Early Stages of the Campaign
eastern Van basin. Large numbers of them perished, and their villages were burned wholesale by the retreating forces. By the Autumn of 1915, after the third Turkish attempt, the situation was the same as it had been in the Spring. The Russians had cleared the Turks definitely out of North-west Persia, and were in occupation of the eastern end of the South Armenian plateau. Thus the campaign which had begun badly for the Russian Caucasus Army at Sary-Kamish, had during the Summer of 1915 turned in its favour, and the first successes were obtained on the Russian left in Azairbijan and the Van basin.
63
