DOI: https://doi.org/10.36719/2663-4619/115/144-147
Huseyn Naghizadeh
Western Caspian University
Master student
https://orcid.org/0009-0001-4867-0623
iamhuseyn02@gmail.com
Establishment of the Democratic Republic of Georgia in 1918
Abstract
The establishment of the Democratic Republic of Georgia constitutes an important stage in the complex political conditions of the South Caucasus in the early 20th century. The February Revolution in Russia in 1917 led to the collapse of Tsarist Russia and the disintegration of the empire. This created an opportunity for the peoples of the South Caucasus to gain independence and determine their own future. Georgia actively participated in the independence movement during this historical period, declaring the Democratic Republic of Georgia in May 1918. This was the first independent state in the South Caucasus and it also served as a catalyst for other peoples in the region to aspire for independence. The Democratic Republic of Georgia offered a model of statehood based on democratic principles. It embodied modern democratic values such as parliamentarism, free elections, human rights and free property. The government sought to preserve national sovereignty and consolidate the country's independence. However, it faced internal challenges and external pressures. Georgian independence confronted Russia's geopolitical interests. In particular, Soviet pressures, which strengthened in the region after the Bolshevik revolution in Soviet Russia, made it difficult for Georgia to maintain its independence. As a result of the armed struggle that began in February 1921 with the intervention of Soviet Russia, the Democratic Republic of Georgia ceased to exist. Georgia became the part of the Soviet Union and the country was renamed the Soviet Socialist Republic of Georgia.
Keywords: Democratic Republic of Georgia, democracy, Russia, Bolsheviks, February Revolution