TV documentary on last war against Russia in 1920
I'm watching a rather serious documentary with lots of film and comments by serious looking historians about Georgian independence in 1918-21, which was terminated by the arrival of the Bolsheviks. Whoever made it, had seen the ITV's the World at War. It has particularly funereal music throughout.
from the Bradt Guide to Georgia:
After the Russian revolution of 1917 Georgia briefly gained independence but found itself the pawn of larger countries competing for access to the Caspian oil fields.
In April 1918, Transcaucasia (Georgia, Armenia and Azerbaidjan) declared itself an independent federal state, but on 26 May 1918 Georgia broke away, having been persuaded by Germany that it would provide protection against the Bolshevik threat from the north of the Caucasus. German troops helped to drive out the Turks, supposedly their allies out of Batumi at the end of 1918.
15,000 British troops landed in Batumi to occupy Transcaucasia (stopping fighting between Gerogians and Armenians). BBritain and its Chief Commissioner Oliver Wardrop wanted to maintain Georgia as a buffer against Bolshevism, but the Social Democrat (Menshevik) government led by Zhordzhania from June 1918 refused to form an alliance with Denikin's White Russians, the last Tsarists.
Zhordzhania's government introduced universal suffrage, health insurance and some nationalisation and redistribution of lan; but this wasn't enough for the Bolsheviks in Russia who imposed a blockade leading to food shortages.
In May 1920 a Bolshevik coup attempt in Tbilisi and a revolt in South Ossetia failed; in January 1920 (sic) the Allies granted de facto recognition of all three transcaucasian republics and a year later Britain and France granted full de jure recognition.
Zhordzhania felt protected by the League of Nations, but Lloyd George was more interested in a deal with Moscow; the British troops left early in 1920 and on 16 february 1921, the Red Army invaded, occupying Tbilisi 9 days later.
I could hardly bear to type this, it's just so typical of the Great Power games with small countries.
Plus ca change.
