b troops of the Thirteenth Corps. At the outset the
Russians met with a measure of success, but on November 22, 1914, the
Turks, having been reenforced by troops from Bagdad, began a fierce
offensive. After indecisive fighting in the Alashgird valley the
Turks, about the middle of December, 1914, almost caught the Russians
in a bold enveloping movement north of Dutukht. In order to escape the
Russians were compelled to retreat hurriedly and thus ended their
offensive operation in this section.

Still farther to the south, in Persia, the Turks and Russians also
battled. Not only because of political conditions, but because of the
nature of the country, it was easier for Russia and Turkey to attack
each other through Persia than directly across other frontiers, just
as it was easier for Germany and France to reach each other across
Belgium. At the outbreak of war both Turkey and Russia, recognizing
these circumstances, were occupants of Persian territory. Early in
November two Russian columns marched across the northwest corner of
Persia and into Turkey by the Kotur and Khanesur passes, evidently
with the important city of Van, on the lake of that name, as an
objective. At a point near Dilman, and again at Serai, they drove the
Turkish troops back toward Van, but were checked by reenforcements.

Meanwhile the Turks had a more considerable success to the south.
Apparently taking the Russian higher command completely by surprise,
Turkish troops advanced almost unopposed to Tabriz, the most important
of the cities of northern Persia. Alarmed by this, Russia sent a
strong force which, on January 30, 1915, succeeded in recapturing the
city.

Thus, up to the end of January, 1915, nothing decisive had been
accomplished on the Caucasian front by either Turkey or Russia. The
Battle of Sarikamish, resulting in a Turkish loss estimated by the
Russian authorities at 50,000, while decisive enough locally, seems to
have had no appreciable effect upon the situation as a whole. For
reasons resting very largely in the difficulty of finding the troops
necessary, as well as in the conditions of the country and the
weather, the Russians had been unable to follow up their success.
Indeed, the offensive appears to have continued in the hands of the
Turks.

It is probably the case that Russia was unwilling to detach any
considerable number of troops from her Polish and Galician front,
where important events were brewing. Her General Staff