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

144 WARBYREVOLUTION

Germany."TheGovernmentofIndiahadinformedtheamiroftheir
impendingvisit.Delhialsoaskedhimtocontradicttherumors,then
spreadingin hiscountry,thattheGermansformedthevanguardof
aTurkish-Germanarmyadvancingeastward."
SuchstorieshadcausedconsiderableunrestintheNorth-West Fron-
tierprovinceofIndia;thelocalBritishcommissionerviewedtheGer-
manexpeditionsas sopotentiallydangerousthathedoubledthe
financialsubsidiestothelocaltribes,toencouragethemnotto be
influencedbyenemypropaganda.Also,ontheAfghansideofthebor-
der,theBritishraisedtheallowancestheypaidtribesandmadestrenu-
ousattemptstobribeinfluentialreligiousleaders.Unbeknownstto
theGermans,HabibullahhadrespondedtotheGovernmentofIndia
thathewoulddisarmtheGermans,imprisonthemuntiltheendof
thewar,andremainneutral."AfurtheradvantagefortheBritishoc-
curredwhentheyinterceptedmessagestoTeheranfromNiedermayer
andHentigin Kabul,onethatrevealedtheGermans'lackofsuccess
withHabibullah.Theamirhadshowedhisguestsfriendlinessand
allowedthemfreedomofmovement,evendiscussedaGerman-Per-
sianalliancewithHentig,butallthiswasmainlydesignedtoencour-
agethemtoremaininthecityuntilDecember.
YetjustastheGermansdecidedtoabandontheirmissionand
returnhome,theamir'sbrother,Nasrullah,arrangedanagreement
betweentheamirandhisvisitors.Niedermayermistakenlybelieved
thatNasrullah,whobelongedtoamilitantanti-Britishfactionat
court,hadmoreinfluenceintheKabulgovernmentthantheamir
did.On24January 1916 HabibullahandtheGermanssignedthedraft
ofatreatythatstipulatedAfghanistan'sentryintothewaragainst
Britain.Inreturn,thedraftprovidedaguaranteefromGermanyof
AfghanfreedomandofdeliveriesfromtheReichofsubstantialmoney,
weapons,andmunitions."
ButpoorcommunicationsbetweenKabulandBerlinhelpeddoom
theagreement.KabulhadnotelegraphlineconnectingitwithPer-
sia,andamessengertooknearlythreemonthstoreachTeheran,from
wherethedrafttreatyarrivedinConstantinoplein July.Meanwhile
theGermanandTurkishpositioninPersiahadlargelycollapsed.
Habibullah,whateveragreementshemayhavemadewithHentigand
Niedermayer,nowapparentlyhadnointentionofenteringthewar;