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

138 WARBYREVOLUTION

InIsfahan,thekey baseofoperationsfortheAfghanexpeditions
ofNiedermayerandHentig,Seilerhadwonover totheGermanside
localreligiousleaders,gendarmerie,theDemocraticparty,andsur-
roundingtribes,includingtheanti-BritishQashgaisandevensome
ofthetraditionallypro-BritishBakhtiaris.UsingpromisesofGer-
manmoneyandweapons,heurgedthetribes,whichfeudedwith
oneanother,touniteandjoinarevoltofsouthernPersiaagainstthe
British.Also,theconstructionofaGermantelegraphstationoutside
IsfahanenabledSeiler to receivewarnews,propaganda,anddiplo-
maticmessages.InSeptemberhearrangedanassassinationattempt
uponT.G.Grahame,theBritishconsulinIsfahan,whichprompted
boththeBritishandRussiancoloniesto fleethecity."OnIOctober
theGermanagentreceivedordersfromNiedermayerinKabulto ad-
vanceimmediatelyintoAfghanistanwiththeremainderofNied-
ermayer'sexpedition.
TheGermanshadlesssuccessinKerman,atraditionallyBritish
strongholdnearlytwohundredmilessouthofIsfahan.Therethe
attemptsofZugmayerandGriesingertoinciteanti-Britishfeelings
amongtheinhabitantsandsurroundingtribesgenerallyfailed."In
contrast,theGermanactivitiesagainsttheBritishinsouthwestern
Persia,atShirazandBushire,provedmoresuccessful.Wassmuss
movedamongthesouthPersiantribeslike anative,playingpar-
ticularlyontheanti-Britishresentmentsofthelargesouth-Persian
tribe,theTangistani."Duringrr-rzjulyseveraltribesattackedthe
smallBritishIndiangarrisonatBushire,resultinginnumerousca-
sualties.However,theattackerslackedsufficientarmaments,mu-
nitions,andmoney;Wassmuss,in numeroustelegramstoReuss,
pleadedunsuccessfullyfor moreofeach.Heintendedfortheas-
saultsonBushireto forceBritainto sendmoretroopsto there-
gion,therebyviolatingPersianneutralityevenmoreconspicuously
and,ideally,persuadingtheTeherangovernmenttoenterthewar
onGermany'sside.vButReusscriticizedWassmuss'sactivities,ar-
guingthattheywouldleadthePersiangovernmenttoaccusethe
Germansofanequalviolationofneutrality.Astheconflictdeep-
enedbetweenthetwo,theministerforcedWassmusstorelinquish
hispostasconsulinShiraz;in his place ReussappointedWassmuss's
friendKurtWustrow.