Democratic Republic of Georgia: Difference between revisions

{{Expand languageGeorgian|topic=|langcode=ka|otherarticle=საქართველოს დემოკრატიული რესპუბლიკაhist|date=November 2021}}

| stat_pop2 = ~2,500,000{{citation needed|date=October 2021}}

The '''Democratic Republic of Georgia''' ('''DRG'''; {{lang-ka|საქართველოს დემოკრატიული რესპუბლიკა|tr}}) was the first modern establishment of a [[republic]] of [[Georgia (country)|Georgia]], which existed from May 1918 to February 1921. Recognized by all major European powers of the time, DRG was created in the wake of the [[Russian Revolution of 1917]], which led to the collapse of the [[Russian Empire]] and allowed territories formerly under [[Saint PetersburgRussia]]'s rule to assert independence. In contrast to [[Bolshevik Russia]], DRG was governed by a moderate, multi-party political system led by the [[Social Democratic Labour Party of Georgia|Georgian Social Democratic Party]] ([[Mensheviks]]).

Initially, DRG was a [[Treaty of Poti|protectorate]] of the [[German Empire]]. However, after the German defeat in [[World War I]], the country was partially occupied by [[British Empire|British]] troops, who were sent there to counter a proposed [[Bolshevik]] invasion. The British had to leave in 1920 because of the [[Treaty of Moscow (1920)|Treaty of Moscow]], in which Russia recognized Georgia's independence in exchange for DRG not hosting forces hostile to Russia's interests.<ref>{{harvnb|Rayfield|2012|pp=326–331}}</ref> Now that Western European powers were no longer present in Georgia, in February 1921 the Bolshevik [[Red Army]] proceeded to [[Red Army invasion of Georgia|invade]] the country, leading to DRG's defeat and collapse by March of that year, with Georgia becoming a [[Georgian SSR|Soviet republic]]. The Georgian Government, led by Prime Minister [[Noe JordaniaZhordania]], moved to France where it continued to work in [[Government of the Democratic Republic of Georgia in Exile|exile]]. The government-in-exile was recognized by France, Britain, Belgium, and Poland as the only legitimate government of Georgia until the 1930s, when growing Soviet power and political processes in Europe made it impractical to do so indefinitely.<ref>Stefan Talmon (1998), ''Recognition of Governments in International Law'', p. 289-290. [[Oxford University Press]], ISBN 0-19-826573-5.</ref>

Although short-lived, DRG continues to be an inspiration for modern day Georgia due to its legacy of democracy and pluralism.<ref>[https://civil.ge/archives/399595 Georgia Marks Centennial of the First Constitution], [[Civil Georgia]], 2021, quote: "Georgian President [[Salome Zurabishvili]] underscored today that the first Constitution was "one of the most progressive" legal documents in Europe at that time, as it guaranteed universal suffrage, the abolition of the death penalty, fully proportional parliamentary elections, balanced governance, and free development of ethnic minorities, among others."</ref> DRG was [[Women's suffrage#Timeline|one of the first countries]] in Europe to grant women the right to vote as enshrined in the Georgian constitution, which was "unusual in most European constitutions at the time".<ref>[[Stephen F. Jones]], "The Making of Modern Georgia, 1918–2012: The First Georgian Republic and its Successors", Routledge, 2014, p.150</ref> Several women of varying backgrounds were elected to the Georgian parliament,<ref>[https://agenda.ge/multimedia/georgias-1028-days-of-Independence/img/infogr/p4-min.png "Georgia's First Women Lawmakers"], Georgia's 1028 Days of Independence, Agenda, 2021</ref> as were representatives of nine ethnicities, including Germans, Russians, Armenians, Azerbaijanis, and Jews.<ref>[https://agenda.ge/multimedia/georgias-1028-days-of-Independence/img/infogr/p5-min.png "Georgia's 1028 Days of Independence"], Agenda, 2021</ref> DRG also saw the founding of Georgia's [[Tbilisi State University|first fully fledged university]], thereby realizing a longstanding goal cherished by generations of Georgian intellectuals whose efforts were, up to that point, consistently frustrated by the Imperial Russian authorities.<ref name="Lang 1962 p. 211">[[David Marshall Lang|Lang, David Marshall]] (1962), ''A Modern History of Georgia'', p. 211. London: Weidenfeld and Nicolson.</ref>

