William Montgomery Thomson

William Montgomery Thomson KCMG, CB, MC (1878-1963) was a British General who in 1918 became military governor of Baku.

On 16 November 1918, in Enzeli Thomson met with Nasib Yusifbeyli, Musa bey Rafiyev and Ahmet Ağaoğlu, representatives of Musavat, the governing party of the Azerbaijan Democratic Republic (ADR). Here he outlined his goals: He nevertheless denied that the British would interfere in internal affairs: "The principle of self-determination of peoples will decided at the Paris Peace Conference from which Azerbaijan will not be excluded".
 * ensure the evacuation of military units of the Ottoman Army and the ADR from Baku
 * to prevent Armenian troops from entering Baku
 * to create a British administration of local militia
 * to facilitate the supply of oil from the Baku oilfields for the British
 * to secure the eastern terminus of the Transcaucasus Railway

General Thompson arrived in Baku the next day with about 2,000 soldiers of the British Indian Army and a detachment of Russian troops commanded by Bicherakhov. This was greeted with enthusiasm by the Russian population of Baku. One of his first actions was to order the removal of the flag of the ADR. He also spoke in praise of Russia, declaring "The Allies cannot return home without restoring order in Russia and placing her in a position to again take her proper place among the nations of the world."