Great-Britain and Russia divided Persia into spheres of influence in 1906 – the Russians were in northern Persia, the British in southeast Persia bounded by British India. In the west the Ottoman Empire tried to gain some influence in Persia. In a secret treaty (1907) Great-Britain and Russia tried to give an official status under international law to this situation. The Persians reacted, however, with a constitutional revolution (March/April 1912) that was crushed with Russian and British military aid. Nevertheless, the new Persian government tried to stay at least officially neutral in World War I.