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

THEGERMANTHREATONTHEPERIPHERY 137

expeditionremainedbehind.Thentheyadvancedeastwardacross

theDasht-i-Kavir,thevast,roadless,andwaterlesssaltdesertofcen-

tralPersia.EachcaravanenduredtorturoustravelthroughwhatNied-

ermayercalled"Iran'shell,"plaguedby severeheat,thirst,dysentery,

andmalaria;themissionsjoinedtogetherinTabasandon 1 August

reachedBirjand,roughlyahundredmilesfromtheAfghanborder.

TheBritishandRussianshadreceivedreportsoftheapproaching

expeditions,andbecausetheGovernmentofIndiacouldsparefew

troopsforinterceptingthem,theRussiansestablishedacordonof

soldiersalongtheeastPersianborder.Buttheexpeditionsexecuted

severalmaneuversto deceivetheAlliedforces,andbothcrossedthe

frontieron 19 August."Five dayslatertheyarrivedinHerat,from

wheretheymovedontoKabul,theAfghancapital,reachingiton 1

October."

RevolutionorNegotiation?
WhiletheexpeditionsmovedacrossPersiaintoAfghanistan,German
agentsin severalPersiancitiescontinuedtoincitelocalpopulations
againsttheBritishandRussians.Reussobjectedtotheiractivities, fear-
ingtheywouldunderminehisnegotiationswiththePersiangovern-
ment,aimedatpersuadingthelattertoabandonitsneutralityand
jointheCentralPowers.wTheminister'sdisapprovalwentunheeded.
InKermanshah,themainGermansupplybaseinwesternPersia,
SchuenemannpreventedthereturnoftheAnglo-Russianconsulsto
thecity: astheconsulsandtheirescortsnearedthetownlimits,heled
pro-Germantribesin anarmedattackthatforcedthemtoretreat.
Reussopposedtheassaultontheconsuls,fearingitwouldpro-
videtheRussianswithapretextforpushingtheirtroopssouthward
toKermanshah,therebythreateningtheGermansupplylinesinto
Persia. Hisoppositionprovedjustified.TheBritishandRussians,capi-
talizingonlocalPersiananimositytowardtheTurks,quicklyincreased
theiractivitiesinwesternPersia.Britaindeliveredmoreweaponsand
moneytolocaltriballeadersandestablishedcloserrelationstothe
PersiangovernorofthewesternregioncalledPusht-i-Kuh.TheRus-
sianselicitedthesupportofthelargelandownersofthearea.v