The oil issue in the context of the Anglo-Russian economic rivalry in Persia at the turn of the XIXXX centuries

Introduction. The relevance and novelty of the paper is determined by the absence in the Russian historic literature of a special study of such an important aspect of the AngloRussian economic rivalry in Persia as the oil issue.
Materials and Methods. The main body of sources consisted of published documents of the Russian and British Foreign Ministries, agreements on Persian concessions, speeches and memoirs of British politicians and diplomats. The following methods were used: case study, the narrative, descriptive and comparative ones.
Analysis. At the height of the economic rivalry between Britain and Russia in Persia, the oil issue arose. The interest shown in it by each side sprang from different causes. Britain’s interest was driven by the Persian oil deposits, while Russia showed interest in Persian oil market. By the end of the XIX century Russian oil products had acquired a dominant position in the Persian market. Also, Baku oil producers were interested in Persia as the country through which the closest land routes to other markets in Asia and the Far East ran. Unlike Russians, British businessmen were seeking concessions related to oilfields exploitation. Despite the difference of interests, an oil issue was the source of tension, which rose to its peak in the diplomatic fight around D’Arcy Concession of 1901. Both Russian and British governments provided official and unofficial support to oil producers and traders in Persia. For the British government the oil issue was more specific: the possibility of obtaining a source of secure supplies of fuel oil for the British fleet.
Results. The policy of the British Government to back the Anglo-Persian Oil Company (APOC) proved to be justified as the oil factor became crucial in World War I. Largely due to Persian oil the British fleet had a certain advantage over the fleets of other powers during the war. As for the Anglo-Russian oil rivalry in Persia itself, the start of the exploitation of the oilfields by APOC affected the economic interests of Russia in the Middle East and Asia. Russian kerosene was forced out of the ports of the Persian Gulf. However, in Persia itself, Russian kerosene maintained a monopoly position until the end of the 1920s.

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