hat unhappy region to chaos.
Among the Tartar-Turkomans, long leavened by Pan-Turanian propaganda,
Mustapha Kemal found enthusiastic adherents; and his efforts were
supported by a third ally--Bolshevik Russia. Bolshevik policy, which, as
we have already stated, was seeking to stir up trouble against the
Western Powers throughout the East, had watched Kemal's rise with great
satisfaction. At first the Bolsheviki could do very little for the
Turkish nationalists because they were not in direct touch, but the
collapse of Wrangel's "White" army in November, 1920, and the consequent
overrunning of all south Russia by the Red armies, opened a direct line
from Moscow to Angora via the Caucasus, and henceforth Mustapha Kemal
was supplied with money, arms, and a few men.
Furthermore, Kemal and the Bolsheviki were starting trouble in Persia.
That country was in a most deplorable condition. During the war Persia,
despite her technical neutrality, had been a battle-ground between the
Anglo-Russians on the one hand and the Turco-Germans on the other.
Russia's collapse in 1917 had led to her military withdrawal from
Persia, and England, profiting by the situation, had made herself
supreme, legalizing her position by the famous "Agreement" "negotiated"
with the Shah's government in August, 1919.[189] This treaty, though
signed and sealed in due form, was bitterly resented by the Persian
people. Here was obviously another ripe field for Bolshevik propaganda.
Accordingly, the Bolshevik government renounced all rights in Persia
acquired by the Czarist regime and proclaimed themselves the friends of
the Persian people against Western imperialism. Naturally the game
worked, and Persia soon became honeycombed with militant unrest. In the
early summer of 1920 a Bolshevist force actually crossed the Caspian Sea
and landed on the Persian shore. They did not penetrate far into the
country. They did not need to, for the country simply effervesced in a
way which made the British position increasingly untenable. For many
months a confused situation ensued. In fact, at this writing the
situation is still obscure. But there can be no doubt that Britain's
hold on Persia is gravely shaken, and she may soon be compelled to
evacuate the country, with the possible exception of the extreme south.
Turning back to the autumn of 1920: the position of England and France
in the Near East had become far from bright. Deserted by Italy and
Greece, defied by th
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