'History of the Great War based on Official Documents: Operations in Persia 1914-1919' [37r] (78/566)
The record is made up of 1 volume (279 folios). It was created in 1929. It was written in English. The original is part of the British Library: India Office The department of the British Government to which the Government of India reported between 1858 and 1947. The successor to the Court of Directors. Records and Private Papers Documents collected in a private capacity. .
Transcription
This transcription is created automatically. It may contain errors.
AGGRESSIVE TURKISH ACTION
45
I
f
Many of the Europeans in the country left early in August to Russian
join their national forces, and a considerable portion of the n wVersia •
Russian troops in Persia also withdrew to join the field armies. August 1914!
Among the Russian units which remained were some at Maku,
Khoi and Urmia which had been moved there a few years
previously to prevent the Turks from occupying the district ;
and Turkish troops still occupied, to the west of Lake Urmia,
important strategical positions which constituted a threat to
the Russian flank. Persian objections to this Russian occu
pation had been modified by the benefits it conferred in the
way of increased security, trade and prosperity and by its
consequent local popularity, especially among the considerable
Christian community. The question, however, assumed a
different aspect after the outbreak of war, when Turkish mobili
sation and military preparations stopped trade into Persia and
when reports came in that the Turks were preaching a holy war
against Russia and were threatening to attack Persia if she
did not join Turkey.
At the end of August, on receipt of the draft of the official Attitude
communique which Great Britain proposed to publish in the ^ugust ^ 7 J
event of war with Turkey, the British Minister at Tehran took October 1914.
advantage of a visit by the Persian Prime Minister and one of
the chief mujtahids to explain to them Turkey's improper action
in regard to the Goeben and the Breslau. Sir Walter Townley
also asked that steps should be taken to put a stop in Persia to
expressions of open hostility to Great Britain and her allies
and that the Shiah mujtahids might be warned not to encourage
anti-Ally hostility. The Prime Minister agreed to take this
action and added that, if it were a question only of hostilities
between Great Britain and Turkey, the British could rely on
active Persian sympathy. But, he said, the hatred for our
ally Russia was so great that he could not promise more than
neutrality.
At this time, Turco-German agents in Persia were busy
propagating all sorts of lying stories and preaching a Jahad.
But though the Allied Ministers considered an anti-Christian
outbreak possible, to the British at any rate it seemed highly
improbable that Persia would join in the war against us. If,
however, this were to happen, it was felt that we could bring
considerable pressure to bear on her by occupying the ports in
the
Persian Gulf
The historical term used to describe the body of water between the Arabian Peninsula and Iran.
and thus close one of her chief sources of
revenue.
During September Turkish agitation and instigation were
responsible for a series of hostile incidents in the frontier region
About this item
- Content
A confidential publication compiled, by arrangement with the Government of India, under the direction of the Historical Section of The Committee of Imperial Defence, by Brigadier-General FJ Moberly. The volume is part of the Official History of the Great War series produced by the British Government.
The volume begins with a preface by Moberly and is then divided into 11 (I-XI) chapters, plus appendices, as follows:
- Chapter I: Introductory
- Chapter II: August 1914 to June 1915, Enemy efforts to bring Persia into the War
- Chapter III: July to November 1915, Enemy action and Persian weakness necessitate Allied intervention
- Chapter IV: December 1915 to May 1916, Successful results of Allied operations
- Chapter V: May to December 1916, Turkish invasion of Western Persia and British measures in South and East Persia
- Chapter VI: December 1916 to August 1917, Effects of British success in Mesopotamia
- Chapter VII: September 1917 to April 1918, The failure of Persia to maintain her neutrality necessitates further British intervention
- Chapter VIII: May to July 1918, The effect in Persia of the German successes in France; and the anti-British outbreak in Fars
- Chapter IX: July to September 1918, The tide turns in favour of the Allies
- Chapter X: October to 11th November 1918, The effect of our victories
- Chapter XI: Conclusion
The volume contains fourteen maps, some of which are in a pocket in the inside back cover, as follows:
- 1. Operations at Bushire 1915 (folio 275)
- 2. Portion of Perso-Afghan frontier (folio 276)
- 3. Operations at Dilbar, 13th-15th August 1915 (folio 66)
- 4. Operations of General Dyer in Sarhad, April-August 1916 (folio 277)
- 5. Wanderings of German parties in Persia and Afghanistan (folio 278)
- 6. Affair of Dasht-i-Arjan, 25th September 1916 (folio 128)
- 7. Affair of Kafta, 5th July 1917 (folio 144)
- 8. Northern Fars (folio 177)
- 9. Action of Deh Shaikh, 25th May 1918 (folio 182)
- 10. Shiraz (folio 194)
- 11. Operations from Bushire, September 1918-January 1919 (folio 279)
- 12. Plan of East Persia L. of C. (folio 231)
- 13. Operations for relief of Firuzabad, October 1918 (folio 236)
- 14. Persia (folio 280)
The volume also includes a bibliography (folio 14).
- Extent and format
- 1 volume (279 folios)
- Arrangement
At the front of the volume there is a contents page (ff 6-14), list of maps (f 14), and list of illustrations (f 14). At the back of the volume is a general index (ff 269-73). All refer to the volume's original pagination.
- Physical characteristics
Foliation: the foliation sequence (used for referencing) commences at the front cover with 1, and terminates at the inside back cover with 281; these numbers are written in pencil, are circled, and are located in the top right corner of the recto The front of a sheet of paper or leaf, often abbreviated to 'r'. side of each folio.
Pagination: the file also contains an original printed pagination sequence.
- Written in
- English in Latin script View the complete information for this record
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Copyright: How to use this content
- Reference
- IOR/L/MIL/17/15/28
- Title
- 'History of the Great War based on Official Documents: Operations in Persia 1914-1919'
- Pages
- front, back, spine, edge, head, tail, front-i, 2r:280v, back-i
- Author
- East India Company, the Board of Control, the India Office, or other British Government Department
- Usage terms
- Open Government Licence