Provan, Louise/Shumate, Johnny (Illustr.) Baku 1918

Dunsterforce and the Race for Oil in World War I

Against the backdrop of the Armenian-Azerbaijani war, the Russian Revolution, the Ottoman invasion of Armenia and the First World War, Baku suddenly found itself at the centre of a geopolitical minefield. After signing a treaty with Germany, Russia's withdrawal from the war gave Germany and Turkey access to the oil fields in Baku. Oil was crucial to the war machine and therefore a precious commodity. Concerned that Germany and the Ottomans would gain access to the oil fields, Britain, under Major General Dunsterville, assembled a multinational force called Dunsterforce, which set out for Baku to stop the Turkish advance. Deteriorating relations between Germany and Turkey led both countries to try to keep each other at bay while simultaneously fighting the British forces, the Bolsheviks and the White Russians. The rise of Bolshevism in the region, supported by the Jangalis, was also a cause for concern for Britain, as it feared it could spread to British interests in Central Asia and India. With illustrations, detailed maps and historical images, this book delves into the highly political campaign to secure the oil in Baku in 1918 and examines the far-reaching consequences of involvement in this region.