Georgian national movement in the XX century and problems of interethnic relations in Georgia

Abstract

This paper is devoted to Georgian national movement and interethnic relations in Georgia in 20th century. At the beginning of the twentieth century. Georgians had a strong national elite represented by the liberal nobility and the Georgian intellectuals. Even when Georgia was part of the Russian Empire, strong political parties appeared in it. They were divided into social democrats and nationalists, who set themselves different tasks. The Social Democrats saw Georgia as part of a democratic Russia. Only the October Revolution of 1917 forced them to separate from Russia. The nationalists came up with the idea of ​​first autonomy, and then the independence of Georgia. They saw the German Empire as their ally. The development of the national movement led to the proclamation of an independent Georgian Democratic Republic in May 1918. This republic tried to maintain peaceful relations with its neighbors - the Mountain Republic, the Azerbaijan Democratic Republic, the Ottoman Empire, and the Turkish Republic. The conflict with Armenia was due to Armenian Irrendism. Georgia was annexed by the Russian Bolsheviks in 1921. The government of the Georgian Democratic Republic went into exile, and the Georgian national figures were repressed by the Bolsheviks.