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

THEGERMANTHREATONTHEPERIPHERY 141

tosecureitsloyalty,butplacedtoomuchhopeinthetribesofwest-
ernandsouthernPersiaattackingtheAnglo-Russianforces.When
hecouldnotfulfil hisgenerouspromisestothetriballeaders,namely
thatGermanywouldsupplythemwithmoneyandarmaments,the
expectedrebellionfizzled."
In fact,moneyfilteredbytheAnglo-Russianstothetribesand
gendarmerieledsomeofthelattertoattacktheGermansandtheir
supportersinKermanshah.RepeatedrequeststoBerlinfor more
money-fromKanitz,whohadreturnedtoTeheran,andfromSarre,
Klein,andLossow-producedlittleresponse."Smallshipmentsof
moneyarrivedinBaghdadinOctober.Also,theforeignministryap-
propriatedamilliongoldmarksforKanitz'sbizarre,andsubsequently
unsuccessful,planto free fiftythousandAustro-Hungarianprison-
ersofwar inneighboringRussianTurkestan,intendingto usethem
intherevolt."
Theshah,in viewoftheadvanceofRussiantroopsonTeheran,
refusedon 12 NovembertosignatreatywithGermany.SinceKanitz
hadplannedto usethetreatytosignalthetribestorevolt,hequickly
concludedthatthePersiangovernmentdidnotpossessthecourage
toresisttheAnglo-Russians.Inoppositionto Reuss,whoadvised
thatGermanypreservePersianneutralityatall costs,Kanitzattempted
twonightslatertoignitearevolutioninthecapitalamongthena-
tionalistsandlocalPersianCossackunits.ThesecomprisedRussian-
ledtroopsthatservedas apersonalforceoftheshah.Onlya fewof
theCossacksrebelled,andAlliedofficials,withRussiantroopsnear
thecity,quicklygainedtheupperhand.OnISNovemberMustaufi
ul-Mamalik'sgovernment,thenationalistandDemocraticmembers
ofthePersianparliament,anddiplomatsoftheCentralPowers (in-
cludingReuss) fledTeheransouthtoQum,having,theythought,
convincedtheyoungshahtojointhem.Atthelastmoment,how-
ever,theAnglo-Russianministers,mainlywiththehelpofFarman
Farma,thepro-BritishPersianinteriorminister,persuadedtheshah
toremaininthecapital."
TheseeventsquicklyunderminedGermany'spositioninPersia.
DuringtheensuingdaysKanitz,withaforcecomposedofaTurk-
ishbattalion,somegendarmerie,andtriballeviesofwestPersian
KurdsandLurs,attackedthemuch-better-armedRussiansnear