War by Revolution. Germany and Great Britain in the Middle East in the Era of World War I

80 WARBYREVOLUTION

Mannesmann(theindustrialistandofficialintheReichcolonialof-
fice),andacaptainfromtheReichnavaloffice.Thepresenceof
HoltzendorffandMannesmannonthecommissionillustratedthe
widespreadfeelingamongtheGermanleadershipthatthewarwould
beshortandvictorious,andthatitwouldproducepossibilitiesfor
futureeconomicexpansioninPersiaandAfghanistan.
ToleadtheGermansthecommissionchoseOskarvonNieder-
mayer,atwenty-nine-year-oldBavariangeologistandartilleryofficer
whohadtraveledextensivelyinPersiaandIndia.Themissionalso
includedWilhelmWassmuss,theformerconsulatBushirewhohad
returnedto Berlin; MaxOttoSchuenemann,aformeradministrator
oftheGermanconsulateatTabrizanddirectorofthePersianCarpet
Company;andProfessorErichZugmayer,azoologistandspecialist
onTibetandPersia. 49 Astheexpeditiontookform,reportsfromthe
charged'affairesattheGermanlegationin Teheran,Radolfvon
Kardorff,as well asfromWassmussurgedthatGermanyalsoemploy
themissionforpoliticalandmilitarypurposesin Persia.Kardorff,a
thirty-three-year-olddiplomatwhopossessedlittleexperiencein Per-
sianaffairs,repeatedlytelegraphedBerlinthatGermanyneededonly
tosupplyPersia'stribeswithweapons,munitions,andmoneyto set
ananti-Britishandanti-Russianrebellioninmotion.Previously,Per-
sia,whichhaddeclareditsneutralityinthewarandwhichsuffered
atthehandsofRussianoccupiersinthenorthandBritishin the
south,hadplayedno role inGermany'sMiddleEasternpolicy.
Oppenheimandtheforeignministrypersuadedthechancellor,
BethmannHollweg,toalterthepolicy.Oppenheiminsistedthatan
opportunityexistedtoconvincethePersiangovernmenttojointhe
CentralPowers inthewar,particularlyifTurkeyenteredthestruggle.
Persia'sentryinthewaragainsttheBritishandRussians,Oppenheim
declared,wouldmakeanenormousimpressiononIndia."
FromthetimetheBerlingovernmentdecidedontheAfghanand
Persianexpedition,eightmonthspassedbeforeitsfirstmembersleft
Mesopotamiatobegintheirwork.Delaysresultednotonlybecause
TurkeydidnotinfactjointheCentralPowers inthewaruntilNo-
vember1914,butalsobecauseofproblemsinshippingGermanweap-
ons,supplies,andmoneythroughneutralBulgaria,andparticularly
Romania,toTurkey."Theexpeditionalsosufferedfromthefactthat