"تاريخ الحرب الكبرى استنادًا إلى وثائق رسمية: العمليات في بلاد فارس ١٩١٤-١٩١٩" [و‎‎٧‎٨] (٥٦٦/١٦٠)

RUSSIAN TROOPS SAVE SITUATION 123
After some three hours’ discussion, in the course of which
freouent messages Cctme from the Shuh indicating that he was
in a nervous state of alarm and indecision, an arrangement was
arrived at, which the two Allied Ministers agreed to recommend
to their Governments. The Cabinet was to be reconstructed
by the inclusion of Ain-ud-Daula and Farman Farma, whose
presence and responsibility would be a guarantee to the Allies
of a policy of benevolent neutrality ; and in return the Russian
troops would not advance beyond Karedj, which they were
expected to reach that night. When the Cabinet had been
actually reformed and conversations had commenced concerning
the measures to be taken to carry out the conditions on which
the Russo-British subsidy had been offered, the troops would
move half-way back to Kazvin and eventually to Kazvin itself,
as Xhe two Allied Ministers then went and personally informed
the Shah, who was painfully agitated, of the proposed arrange
ment. Being reassured by their statement, he said that he
would not leave Tehran till the British and Russian Govern
ments sent their reply and that, if this were favourable, Persia
would in future maintain intimate and cordial relations with
(If the Allies. As regards the Germans, who had been persuading
him to leave Tehran, he expressed himself in very strong terms.
The German, Austrian and Turkish representatives left
iaDte Tehran that afternoon on the way towards Qum, and the
exodus of their friends and sympathisers, including Democrat
■ jjt members of the Majlis and a large number of the gendarmerie,
i continued for the next day or two. But as the Shah failed
to leave Tehran also, as up to the last moment they expected
him to do, it was soon evident that the German plot had
vf -u definitely failed. Enemy accounts of this episode, which fully
confirm the German intention of utilising the Persian Demo
crats and gendarmerie to get the Shah away and to form, at
Kermanshah, a Government favourably disposed to the Central
Powers, also show that it was only the advent of Russian troops
which saved the situation. They also say that the German
negotiations with the Persian Cabinet, which despite the denials
of Persian Ministers had been nearly completed, had been
carried out without the knowledge or assistance of the Turks.
Persia was to enter the war on the side of the Germanic alliance,
Germany providing money and the necessary arms and muni
tions. The Germans also stipulated that the command of all
forces operating in Persia was to be given to Field-Marshal von
der Goltz, who was then, they said, on his way to Persia at the
prs- head of a Turco-German force.
(27782)
K