Civilian travelers also consider their missions closely connected with the military Russian objectives in Iran and frequently try to make their accounts useful for military purposes. In his account, Dmitrii Beliaev, a civilian diplomat, often mentions the possibility that the military will make use of his observations. In the introduction to his account of his travels all over Iran, he states: Not being a military man, I was unable to describe [places for] positions and bivouacs, hence I limited myself to judgments concerning the suitability of one place or another, without mentioning the number of troops who can be encamped in those bivouacs.
Interestingly, he mentions Captain Tomilov’s efforts in regard to the increased Russian influence in southern Iran: During the three years which have passed since Captain Tomilov’s journey [in 1900], the political situation in southern Persia has changed significantly; the ways of Russian activities, which at that time were only indicated, have been carried out to a great extent. During this short time, we have been able to destroy quietly and without major trouble the fiction of the exclusive domination of the British in that area created by the British in the minds of the population of the Persian Gulf.
This statement demonstrates that he was well informed about the military projects in Iran and that he was also interested in southern Iran which lay outside of the Russian sphere of influence. Collegiate Assessor A. Miller, also a civilian official, who traveled in Seistan, concludes his article by stating his opinion that for an advance of troops in the area, preparatory field engineering works are needed, while food and forage can be found in abundance.36 In his account devoted to Kerman, Miller maintains that one of Russia’s goals in that province consists of “not allowing British seizure of territory or their occupation, even temporarily, of Kerman Province and Persian Baluchistan under the specious pretext of safeguarding India from foreign invasion through Persia.”
As for southern Iran, Lieutenant Khoven studied the route from Jolfa through Tehran to Shushtar and the advantages and disadvantages of marching an army along different parts of the road. He claims, for example, that the Iranian government, being weak and unpopular, would not be able “to show serious resistance to any foreign expansion”; therefore, “While advancing through Persia to the Persian Gulf, [the Russian] army will mainly have to deal with local obstacles.”38 He has strangely forgotten about the British influence in southern Iran.
The importance of the Russian military designs in Iran is further stressed by the fact that many accounts by the Russian travelers were published by military printing-houses, such as the Printing-House of the Headquarters of the Caucasian Military Province. It is also significant that many of the military authors of the travelogues belonged to the General Staff. Military officers who were proud of the Russian Army’s power, saw themselves as carriers of the true authority and professionals who were in charge of the practical implementation of Russian colonial policies in Iran. There is evidence that sometimes they did not get along with civilian diplomats. Diplomats are accused of interfering in military affairs, of ignorance and of intriguing against some military officers. S. Babich and V. Kosogovskii, both military officers, complain bitterly about the disagreements and even the hostility between the military and civilian officials in Iran.
Russian military aims and activities in Iran
