The July 23 revolution and pacts (33). Soviet reaction to the Baghdad Pact (ii) ‘Grave concern'. As noted in the previous articles of this series, it did not go unnoticed in the HYPERLINK "http://www.knowledgerush.com/kr/encyclopedia/Third_World/" Third World that the so-called ‘Free World' consisted by and large of North Atlantic imperialist powers. Meanwhile, the Korean War marked a shift in the focal point of the Cold War, from postwar Europe to East Asia. After this point, proxy battles in the Third World would become an ever-important arena of superpower competition. The formation of military pacts such as the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO) and the Baghdad Pact was an issue of ‘grave concern' to the Soviet Union which was particularly disturbed when Iran joined the latter pact, thus ‘bringing the ‘enemy next door'. A Russo-Persian Treaty of Friendship had been signed on February 26, 1921. The original purpose of the treaty was to prevent HYPERLINK "http://en.wikipedia. org/wiki/White_Movement" \o "White Movement" White Russian counter-revolutionary forces who fled to Iran after the HYPERLINK "http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bolshevik_Revolution" \o "Bolshevik Revolution" Bolshevik Revolution, from attacking the Soviet Union from Iranian territory. The Soviets, however, used it to menace the Iranians for years to come. The treaty stipulated that the two contracting parties undertake: (1) To prohibit the formation or presence within their respective territories, of any organisation or groups of persons, irrespective of the name by which they are known, whose object is to engage in acts of hostility against Persia or Russia, or against the Allies of Russia. They will likewise prohibit the formation of troops or armies within their respective territories with the aforementioned object. (2) Not to allow a third party or organisation, whatever it be called, which is hostile to the other Contracting Party, to import or to convey in transit across their countries material which can be used against the other party. (3) To prevent by all means in their power, the presence within their territories or within the territories of their Allies of all armies or forces of a third party in cases in which the presence of such forces would be regarded as a menace to the frontiers, interests or safety of the other Contracting Party. Article 6 of the Treaty stipulated that ‘if a third party should attempt to carry out a policy of usurpation by means of armed intervention in Persia, or if such power should desire to use Persian territory as a base of operations against Russia, or if a foreign power should threaten the frontiers of Federal Russia or those of its allies, and if the Persian government should not be able to put a stop to such menace after having been once called upon to do so by Russia, Russia shall have the right to advance her troops into the Persian interior for the purpose of carrying out the military operations necessary for its defence. Russia undertakes, however, to withdraw her troops from Persian territory as soon as the danger has been removed.' In 1931, the Shah of Persia demanded Soviet clarification of Articles 5 & 6 of the Treaty. In reply, the Soviets indicated that the two articles were intended to apply only to cases in which preparations have been made for a considerable armed attack upon Russia or the Soviet Republics allied to her, by the partisans of the regime which has been overthrown or by its supporters among those foreign powers which are in a position to assist the enemies of the Workers and Peasants Republics and at the same time to possess themselves, by force or by underhand methods, of part of the Persian territory, thereby establishing a base of operations for any attacks made either directly or through the counter-revolutionary forces which they might meditate against Russia or the Soviet Republics allied to her. The Articles referred to are, therefore, in no sense intended to apply to verbal or written attacks directed against the Soviet government by the various Persian groups, or even by any Russian emigrants in Persia, in so far as such attacks are generally tolerated as between neighbouring powers animated by sentiments of mutual friendship, the Russians indicated. [email protected]
