The March 1921 Battle for Batumi and the People's Guard

ანოტაცია

The First Democratic Republic of Georgia, which tried  to maintain its independence, found itself in a difficult situation at the beginning of 1921. In February and in March, Georgia was  surrounded by Soviet Russia. The 11th Red Army attacked from the southeast, the 9th Army from the north, through the Mamisoni Pass, and the 13th Army from the Black Sea coast. Budyonny and Zhloba's cavalry units also joined the fight against Georgia. In addition there was  the threat from the Ottoman Empire from the southwest.[1] While Turkey was formally presenting itself as a "friend" of Georgia, it was simultaneously trying to seize the city of Batumi and the Batumi region. When „... Georgia was tied up on three sides in the battle with the Russian whale, at that time the Ottoman government promised Georgia’s alliance and at the same time silently advanced its army towards the Artaani region and seized Georgian territory…“[2] This is confirmed by the information reflected in the “Selected Notes” of the then Chairman of the Mejlis of Muslim Georgia (the governing body of Batumi and the Batumi region), Memed Abashidze that a  delegation of the Angora government appeared in Batumi and suggested him, as the Chairman of the Mejlis, that they review the issue of joining Georgia and, on behalf of the Mejlis, issue a resolution that the Batumi region would be transferred to the Angora government on the basis of autonomy.[3]

Unfortunately, the democratic government of Georgia realized the Kemalists’ treachery too late. Before emigrating, Noe Zhordania said in a statement to the population that a new issue had arisen: should Batumi be given to Georgia, even if the Bolsheviks rule there, or should it remain with the Ottomans? There could be no two opinions on this question. Their decision was that in any case Batumi should remain with Georgia, not with the Ottomans.[4]

The two imperialist states (Turkey and Russia), which appeared on the world stage with the slogans of democracy and socialism, in fact, acted completely oppositely. This article concerns the period when the above-mentioned countries, with their insidious plan, divided the territory of the first democratic Georgia. The article will present the relations between democratic Georgia and Turkey and Russia, and the struggle for the liberation of Batumi, where the problematic issue of the role of the People’s Guard will be presented.

[1] ოთარ თურმანიძე, საქართველოს ძალდატანებითი გასაბჭოება და ბრძოლა აჭარის დედა სამშობლოდან ჩამოცილების წინააღმდეგ (1921 წლის თებერვალ-მარტი), წიგნში: სამხრეთ-დასავლეთ საქართველოს ისტორიის ნარკვევები, აჭარა, ტომი IV, ბათუმის შოთა რუსთაველის სახელმწიფო უნივერსიტეტი, ნიკო ბერძენიშვილის ჰუმანიტარულ და სოციალურ მეცნიერებათა მიმართულება, ბათუმი, 2012, გვ. 34.

[2] გრიგოლ ლორთქიფანიძე, ფიქრები საქართველოზე, თბილისის უნივერსიტეტის გამომცემლობა,თბილისი, 1995, გვ. 217.

[3] მემედ აბაშიძე, რჩეული ნაწერები, თბ., 1967, გვ. 87.

[4] ნოე ჟორდანიას მიმართვა „საქართველოს ქალაქებს, ერობებს, თემებს“ ბათუმის საკითხის გამო, მთავრობის მიერ საქართველოს ტერიტორიის დატოვების შესახებ (ჩანაწერი ფანქრით), 24.02.1921, სცსა, ფ.2113 ან. 1, ს.43, ფურც.1.