Bookvica

[ESSENTIAL FOREIGN POLICY DOCUMENTS OF EARLY 20TH CENTURY GEORGIA AND TRANSCAUCASIA] Dokumenty i mater'yaly po vneshney politike Zakavkaz'ya i Gruzii [i.e. Documents and Materials on the Foreign Policy of Transcaucasia and Georgia]

Item #2196

Tbilisi: Tipografiya Pravitel'stva Gruzinskoy Respubliki, 1919. 4, 514 pp. 22,4x15,7 cm.

In owner’s contemporary cloth binding. Worn, rubbed edges, inventory number on the fore title, several pages at the front slightly loose, but otherwise in a very good condition.
Scarce. First edition. Text in Russian.

The first and only comprehensive compilation of documents related to the foreign policy of the short-lived Transcaucasian Democratic Republics, with a primary focus on the Democratic Republic of Georgia. The edition, published by the Printing House of the Georgian Government, was likely intended for government officials, diplomats, scholars, and international stakeholders interested in the geopolitical dynamics and diplomatic efforts of the region.
The book came out in 1919, during Georgia’s brief period of independence under the leadership of the Social Democratic Party. The subsequent German-Turkish intervention, wars in the Caucasus, and Lenin’s efforts to establish Soviet power in the region eventually resulted in the fall of the Georgian Democratic Republic in 1921.
The book contains 261 unique documents, including telegrams, resolutions, minutes, agreements, and previously unpublished personal correspondence, spanning from November 7, 1917, to January 11, 1919. The materials are organized thematically into twenty-four sections, each following a chronological order. The edition begins with the formation of the Transcaucasian government and the armistice on the Caucasus front, and continues through key events such as the Brest-Litovsk Treaty, the Trapezund Peace Conference, and the eventual declaration of independence for the Transcaucasian republics. Key moments include the collapse of negotiations with Turkey, the fall of Kars, and the Batumi Peace Conference. The collection concludes with the dissolution of the Transcaucasian Federation, the proclamation of Georgia’s independence, and its subsequent diplomatic negotiations with the key actors of the time - Turkey, Germany, England, Armenia, and Azerbaijan.
Interesting excerpts include:
March 12, 1918 - A conversation between the chairmen of the Transcaucasian and Ottoman delegations - Rauf Orbay (Turkish Naval Officer): "On behalf of myself and my colleagues, we think and inform you in a friendly and confidential manner that our government wishes to conclude a fraternal and lasting peace with Transcaucasia. We have no hidden intentions."
March 19, 1918 - Telegram on the capture of Ardahan by Muslims (Turks): "Power in Ardahan has shifted to the Muslims. Armenian military units have been disarmed. The Christian population is being evacuated. The situation is dangerous.”
Aril 8, 1918 - Telegram from the Chairman of the Transcaucasian delegation on the necessity of recognizing the Treaty of Brest-Litovsk – “Ardahan has been taken, the fate of Kars will be decided in the coming days, the railway to Batumi will likely be cut off, the Turks are eight versts from Batumi. I find it necessary to immediately receive authorization to recognize the Treaty of Brest-Litovsk.”
May 25, 1918 - Address from the Tiflis City Council to the population – “Turkish troops are advancing into the heart of our country, seizing our towns and villages, threatening our capital, Tiflis. Where the enemy will stop, and when they will cease their advance and conquests, we do not know.”
October 28, 1918 - Acting Minister of Foreign Affairs Ramishvili - Correspondence regarding mobilization in Armenia – “Local periodicals have reported on mobilization efforts to replenish the Armenian Republic's forces. I have the honor to request that you provide information on whether these reports are accurate.” (The letter was written less than two months before the outburst of the Armeno-Georgian War over the control of former districts of the Tiflis Governorate, in Borchaly (Lori) and Akhalkalaki).
October 29, 1918 - Chargé d'Affaires of the Armenian Republic to the Government of Georgia, Jamalyan, to the Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Georgian Republic - "I have the honor to inform you that the Armenian Government has not issued any orders regarding the mobilization of troops."
November 1, 1918 - Commander of the 5th Armenian Infantry Regiment, Field Units - "I order you to proceed to the village of Vartablug and start forming militia companies from local residents aged 20-32. Please submit the lists of mobilized individuals to me tomorrow."
Overall, the first comprehensive compilation of rare documents related to the foreign policy of the First Democratic Republic of Georgia.

No copies found in Worldcat.

Price: $750.00