'Military report on Tehran and adjacent Provinces of North-West Persia (including the Caspian Littoral)' [‎27r] (58/610)

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ingly also affected tlie political situation and tended to produce
Anglophil or Russophil Cabinets.
In April 1915 Russia and Great Britain were able to impose
’Ain-ud-Dauleh as Premier. During bis Premiership the
Government was as usual involved in financial difficulties and
was faced with a deficit of £400,000. The powers agreed in
June upon a ‘moratorium’ scheme, whereby Russia released a
monthly sum of £20,000 from the Northern Customs receipts,
and Great Britain a monthly sum of £10,500 from the Southern
Customs receipts, which were assigned for interest on their
respective loans, and also consented not to press for payment
of arrears. ’Ain-ud-Dauleh strove to lead the ‘Democrats’
and bend them to his will, but found them his master, and they
brought about his fall 1 on 9th July.
The retirement of the Russians in Poland and Galicia, the
small result of Italy’s entrance into the war, the failure of the
allies to achieve success in Flanders and Gallipolia had lowered
their prestige in Persia, and Mustaufi-ul-Mamalik, a moderate
Democrat leader, was appointed Premier. The formation of
his Cabinet was protracted from 9th July to 18th August, and
during this interregnum, without'even a nominal Government,
the country fell an easy prey to German intrigue. His weak
ness, timidity or connivance at German activities were disas
trous and produced the crisis necessitating the Russian military
action of November 1915, by which was restored the situation,
Russian prestige, however, was low owing to the belated arrival
of these reinforcements, and to their ill success in Europe,
while the British advance in Mesopotamia with the threat to
the Turkish Line of Communication through Mesopotamia to
Persia, and the occupation of Bushire, tended to direct atten
tion to the British.
The re-assertion of allied influence, in Tehran, consequent
on the arrival of Russian troops, caused the fall of Mustaufi-ul-
Mamalik’s Cabinet and the appointment of the pro-British
Farman Farma in December 1915. In March 1916 Russian
prestige had risen after General Baratoff had cleared the Turks
out of Northern Persia and advanced to the frontier of Meso
potamia, and intrigues of the pro-Russian party brought about
the appointment of the Russophil Sipah Salar in supersession
of Farman Farma.
The allies during the period of their weakness had been pre
pared to give some concessions in return for Persia’s alliance,
1 The fall of the Cabinet was due to Democratic outcry against Farman Farma
who had made some slight anti-German efforts.