DUNSTERFORCE AND BAKU: A CASE STUDY IN BRITISH IMPERIAL/INTERVENTIONIST FOREIGN POLICY WITH RESPECT TO TRANSCAUCASIA 1917-1918 A Master’s Thesis by CENGIZ INCEOGLU The Department of History İhsan Doğramacı Bilkent University Ankara May 2012 I certify that I have read this thesis and have found that it is fully adequate, in scope and in quality, as a thesis for the degree of Master of Arts in History. ------------------------------ Prof. Norman Stone Supervisor I certify that I have read this thesis and have found that it is fully adequate, in scope and in quality, as a thesis for the degree of Master of Arts in History. ------------------------------ Assoc. Prof. Cadoc Leighton Co-Supervisor I certify that I have read this thesis and have found that it is fully adequate, in scope and in quality, as a thesis for the degree of Master of Arts in History. ------------------------------ Asst. Prof. Nur Bilge Criss Approval of the Graduate School of Economics and Social Sciences ------------------------------ Prof. Dr. Erdal Erel Director To My Loving Parents DUNSTERFORCE AND BAKU: A CASE STUDY IN BRITISH IMPERIAL/INTERVENTIONIST FOREIGN POLICY WITH RESPECT TO TRANSCAUCASIA 1917-1918 Graduate School of Economics and Social Sciences of İhsan Doğramacı Bilkent University by CENGIZ INCEOGLU In Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of MASTER OF ARTS in The Department of History İhsan Doğramacı Bilkent University Ankara May 2012 ABSTRACT DUNSTERFORCE AND BAKU: A CASE STUDY IN BRITISH IMPERIAL/INTERVENTIONIST FOREIGN POLICY WITH RESPECT TO TRANSCAUCASIA 1917-1918 Inceoglu, Cengiz M. A., Department of History Supervisor: Prof. Norman Stone May 2012 This thesis will examine the actions of the British Empire in Transcaucasia during the latter half of the First World War, more specifically, after the collapse of Imperial Russia into a state of revolution in March of 1917. Western sources tend to defend the British Intervention in the Caucasus in 1917 as a necessity to what was then an ongoing military conflict, rather than, being based on imperialist initiatives. Simultaneously, Soviet historians denounce every action of the British in Transcaucasia as premeditated imperialist intervention aimed at annexation and colonization. The purpose here will be to examine the decision making process of the pertinent committees involved in formulating British policy towards Transcaucasia in 1917 and 1918. Through an analysis of the relevant material it is then possible to determine the impetus behind the formulation of General Dunsterville’s mission, “Dunsterforce”, and its subsequent intervention at Baku in August of 1918. This thesis is divided into five parts. The first iii part will focus on policy creation and the committees involved, as well as the importance of oil as a resource. The next three sections focus on the British perception of the intentions of their enemies in Transcaucasia based off of primary sources, starting with the Turks, then the Germans, and lastly the Bolsheviks. The last chapter focuses on the British response to the perceived actions of their enemies, characterized by the eventual approval granted to Dunsterforce to proceed to Baku and help in its defence. Determining to what extent the members of the Imperial War Cabinet and the Eastern Committee – the committee that generated policy for Transcaucasia – were influenced by imperialistic ambitions with regard to Transcaucasian policy is of cardinal importance here. Key Words: Bolsheviks, Baku, Dunsterville, Dunsterforce, Eastern Committee, Germany, Imperialism, Lord Curzon, Ottoman Empire, Pan-Islam, Pan-Turanism, Transcaspia, Transcaucasia. iv ÖZET DUNSTERFORCE VE BAKÜ: İNGİLİZ EMPERYAL/MÜDAHALECİ DIŞ POLİTİKASINDA BİR VAKA ANALİZİ: TRANSKAFKASYA 1917-1918 Inceoglu, Cengiz Master, Tarih Bölümü Tez Yöneticisi: Prof. Norman Stone May 2012 Bu tez, Britanya İmparatorluğu’nun I. Dünya Savaşı’nın ikinci yarısında, özellikle de Rusya İmparatorluğu’nun 1917 yılının Mart ayında devrim rüzgarına kapılmasından sonraki süreçte Transkafkasya’daki eylemlerini incelemektedir. Batılı kaynaklar, İngilizlerin 1917’deki Kafkaslara müdahalesini emperyalist teşebbüslere bağlamak yerine askeri çatışmaların olduğu bir dönemde bir gereklilik olarak savunma eğilimindedirler. Bunun yanı sıra, Sovyet tarihçileri, İngilizlerin Transkafkasya’daki tüm eylemlerini ilhak ve sömürgeleştirme amaçlı, önceden planlanmış emperyalist müdahaleler olarak görmektedir. Bu tezin amacı, 1917 ve 1918’de Transkafkasya’da İngiliz politikasını oluşturmada etkin olan komitelerin karar verme süreçlerini incelemektir. İlgili belgelerin incelenmesiyle, General Dunsterville’in “Dunsterforce” görev gücünün oluşturulmasındaki ve bunu takiben 1918 yılının Ağustos ayında Bakü’ye müdahalesinin arkasındaki itici güçleri tespit etmek mümkün