"تاريخ الحرب الكبرى استنادًا إلى وثائق رسمية. الحملة في بلاد الرافدين ١٩١٤-١٩١٨. المجلد IV". [ظ‎‎١‎١‎٤] (٥٤٠/٢٣٣)

182 HISTORY OF THE WAR : MESOPOTAMIA
would seem desirable to allow Bicharakoff to go to Baku and to
send with him a British mission, with a suitable escort under
General Dunsterville or another officer, so as to confer with the
Armenians and Bolsheviks, gauge the amount of support to be
reckoned on in case of a Turkish advance, and arrange if
possible for the purchase of the Caspian fleet and for the control
of the oil fields.
From a defensive point of view Baku was favoured by
nature and General Dunsterville considered that he could hold
it if he could get there in time. The people of Baku, who were
then wavering, would be heartened by an assurance of help in
the form of money and troops ; so that General Dunsterville
requested early authority to give them this assurance, which
might, in his opinion, produce great results.
After Bicharakoff had reached Baku, General Dunsterville
wished him to rouse Northern Caucasia. General Marshall
personally would prefer the Russians to remain on the Enzeli
road, but, as their moral deteriorated daily, he did not think
that they could be induced to do so. It was possible, if not
probable, that Bicharakoff might raise more troops in Northern
Caucasia, but General Marshall did not think they would ever
consent to come to Enzeli.
With an increased number of British troops at Kazvin, it
might be possible said General Marshall, to send ammunition
and machine guns to the Jelus and Armenians in the Urmia
region, and the formation of organised levies at Bijar and Zenjan
should be facilitated so as to enable us to push our influence
northwards.
On the 12th June General Marshall reported that Bicharakoff
was determined to go to Baku and that Lenin’s Government
had categorically refused to allow any British force or mission
to set foot- in Russian territory, but had promised to reinforce
Baku.
In a telegram of the 13th the Chief of the Imperial General
Staff concurred generally in General Marshall’s appreciation,
but considered that the enemy’s combatant strength in Trans-
Caucasia would be greater than therein estimated. In view ot
this and of Georgian and Tartar assistance, it seemed unlikely
that Baku could hope to hold out for any length of time, even
if reinforced by Bicharakoff and by any British force which it
would be possible to send and maintain there. There was no
objection to a few officers of Dunsterforce being sent to Baku
to report on the position there and especially on the possi-
bility of destroying the oil tanks and pipe lines and of acquiring