[[File:Nikolay ('Karlo') Chkheidze (1864-1926), Georgian Menshevik politician (small).jpg|thumb|left|[[Nikolay Chkheidze]], president of the Georgian Provisional Assembly, later the Constituent Assembly]]

Georgia was immediately recognized by Germany and the [[Ottoman Empire]]. The young state had to place itself under German protection in the [[Treaty of Poti|German protection]] and to cede its largely [[Muslim]]-inhabited regions (including the cities of [[Batumi]], [[Ardahan Province|Ardahan]], [[Artvin]], [[Akhaltsikhe]] and [[Akhalkalaki]]) to the Ottoman government (Treatyin ofthe Batum,4 June 4)[[Treaty of Batum]]. However, German support enabled the Georgians to repel the Bolshevik threat from [[Abkhazia]]. [[German Caucasus expedition|German forces]] were almost certainly under the command of [[Friedrich Freiherr Kress von Kressenstein]]. Following the German defeat in the [[World War I|First World War]], British occupation forces arrived in the country,<ref name="Rose 1980 266">{{harvnb|Rose|1980|p=266}}</ref> with the permission of the Georgian government. Relations between the British and the local population were more strained than they had been with the Germans. British-held Batumi remained out of Georgia's control until 1920.<ref>{{harvnb|Rose|1980|p=286}}</ref> In December 1918, a British force was deployed in [[Tbilisi]] too.<ref>{{harvnb| name="Rose| 1980|p= 266}}<"/ref>

On February 14, 1919, Georgia held [[1919 Georgian parliamentary election|parliamentary elections]] won by the [[Social Democratic Party of Georgia]] with 81.5% of the vote.{{citation needed|date=April 2022}} On March 21, [[Noe Zhordania]] formed the third government, which had to deal with armed peasants' revolts incited by local Bolshevik activists{{Sfn|History of Georgia|2012|p=225}} and largely supported fromby Russia. These became more troublesome when carried out by ethnic minorities such as [[Abkhazia]]ns and [[South Ossetia|Ossetians]].

However, the land reform was finally well handled by the [[Social Democratic Party of Georgia|Georgian Social Democratic Party]] government and the country established a multi-party system in sharp contrast with the "[[dictatorship of the proletariat]]" established by the Bolsheviks in Russia. In 1919, reforms in the judicial system and local self-governance were carried out. Abkhazia was granted autonomy. Nevertheless, ethnic issues continued to trouble the country, especially [[Georgian–Ossetian conflict (1918–20)|on the part of the Ossetians]], as witnessed in May 1920. [[Nikolay Chkheidze]] proposed a [[white mandate]]{{clarify|date=March 2024}} for Georgia, vying to protect Georgia in event of an invasion by the [[Red Army]]. manyMany opposed him though. (It is unknown whether or not the [[Kingdom of Italy]] wanted to place Georgia under its protection as a white mandate, but they were considering it.) neverthelessNevertheless, Georgia did not become a mandate, resulting in the [[Red Army invasion of Georgia]].

The year 1920 was marked by increased threats from the [[Russian Soviet Federative Socialist Republic|Russian SFSR]]. With the defeat of the White movement and the Red Armies' advance to the Caucasus frontiers, the republic's situation became extremely tense. In January, the Soviet leadership offered Georgia, Armenia and Azerbaijan an alliance against the White armies in South Russia and the Caucasus. The Government of the DRG refused to enter any military alliance, referring to its policy of neutrality and noninterference, but suggested negotiations towards a political settlement of the relations between two countries in the hope that this might lead to recognition of Georgia's independence by [[Moscow]]. Severe criticism of the Georgian refusal by Russian leaders was followed by several unsuccessful attempts by local communists to organize mass anti-government protests{{Citation needed|date=May 2020}}, which ended unsuccessfully.

