M ESOPOTA M IA.
Great Britain and Russia in Western Asia— The history of Persia in modern times has been one of the most revolting on record, the government not being one in which tyranny was tempered by assassination, but one in which tyranny reveled in assassination and massacre. It was inevitable that in such an environment industry and commerce could scarcely thrive under the control of domestic authorities and that such an internal situation would invite foreign aggression. The natural contenders for this district were Russia, working southward from European Russia and Siberia, and England slowly c, merging from India and Egypt Rus sian occunatn,n of Persian territory developed after 1722, n the northern provinces were seized, and by the close of the third quarter of the 19th century Russia had occupied all Per sian territory as far south as the southern end of the Caspian Sea. British invasion began in 1856, and, while no territory was permanently occupied, Great Britain developed a firm hold upon Persian finances and commerce after her entry into these fields in 1873, 1887 and Min From the close of the Napoleonic wars both England and Russia were jealous contenders for the control of Persia. This colored the allied activity in the Greek War of Independ ence (1827); brought on a general European conflict in the Crimean War of 1854-56; pro duced Disraeli's sinister interference with the treaty of San Stefano in the short-sighted re adjustment at the Congress of Berlin (1878): and constituted the cause for Great Britain's unsavory protection of the 'intolerable Turk,' After considerable friction, as well as the de velopment of alliances between France and England, and France and Russia, the rivals finally decided to terminate their disputes by a partition of the coveted territory. This was
achieved by the Anglo-Russian agreement of 31 Aug. 1907, dividing Persia into two spheres of 'influence.' Northern Persia was put under Russian domination and the southern portion in control of Great Britain. An intermediate or neutral zone was created in which both powers might operate. Germany was placated m part by securing the withdrawal of Russian opposi tion to the Berlin-Bagdad project, while France was sufficiently consoled by the compromise and unity thus effected between her two powerful allies. It fell upon Persia to pay the price of the realization of the plan and the consummation of the Triple F-ntente. While a nationalist revolution of 1908-00 endeavored to free Persia of foreign aggres sion and intrigue, and an American financier. Morgan Schuster, attempted to put the I'ersian finances on a sound footing in 1911-12, neither was able to shake off the Anglo Russian incubus and Persia was successfully 'strangled' down to the outbreak of the World War. The only apparent result of the war upon the fate of Persia is that Great Britain has taken advantage of Russian weakness and Russian repudiation of her part in the agree ment of 1907 to extend British influence over that part of Persia formerly dominated by Russia. The agreement of 9 Aug. 1919, be tween England and Persia practically estab lished a military and financial protectorate over Persia. See PERSIA ; RUSSIA ;