Georgian Declaration of Independence, 1918

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Georgian Declaration of Independence
Act of Independence of Georgia 1918.jpg
1918 document signed by the members of the National Council
Created26 May 1918
Location National Archives of Georgia (the document is owned by the parliament of Georgia, but is kept in the Archives)
SignatoriesMembers of the National Council of Georgia
PurposeEstablished Democratic Republic of Georgia

The Georgian Declaration of Independence [1] of the Democratic Republic of Georgia on 26 May 1918 established a Georgian state from the Transcaucasian Democratic Federative Republic, a federation between Armenia, Azerbaijan, and Georgia in the wake of the 1917 Russian Revolution. It was proclaimed in Tiflis, the main city of Georgia and the new capital of Georgia.

Contents

Background

The Russian Revolution had seen the Caucasus region establish an independent state on 22 April 1918, the Transcaucasian Democratic Federative Republic (TDFR), a union of Armenia, Azerbaijan, and Georgia. However it only lasted until May 26 1918, as the Ottoman Empire invaded, and with political and ethnic differences the state was unable to sustain itself. With the Armenians fighting the Ottoman forces and the Azerbaijanis having their own issues with Bolsheviks controlling Baku, the Georgians concluded that they had no future in the TDFR. [2] On 14 May Noe Jordania, a leading Georgian Menshevik went to Batumi to request German assistance to help secure Georgian independence. He returned to Tiflis on 21 May and expressed confidence that Georgia could become independent. [3] The Armenian, Azerbaijani, and Georgian representatives from the Seim (TDFR legislature) met on 21 May to discuss the future of the TDFR and agreed that it was not likely to last much longer. The next day the Georgians met alone and resolved that independence was their only logical choice. [2] Jordania and Zurab Avalishvili drafted a declaration of independence on 22 May, before Jordania left again for Batum to meet Otto von Lossow. [4] On 24 May Von Lossow replied that he was only authorized to work with the TDFR as a whole; as it was becoming apparent that it would not last long, he would have to leave Trabzon and consult with his government on how to proceed further. [5]

Declaration

Irakli Tsereteli gave the final speech of the Seim, calling for the dissolution of the TDFR and the independence of Georgia. IrakliTsereteliComoMinistroMayoJunio1917.png
Irakli Tsereteli gave the final speech of the Seim, calling for the dissolution of the TDFR and the independence of Georgia.

On 26 May Irakli Tsereteli, another leading Menshevik, gave two speeches in the Seim. In the first, he explained that the TDFR was unable to continue as there was a lack of unity among the people and that ethnic strife led to a division of action in regards to the Ottoman invasion. In his second speech, Tsereteli blamed the Azerbaijanis for failing to support the defense of the TDFR and declared that as the federation had failed it was time for Georgia to proclaim itself independent. [6] At 15:00 the motion was passed: "Because on the questions of war and peace there arose basic differences among the peoples who had created the Transcaucasian Republic, and because it became impossible to establish one authoritative order speaking in the name of all Transcaucasia, the Seim certifies the fact of the dissolution of Transcaucasia and lays down its powers." [7] Most delegates left the chamber, with only the Georgians remaining, who were shortly joined by members of the Georgian National Council. Jordania then read the Georgian declaration of independence and proclaimed the Democratic Republic of Georgia. [8] This was followed two days later with an Armenian declaration of independence, followed quickly by Azerbaijan doing the same, creating the Republic of Armenia and Azerbaijan Democratic Republic, respectively. [9]

Text of the Declaration of Independence

Original textIn English [10]
საქართველოს დამოუკიდებლობის აქტი
Act of Independence of Georgia
მრავალ საუკუნეთა განმავლობაში საქართველო არსებობდა, როგორც დამოუკიდებელი და თავისუფალი სახელმწიფო.

მეთვრამეტე საუკუნის დასასრულს ყოველ მხრით მტრისაგან შევიწროვებული საქართველო თავის ნებით შეუერთდა რუსეთს იმ პირობით, რომ რუსეთი ვალდებული იყო საქართველო გარეშე მტრისაგან დაეცვა.

რუსეთის დიდის რევოლუციის მსვლელობამ რუსეთში ისეთი შინაგანი წყობილება შეჰქმნა, რომ მთელი საომარი ფრონტი სრულიად დაიშალა და რუსის ჯარმაც დაუტევა ამიერკავკასია.

დარჩნენ რა თავისი ძალღონის ამარად, საქართველომ და მასთან ერთად ამიერკავკასიამ თვით იდვეს თავის საკუთარ საქმეების გაძღოლა და პატრონობა და შესაფერი ორგანოებიც შეჰქმნეს; მაგრამ გარეშე ძალთა ზეგავლენით ამიერკავკასიის ერთა შემაერთებელი კავშირი დაირღვა და მით ამიერკავკასიის პოლიტიკური მთლიანობაც დაიშალა.