olacaktır. Bu tez beş bölümden oluşmaktadır. İlk bölüm politika yaratımı ve bununla ilgili komitelere odaklanacak, ayrıca bir doğal kaynak olarak petrolün önemini inceleyecektir. İlk bölümü takip eden sonraki üç bölümde İngilizlerin düşmanlarının Transkafkasya'daki niyetleri üzerine algıları sırasıyla Türkler, Almanlar, ve son olarak Bolşevikler özelinde birincil kaynaklardan incelenecektir. Son bölüm, düşmanlarının eylemlerini kendi algılarına göre yorumlayan İngilizlerin bu eylemlere kendi değerlendirmeleri minvalinde karşılık vermesine; yani Dunsterforce’a Bakü’ye ilerlemesi ve şehrin savunulmasında yardım v etmesi yönünde verilen nihai onay ile şekillenen İngilizler tarafından verilen karşılıklara odaklanacaktır. İmparatorluk Savaş Kabinesi ve Transkafkasya için politika üreten Doğu Komitesi üyelerinin Transkafkasya politikasında emperyalist emellerden ne ölçüde etkilendiğinin tespit edilmesi bu tezin en önemli unsurudur. Anahtar Kelimeler: Bolşevik, Bakü, Dunsterville, Dunsterforce, Doğu Komitesi, Almanya, sömürgecilik/emperyalizm, Lord Curzon, Osmanlı İmparatorluğu, Pan- İslamizm, Turancılık, Transhazar, Transkafkasya. vi ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS First and foremost, I would like to thank my two supervisors on this project, Professor Norman Stone and Associate Professor Cadoc Leighton. The extent in which they helped me cannot be underestimated. I am greatly indebted to the both of them for all of their time and effort spent helping me with this thesis. I would also like to thank Assistant Professors Paul Latimer, Kenneth Weisbrode, David Thornton, Sean McMeekin, and Edward Kohn, for all of their assistance. Their help during the preliminary stages of this work was most thoughtful and truly beneficial. I am also grateful to the History Department Secretary, Eser Sunar, for all of her help with my “technical difficulties”. Having her expertise in these matters was most useful and greatly appreciated. I am indebted as well to the entire staff at the Bilkent University library for their immeasurable aid in finding and procuring the necessary research material that was required to produce my thesis. Last, but not least, I would like to express thanks to my whole family for all of their support during my university career. Without their love and support this would not have been possible. vii TABLE OF CONTENTS ABSTRACT…………………………………………………………………………...…iii ÖZET…………………………………………………………………...……………....…v ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS……………………………………………………….....….vii TABLE OF CONTENTS……………………………………………………….…..…..viii CHAPTER I: INTRODUCTION………..……………………………………………..…1 CHAPTER II: POLICY CREATION AND THE INFLUENCE OF OIL........................16 CHAPTER III: PAN-ISLAM AND PAN-TURANISM: THE PERCEIVED THREAT TO THE BRITISH EMPIRE………………………………………………....32 CHAPTER IV: THE DRANG NACH OSTEN: GERMAN INTEREST IN TRANSCAUCASIA AND BEYOND…………………………………………….....…..56 CHAPTER V: THE RUSSIAN SITUATION: THE PROVISIONAL GOVERNMENT, THE BOLSHEVIKS, AND BRITISH FOREIGN POLICY……………………,………81 CHAPTER VI: BRITISH INTERVENTION IN TRANSCAUSIA: DUNSTERFORCE AND BAKU……………………………………………………………………….……..99 CHAPTER VII: CONCLUSION……………………………………………….………124 BIBLIOGRAPHY……………………………………………………………….….…..141 APPENDICES………………………………………………………………………….147 viii CHAPTER I: INTRODUCTION If we take the Oxford Dictionary’s definition of Imperialism – a policy of extending a country’s power and influence through colonization, use of military force, or other means – we can then apply these criteria to the actions of those countries who were involved in the First World War. Being designated ‘Imperialist’ in nature, therefore, essentially means the protection and expansion of one’s own interest and influence. This can then be used to acquire, through military force, yet more ‘Imperial’ possessions, i.e. colonies or annexed territories and thus, perpetuating an ever increasing incremental system that is characterized by the growth in the necessary categories inherent in an imperialistic design. These categories are represented by the marked growth in resources, the economic sector, as well as growth in a State’s power and prestige. It is no wonder that imperial systems of government have proved throughout history to be, albeit, with efficient administrations, rather effective in creating large and powerful empires. However, it must be understood that the purpose here is not to argue whether or not imperialism was a cause of the Great War, but rather, to look at certain British military undertakings in Transcaucasia and determine the extent in which they were the result of 1 wartime military necessities or instead as reactionary and opportunistic imperialist ambitions. It will be important here to distinguish to what degree Britain’s war policy in Transcaucasia