A vote at the [[League of Nations]] on granting membership to Georgia was held on December 16, 1920, with the resolution defeated: 10 voted for it, 13 against, and 19 abstained.<ref>{{harvnb|Kazemzadeh|1951|p=275}}</ref> Georgia gained ''de jure'' recognition from the Allies on January 27, 1921.<ref>{{harvnb|Kazemzadeh|1951|p=312}}</ref> This, however, did not prevent the country from being annexed by the [[Red Army]] to the [[Russian Soviet Federative Socialist Republic|Soviet Russia]].

[[File:Noeნ. Schordaniaჟორდანია.jpg|thumb|upright|[[Noe Zhordania]], the chairman of the second and the third government of the Republic]]

The country was governed as a type of [[Decentralization|decentralized]] [[Unitary state|unitary]] [[Parliamentary system|parliamentary]] [[republic]] [[Parliamentary republic with an executive presidency|with an executive]], with the constitution stating that "the state belongs to all the people. Parliament exercises the sovereignty of the nation within the framework of this constitution." The three [[Regional state|decentralized regions]] included the Abkhaz Autonomy, the Autonomy of Muslim Georgia, and the Zaqatala Region, which were granted autonomy in local affairs. The Chairman of the Government was the chief executive post, approved by the parliament for one-year terms of office (the post could not be held for more than two consecutive terms). The chairman appointed ministers and was responsible for governing the country and representing Georgia in foreign relations. However, the person in the position did not have some privileges common to dual-heads of state and heads of government, such as the ability to dissolve parliament or veto legislation. The 1919 government of Georgia adopted a law on [[jury trial]]s. The right to [[Jury trial|trial]] by jury for serious criminal, political and print cases was incorporated into the [https://dspace.nplg.gov.ge/handle/1234/105492 1921 Constitution].<ref>{{harvnb|Papuashvili|2012|p=324}}</ref> The highest court was the Senate, indirectly elected by the parliament. Any changes to the constitution must have first been approved by 2/3 of the legislature, and then a majority of the voting public in a referendum.[[File:DRG-ATD-en.png|thumb|Project for dividing the territory of Georgia into new administrative units (regions), 1920.]]

{{RefimprovedMore citations needed|section|date=April 2022}}

The independence of the Democratic Republic of Georgia was ''de jure'' recognized by [[Kingdom of Romania|Romania]], [[Argentina]], [[German Empire|Germany]], [[Ottoman Empire|Turkey]], [[Belgium]], [[United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland|United Kingdom]], [[French Third Republic|France]], [[Empire of Japan|Japan]], [[Kingdom of Italy|Italy]], [[Polish Second Republic|Poland]], [[Czechoslovakia]], [[Siam]] and [[Estonia]], among other countries.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2018-06-08 |title=#GEORGIA100 {{!}} Embassy of Georgia |url=https://georgiaembassyusa.org/2018/06/08/georgia100/ |access-date=2024-01-05 |language=en-US}}</ref>

[[File:Menshevik People's GuardGvardia3.jpg|thumb|Soldiers of the People's Guard of Georgia]]

[[People's Guard of Georgia|The People's Guard]] was the privileged military force in the country. Founded on September 5, 1917, as the Worker's Guard, it was later renamed the Red Guard, and finally the People's Guard. It was a highly politicized military structure placed directly under the control of parliament rather than the Ministry of War. Throughout its existence (1917–1921), the Guard was under the command of the Menshevik activist [[Valiko Jugheli]].<ref>[http://www.colisee.org/article.php?id_article=5290 (French) Valiko Djougheli].</ref>