ქართველი ერის დღევანდელი მდგომარეობა აუცილებლად მოითხოვს, რომ საქართველომ საკუთარი სახელმწიფოებრივი ორგანიზაცია შეჰქმნას, მისი საშუალებით გარეშე ძალის მიერ დაპყრობისაგან თავი გადაირჩინოს და დამოუკიდებელ განვითარების მტკიცე საფუძველი ააგოს.

ამისდა თანახმად საქართველოს ეროვნული საბჭო, 1917 წლის 22 ნოემბერს არჩეული საქართველოს ეროვნულ ყრილობის მიერ, აცხადებს:

For many centuries Georgia existed as a free and independent State.

At the end of the eighteenth century, imperiled by its enemies from all sides, Georgia voluntarily allied herself with Russia, with the stipulation that the latter should protect her from the enemies without.

In the course of the great Russian Revolution, internal conditions arose in Russia, that resulted in the disorganisation of the entire military front and the abandonment of Transcaucasia by the Russian Army.

Thus, left to her own devices, Georgia, and with her all Transcaucasia, took into their hands the direction of their affairs, creating the necessary bodies for this purpose; but under pressure from exterior forces the links which tied Transcaucasian nations were broken and the political unity of Transcaucasia was thus dissolved.

The present state of the Georgian nation makes it imperative, that Georgia shall create a statehood organisation of her own, so that she may escape the conquest from external force and lay a solid foundation for her independent development.

Accordingly, the Georgian National Council, elected by the National Assembly of Georgia on November 22 (December 5), 1917, declares:

1.ამიერიდგან საქართველოს ხალხი სუვერენულ უფლებათა მატარებელია და საქართველო სრულუფლებოვანი დამოუკიდებელი სახელმწიფოა.1. Henceforth, the Georgian people shall hold sovereign power, and Georgia shall be a fully-fledged independent State.
2. დამოუკიდებელ საქართველოს პოლიტიკური ფორმა დემოკრატიული რესპუბლიკაა.2. Independent Georgia’s form of political organisation shall be a Democratic Republic.
3. საერთაშორისო ომიანობაში საქართველო მუდმივი ნეიტრალური სახელმწიფოა.3. In international conflict Georgia shall always remain neutral.
4. საქართველოს დემოკრატიულ რესპუბლიკას ჰსურს საერთაშორისო ურთიერთობის ყველა წევრთან კეთილმეზობლური განწყობილება დაამყაროს, განსაკუთრებით კი მოსაზღვრე სახელმწიფოებთან და ერებთან.4. The Georgian Democratic Republic intends to establish good-neighborly relations with all nations, and especially with the States and nations at its borders.
5. საქართველოს დემოკრატიული რესპუბლიკა თავის საზღვრებში თანასწორად უზრუნველჰყოფს ყველა მოქალაქის სამოქალაქო და პოლიტიკურ უფლებებს განურჩევლად ეროვნებისა და სქესისა.5. The Georgian Democratic Republic shall ensure within her borders civil and political rights to all of its citizens equally, irrespective of their ethnicity, faith, social station and gender.
6. საქართველოს დემოკრატიული რესპუბლიკა განვითარების თავისუფალ ასპარეზს გაუხსნის მის ტერიტორიაზედ მოსახლე ყველა ერს.6. The Georgian Democratic Republic shall provide a wide field of free development to all nationalities that inhabit it.
7. დამფუძნებელ კრების შეკრებამდე მთელის საქართველოს მართვა-გამგეობის საქმეს უძღვება ეროვნული საბჭო, რომელიც შევსებული იქნება ეროვნულ უმცირესობათა წარმომადგენლებით, და დროებითი მთავრობა პასუხისმგებელია საბჭოს წინაშე.7. Until the convocation of the Constituent Assembly, the governance of Georgia shall be conferred to the National Council, with additional representation of the national minorities, and the Provisional Government responsible to the National Council.


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References

  1. (Georgian :საქართველოს დამოუკიდებლობის აქტი, romanized:sakartvelos damouk'ideblobis akt'i)
  2. 1 2 Kazemzadeh 1951 , p. 115
  3. Hovannisian 1969 , p. 183
  4. Hovannisian 1969 , p. 184
  5. Hovannisian 1969 , p. 181
  6. Kazemzadeh 1951 , p. 120
  7. Hovannisian 1969 , p. 188
  8. Suny 1994 , pp. 191–192
  9. Kazemzadeh 1951 , pp. 123–124
  10. "1918: Georgia's Act of Independence Proclaimed". civil.ge. 26 May 1918. Retrieved 2023-06-07.

Bibliography