warfare for years. The shah had an ulterior motive for raising this
point in that he was arguing for increased British assistance so that
Iran could increase its war effort, but the argument was well grounded
nonetheless. Commander-in-Chief Tormasov had reached the same
conclusion in 1809, when he told St. Petersburg that Russia lacked
the means to take the offensive and win the war. He argued that
Russia needed an interval of peace with Iran during which Russia
could strengthen its position on other Caucasian fronts and then
take the offensive against Iran.^43 (Given the image of the Iranian
army that had developed in St. Petersburg over a generation, Torma-
sov's argument carried little weight.) However, the war between Rus-
sia and Iran did not last for half a century, as did the conquest of the
high Caucasus. The most important factor in upsetting the balance
between the opposing sides was the intervention first of France, then
of Britain, which are discussed in the next chapter.
122 The War, 1804-1813