Shiraz expedition
{{Short description|Swedish military expedition in Persia}}
{{Infobox military conflict
| conflict = Shiraz expedition
| image = Swedish_led_gendarmerie_on_their_way_to_chiraz.jpg
| partof = the Swedish volunteers in Persia
| date = 1913–1915
| result = Gendarmerie victory
- The gendarmerie reaches Shiraz
- Victory at Kazerun
| image_size = 300px
| combatant1 = Persian gendarmerie
| commander1 = Josef Pousette
| commander2 = Mohammed Ali and other insurgent leaders
| combatant2 = Insurgents
| casualties1 = At least 1 Swede and several gendarmes
| casualties2 = Unknown
}}
The Shiraz expedition ({{langx|sv|Shiraz-expeditionen}}) was an expedition led by Josef Pousette to link up with the third regiment of the Persian gendarmerie which was stationed in Shiraz.{{cite web | url=https://slakthistoria.se/livet-forr/livsode/farmors-kusin-stred-i-persien | title=Farmors kusin stred i Persien | date=23 October 2020 }}
Background
Shortly after the arrival of the Swedish officers during the Swedish intervention in Persia, general Harald Hjalmarson chose to split up the gendarmerie into different regiments, one being stationed in Shiraz. Captain Josef Pousette would be the one chosen to be in charge of the regiment in Shiraz, though Shiraz was 800 kilometers away which would be cleared on horseback.{{cite web | url=https://slakthistoria.se/livet-forr/livsode/farmors-kusin-stred-i-persien | title=Farmors kusin stred i Persien | date=23 October 2020 }}{{cite web | url=https://digitaltmuseum.se/021016392887/gendarmer-till-hast-fran-chiraz-expeditionen-shiraz-i-mars-1913-kanske | title="Gendarmer till häst". "Från Chiraz-expeditionen [Shiraz] i mars 1913" - kanske det ska vara 1912? Samling vid ett vattendrag }}
Road to Shiraz
Not much is known about the actual journey to Shiraz, though Pousette stated that at an overnight stay, he became "lifelong" friends with an insurgent.{{cite web | url=https://slakthistoria.se/livet-forr/livsode/farmors-kusin-stred-i-persien | title=Farmors kusin stred i Persien | date=23 October 2020 }}
Operations in Shiraz and the battles of Kazerun
While at Shiraz, Pousette was to patrol an important stretch of road to the town of Bushir, where they would engage several insurgents under Mohammed Ali in the Battles of Kazerun. The battles were bloody but it did end up being a costly gendarmerie victory, losing several gendarmes and at least one Swede.{{cite web | url=https://slakthistoria.se/livet-forr/livsode/farmors-kusin-stred-i-persien | title=Farmors kusin stred i Persien | date=23 October 2020 }}{{cite web | url=https://popularhistoria.se/sveriges-historia/1900-tal/svenskar-stred-i-persiska-gendarmeriet | title=Svenskar stred i persiska gendarmeriet | date=4 June 2021 }} However Kazerun was not the only battle fought while at Shiraz, as some of the bloodiest battles during the Swedish intervention occurred in and around Shiraz.{{cite web | url=https://www.iranicaonline.org/articles/sweden-ii | title=Welcome to Encyclopaedia Iranica }}
Besides military actions, Pousette met with German leadership in Shiraz.{{cite web | url=https://digitaltmuseum.se/021016392996/svenska-officerare-och-tyske-mil-attachen-klein-under-chiraz-expeditionen | title="Svenska officerare och tyske mil. Attachén Klein under Chiraz-expeditionen (Morgonkostym, kallat, en gång 18 [grader]". "Från Chiraz-expeditionen [Shiraz] i mars 1913" - kanske det ska vara 1912? Fyra män i pälskläder och med solglasögon }}