From March 1919 to October 1920, the Georgian army was reorganized. It consisted of 3 infantry brigades (later coalesced into one division), 1 cavalry brigade,<ref name="apgads.lu.lv">[{{Cite web|url=https://www.apgads.lu.lv/fileadmin/user_upload/lu_portal/apgads/PDF/Vesture/2018_5/07_Anchabadze.pdf |title=Armed Forces of Georgian Democratic Republic in 1918–1921]|accessdate=25 February 2024}}</ref> 2 fortress regiments, 3 artillery brigades, a sapper battalion, a telegraph platoon, a motor squadron with an armored car detachment, a cavalry regiment, and a military school. A People's Guard consisted of 4 regular battalions. It could further mobilize 18 battalions, i.e., one division. Thus, in 1920, the Georgian army and People's Guard together comprised 16 infantry battalions (1 army division and an NG regiment), 1 sapper battalion, 5 field artillery divisions, 2 cavalry legions, 2 motor squadrons with 2 armored car detachments, an air detachment and 4 armored trains. Beyond staff and fortress regiments, the army totaled 27,000. Mobilization could increase this number to 87,000. The [[Coast Guard of Georgia|Georgian navy]] possessed 1 destroyer, 4 fighter aircraft, 4 torpedo boats, 4 mineboats, and 10 steamboats.<ref>{{in lang|ru}} А. Дерябин, Р. Паласиос-Фернандес (2000), Гражданская война в России 1917–1922. Национальные армии. ACT, {{ISBN|5-237-01084-9}}.</ref><ref>[https://www. name="apgads.lu.lv"/fileadmin/user_upload/lu_portal/apgads/PDF/Vesture/2018_5/07_Anchabadze.pdf Armed Forces of Georgian Democratic Republic in 1918–1921]</ref>

When the DRG was proclaimed, the Georgian economy was not in a strong position. While economic issues were a EuropeanEurope-wide issue in 1918 (owing to the First World War), as a new state Georgia faced considerably more difficulties.<ref>{{harvnb|Jones|2014|pp=1–2}}</ref> There were two main issues immediately facing Georgia: economic dependence on Russia, and the need to industralise a largely agrarian society.<ref name="Jones 2">{{harvnb|Jones|2014|p=2}}</ref> Further causing issues was a lack of direction from the Georgian government, which also tried to implement a socialist-based policy into economic matters, despite lacking the financial backing to keep the economy stable.<ref>{{harvnb|Jones|2014|pp=3–4}}</ref>

The most important event in the country's cultural life during this turbulent period was indeed the foundation of a national university in Tbilisi (now known as the [[Tbilisi State University]]) (1918), a long-time dream of Georgians thwarted by the [[Russian Empire|Imperial Russian]] authorities for several decades.{{citation<ref needed|datename=April"Lang 2021}}1962 p. 211"/> Other educational centers included [[gymnasium (school)|gymnasiums]] in [[Tbilisi]], [[Batumi]], [[Kutaisi]], [[Ozurgeti]], [[Poti]] and [[Gori, Georgia|Gori]], Tbilisi Military School, Gori Pedagogical Seminary, the Pedagogical Seminary for Women, etc. Georgia also had a number of schools for ethnic minorities.

On April 9, 1991, the independence of [[Georgia (country)|Georgia]] was restored when the Act of the Restoration of State Independence of Georgia was adopted by the [[Supreme Council of the Republic of Georgia]].<ref>{{Cite web |title=Act of Restoration of State Independence of Georgia |url=https://matsne.gov.ge/en/document/view/32362 |access-date=2023-12-30 |website=სსიპ ”საქართველოს საკანონმდებლო მაცნე” |language=en}}</ref> The national symbols used by the DRG were re-established as those of the newly independent nation and remained in use until 2004. May 26, the day of the establishment of the DRG, is still celebrated as a [[Public holidays in Georgia|national holiday]] — the [[Independence Day (Georgia)|Independence Day of Georgia]].<ref>{{Cite web |title=Georgia National Day 2023 |url=https://www.state.gov/georgia-national-day-2023/ |access-date=2023-12-30 |website=United States Department of State |language=en}}</ref>

{{Collier's Posterposter|Georgia (Tiflis)|Democratic Republic of Georgia}}