Nelson's history of the war. Vol. XI., The struggle for the Dvina, and the great invasion of Serbia

NEW SITUATION IN THE NEAR EAST. 49

~ pades, but they contrived still further to unsettle a

hand which had never been very famous for peace. It seemed to be the aim of the Central Powers to kindle all the sporadic fires they could compass, in the hope that by some happy chance the smoke and sparks might incommode the enemies in the main theatres.

The only military question in Eastern Anatolia was the position of the Russian army of the Caucasus. It had held the frontiers during the summer, and guarded Russia’s south-eastern gate. But the accession of the Grand Duke Nicholas to its command in the beginning of September had suggested to observers in the West that a diversion might come from that quarter to ease the situation in the Zgean. Apparently the Turkish Command shared the same view, for in September they did their best to increase their forces on the Transcaucasian borders. During that month they seem to have had not less than 200 battalions on the front from the Black Sea to the south of Lake Van—eighteen from the 1st, 2nd, and 4th Corps north of the Chorak valley, one hundred and twelve from the gth, roth, 11th, and 12th Corps in the centre, and seventy from the 13th Corps north and south of Lake Van, where also they had the support of Kurdish irregulars. These battalions were, of course, greatly depleted, and probably did not yield a fighting strength of more than 100,000 men, while, owing to the activities of the Russian Fleet in the Black Sea, they were poorly fed and badly supplied with clothing and munitions. Yet they represented a force by no means negligible, and the prospects of an advance westwards through the central plateau of Anatolia

XI. 4