Telegram from Baku to Moscow, M.D. Bagriov and I.I. Maslennikov to Cdes. Stalin, Molotov, Beria, and Malenkov

TELEGRAM

FROM BAKU 24 November 1945

to MOSCOW, to Cdes. STALIN, MOLOTOV, BERIA, and MALENKOV

We report information about Iranian Azerbaijan as of 2200 23 November.

According to a report from Tabriz four representatives of the gendarmerie headquarters dressed in civilian clothes arrived in the city of Usku. They ordered the gendarmes to go to the outskirts and take up firing positions. Having found out about this, the partisans in this region who not having previously been active, surrounded them and proposed that [they] surrender. The gendarmes refused the proposal and opened fire. After a four-hour firefight eight gendarmes surrendered to the partisans with [their] weapons and the remaining 17 scattered and hid in nearby villages. The partisans kept the gendarmes who had surrendered warm and fed them. The latter, seeing the good treatment on the part of the partisans, expressed a desire to remain with them. There were no losses during this firefight. The partisans suggested that the four gendarmes who were in the city of Usku guarding a bank remain there and guard the bank. There is complete order in the city as before. In his report to the governor about these events the city chief of Usku accuses the gendarmes and thinks that the partisans were forced to take retaliatory measures against the gendarmes' action. The Usku landowners also sent their delegates to the partisans with a statement that the partisans acted correctly in driving away the gendarmes who had mistreated [izdevalis'] the population for a long time. Having heard of the events in Usku, Colonel Humayun of the Tabriz gendarmerie gave orders to the gendarmerie of the city of Azershahr to abandon [their] posts and inconspicuously go to Tabriz.

According to information of our military people on 22 November in the city of Maragheh partisans killed Yahya Pur Savari, the governor of the city, and wounded Colonel Musin Azat, the chief of the military stud farm. The gendarmerie of the city of Margara scattered and is hiding in houses. Increased protection of all government institutions by Iranian soldiers armed with machineguns continues in the city of Tabriz. General Darakhshami informed the government that if he does not receive reinforcements from Tehran in the next few days he will absolve himself of responsibility for the maintenance of order in Azerbaijan.

According to information from Rasht reactionary elements have been spreading provocative rumors in recent days in Gilan Province in connection with the autonomy movement which has developed in Iranian Azerbaijan about the seizure of government institutions in the cities of Meyaneh, Zanjan, and Ardebil by the democrats and the clashes which have occurred in Tabriz between the Democrats and local authorities. Farzane, the governor of Gilan Province, turned to the Iranian government with a request to bring Iranian troops into Gilan. The border commissioner and chief of police of the city of Astara, Iran, arriving in Rasht, also turned to Tehran with a request for help. The population of Gilan is speaking favorably about the events in Iranian Azerbaijan. The leadership of the provincial committee of the People's Party in the city of Rasht is discussing the issue of switching to active operations against reactionary elements.

The appeal and the declaration adopted by the Founding Congress were sent to representatives of democratic countries on the night of 23 November only in Tabriz and after your instructions. They refrained from sending the appeal and the declaration to representatives of democratic countries in Tehran, and they also managed to make corrections in the newspapers, pointing out that it had been sent to the Shah, the Iranian government, and the Majlis. They removed the rest of the addresses.

M. D. BAGIROV

I. I. MASLENNIKOV

Received via VCh

24 Nov 1945