"تاريخ الحرب الكبرى استنادًا إلى وثائق رسمية: العمليات في بلاد فارس ١٩١٤-١٩١٩" [ظ‎‎٥‎٤] (٥٦٦/١١٣)

80
OPERATIONS IN PERSIA
German Niedermayer was of opinion that the military situation did
a< acUvities not j usti fy the diversion of his men and material to the defence
oAhdr of Mesopotamia, where the Turks were in no immediate danger
emissaries; either from the Russians or the British. In any case he con-
A i U 9 ^ 4 - sidered that the limited support which his expedition could
June 1915. afford was less likely to be useful in Mesopotamia than in
causing a diversion elsewhere by creating Anglo-Indian strife.
He was convinced that Sulaiman Askari's action had only been
prompted by the desire to paralyse German activity and to
prevent their interfering with Raouf Bey’s project.
Pending the Minister’s arrival, Niedermayer continued his
plans and preparations. The Turks would not, however allow
any but German consular officials to travel by the Khaniqin-
Kermanshah route, although they agreed grudgingly to allow
Niedermayer to send P. Paschen and Voigt into Persia via
Mosul and Sauj Bulag. The necessity for avoiding opposition
by Russians, British or pro-Ally tribes had led Niedermayer
to select Isfahan as the most suitable place for the main Persian
base of his expedition. But as the Persian Government were
evidently incapable of assuring the safety of his expedition he
would have to arrange himself for its security. This would not
be easy to reconcile with Germany’s professed friendly inten
tions in face of the remonstrances which the Persian Govern
ment, under pressure from the Russian and British Legations,
were already making against Schonemann’s activities in the
Kermanshah area. More of what Niedermayer terms “ pre
liminary arrangements ” would, therefore, be necessary; and
he arranged to send Zugmayer and Griesinger (who were really
destined eventually for work at Kerman and in South Persia),
under the guise of consul and consulate secretary respectively,
to Isfahan via Kermanshah. They and Paschen and Voigt,
who were to start activities at Hamadan, left Baghdad on the
26th February with strict orders to avoid hostilities.
At the beginning of March, Niedermayer was annoyed to
learn that the force under Raouf Bey had suffered a defeat near
Mandali at the hands of the Sinjabi Kurds and had been forced
by its losses to retire. It was what he had feared, and his
feeling that it could hardly fail to have a bad effect in Persia
was soon confirmed by the unwelcome news that the Persians
were collecting a force to defend their frontier. A further
unpleasant surprise was the British attempt to capture
Wassmuss, and the loss of the cipher code and of some important
papers in Wassmuss’ baggage. It is interesting to note that