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

THEGERMANTHREATONTHEPERIPHERY 135

AtthebeginningofMayReussandhis newmilitaryattache,Count
GeorgvonKanitz,whohadjustarrivedinTeheran,reportedto Ber-
linthatcontrarytopreviousclaimsbyKardorff,Persiawasnotripe
forananti-Alliedrevolt.Teheran,theydeclared,mustremainneu-
traluntilthePersiangendarmeriecouldbeincreasedinsize toat
leastthirtythousandmenandequippedwitharmsandmunitions.>
Forthesereasons,WangenheimurgedthattheGermansinPersia
movecautiouslyinraisingarebellionandthatBerlinpushthePorte
tosloworhaltRaufBey'sadvanceintoPersiaso as tolessenPersian
antagonismtowardtheOttomansandtheirGermanallies.Nadolny
agreedreluctantly,informingKanitzthatheshouldunleashthere-
voltonlyifthesituationthreatenedtoundermineitsprospectsfor
success."
DuringJuneandJulythepositionoftheGermansinbothPersia
andMesopotamiabecameevenmoreproblematical.Italy'sentryinto
thewaronthesideoftheAlliesimpressedtheTeherangovernment.
RaufBey'sforces, astheyplunderedwesternPersia,advancingas far
asKarind,threatenedto sabotagenearlyeveryGermanactivityin
Persia."
TurkishbehaviortowardPersiaalsoinflamedthehatredforthe
OttomansamongtheShiitereligiousleadersintheMesopotamian
holycitiesofKarbalaandNajaf.Violentami-Turkishoutburstsoc-
curredinbothplaces.Furthermore,setbackssufferedbyTurkish
troopsinsouthernMesopotamia,whenanenlargedAnglo-Indian
army(whichincludedtheformerIEF D,nowreorganizedintoan
armycorps)occupiedAmaraon 3 JuneandNasiryaon 24 July,dam-
agedeffortsby KleinandotherGermanstorecruitArabsupportin
theregionagainstBritain.
Kleincomplainedto Constantinoplethatbecauseofalackof
moneytopayMesopotamianArabs,onlyoneshaykh,Ajaimi,sup-
portedtheTurksandGermans.TheYoungTurks,hesaid,opposed
usingGermanstonegotiatewiththeArabs,fearingthatGermany
wishedto seizeMesopotamiafor itsowneconomicpurposes.vFi-
nallyon4 July,EnverPasha,whohadstubbornlyrefuseddemands
fromWangenheimandtheGermanforeignministrythatthePorte
removeRaufBey,informedHumannthathehadprohibitedRaufto
makefurtherattacks."