During the
Persian Constitutional Revolution, officials of the
Russian Empire viewed the upheaval in Iran as a threat to their commercial and strategic interests in the
Caucasus frontier. Russian policymakers aimed to secure their northern sphere of influence, protect trade concessions, and suppress revolutionary movements spreading south from the Caucasus. Rebellion broke out in Tabriz on 23 June 1908. In early February 1909 government forces under Prince
ʿAyn-al-dawla surrounded the city. On 20 April, in response to the siege situation,
Britain,
France and
Russia agreed that a Russian force should be sent to occupy the city in order "to facilitate the entrance into the town of the necessary provisions, to protect the consulates and foreign subjects, and to help those who so desired to leave the town." During the Russian occupation, Crown Prince
Mohammad Hassan Mirza resided in Tabriz. Beginning in 1906 and through a Persian concession, a Russian government company had constructed a road from the Russian railhead at
Julfa to Tabriz. While the region under Russian occupation, they upgraded the road to a railroad. It opened to traffic in May 1916 as the first railroad in Persia. After the
Ottoman entry into World War I in November 1914, Ottoman troops
advanced into the Caucasus against Russia. This threatened to cut off the troops in Azerbaijan and an evacuation was ordered. Between 17 December 1914 and 6 January 1915, all Russian troops left Tabriz. Many local Christians, namely differing denominations of
Assyrians, left with them.
Ottoman Kurds under
Aḥmad Mukhtār Bey Shamkhal occupied the city on 8 January. The Ottoman–Kurdish occupation did not last long. The Ottomans were decisively defeated in the
Battle of Sarikamish and the Russians were able to reoccupy the city on 31 January 1915. They remained in control until the
Russian Revolution of November 1917 created disorder and confusion among the troops. The evacuation began in early 1918 and on 28 February the last Russian soldiers left Tabriz. On 18 June, the Ottomans began occupying the city. ==Gallery==