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

142 WARBYREVOLUTION

Kermanshah.Thetribesmenfoughtpoorly,oftendesertingthecause,
andtheattackmisfired;Kanitzneverrealizedhishopeofawakening
nationalistfeelingsamongthetribesandstirringthemtocommon
actionandcourageousfighting.In amomentofpanichecalledfor
helpfromTurkishtroops,buttheycouldnotbesparedfromMesopo-
tamia.Also,althoughashipmentofGermanmoneyhadarrived,he
stillhadreceived noarmamentsandmunitions.?"Apparentlyrealiz-
ingthefailureofhis policy,Kanitzdisappearedandcommittedsui-
cide.
VonderGoltzandtheTurkishSixthArmy,whichhadhaltedthe
Anglo-IndianforcesatCtesiphonandKutal-Amarain southern
Mesopotamia,couldalsosparenotroops.Germanagentsincluding
Schuenemann,Sarre,andKleinsoonleftKermanshahfortheTurk-
ishborder.Reuss, for hispart,neverreturnedtoTeheran,despitethe
foreignministry'sorderthathe do so. HiseffortsinQumtoforma
Persiangovernment-in-exileamongthenationalistsanddemocrats
foundered,andBerlinsoonplacedhimonsick leaveandordered
himhome.AttheendofDecembertheAnglo-Russianspersuaded
theshahtoforminTeherana newandopenlypro-Alliedgovern-
mentled byFarmanFarmaasprimeminister,andtonamea new
commanderofthegendarmerie.^80
Elsewhere,too,theGermancampaigninPersiafaltered.InShiraz
during9-10November 1915 theconsul,Wustrow,onordersfromthe
beleagueredReuss inTeheran,usedlocalgendarmerietooccupythe
Britishconsulateandseize itschiefofficer,MajorW.F.T.O'Connor.
ButsoonnewsreachedShirazoftheunsuccessfulGermaneffortsto
persuadetheshahtojoinGermany.ThisencouragedtheactingPer-
siangovernor,Qawam-ul-Mulk,apowerfullocaltriballeaderassisted
bytheBritish,toattempttoarrestWustrow.Also,theGermancon-
sulandWassmussdisagreedonstrategy.Wustrowleft forwestern
Persia,ostensiblyto asktheGermanagentsthereformoremoney
andweapons;heneverreturned,andGermaninfluenceinShiraz
evaporatedquickly."
InIsfahan,anotherGermanstronghold,Seiler, respondingto
Niedermayer'sorder,leftforAfghanistanon 24 November.Hetook
withhimtheremainderofNiedermayer'sexpeditionandtookup
thedifficulttaskofbreakingthroughthearmedAnglo-Russian