of winter and an early and
heavy snowfall the mountain mule tracks were rendered impass
able and the Manjll-Kazvin road was the only line of approach
from the 1 Caspian, and that was now held by British detach
ments between Manjil and Nuqlabar. The enemy forces,
including Russians, Azarbaijanis and Persians were estimated
at about 5,000. It had been suggested after the dismissal of the
Russian officers from the Cossacks that a British offensive should
be undertaken with the object of clearing the enemy out of
Gilan, but the British Government in view of their decision to
withdraw the British Forces in the following spring were averse
to any further commitments in this area, and to precipitating
a conflict with the Bolsheviks, with whom, despite grave pro
vocation, they were not openly at war.
British Military The evacuation was delayed by the long and severe winter,
IkwtKPereia it was completed without interference from Kazvin by 28th
April and from Hamadan by 9 th May. The North Persian
Force were followed to railhead at Quraitu on the Mesopotamian
border by the Persian Lines of Communication troops (Head
quarters Kirmanshah) and no British troops were left in North
Persia,
Their positions between Manjll and Rasht had been taken
over on 14th April by the Persian Cossacks to whom 14 British
officers were attached. Much anxiety had been felt as to Bol
shevik intentions, but they carried out their undertaking ex
pressed in the Rnsso-Persian Treaty to withdraw the Soviet
troops after the British evacuation, and they handed over their
line in Gilan to the Jangalls. Kuchik Khan, Khalu Qurban
and Ihsanullah Khan had temporarily sunk their differences
and their united forces amounted to about 4,000 with 60 machine
guns and Russian arms and equipment.
Hitherto Saiyid Zia-ud-Din’s Government had not encounter
ed any active hostility. In Tehran the leading grandees were
1 Apprehensions were entertained of a Turko-Bolshevik offensive from the
North into Azarbaijan, but this did not materialize.
amt, and th
lijril tie Goven
sited k Colonel
»! pdamerie
s Prince Sarim-i
tlfril and sent k
i eler ken
'ifnunent.
If departure <
U on the Tel
"swble to mai
S Ilian, who t
^(granting of
’4«acks as pi
^ossack conu
^ {t ofWar, ai