Diplomatic structures of the Democratic Republic of Georgia (1918-1921)

Dimitri SHVELIDZE

Abstract: The article covers three main topics: The first concerns the establish­ment of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Democratic Republic of Georgia and its activities aimed at establishing diplomatic relations with as many foreign countries as possible. The second topic discusses and clarifies the embassies and consulates that foreign states opened in Georgia. The third research topic focus­es on identifying and specifying the Georgian diplomatic missions that existed abroad.

The paper focuses on the extremely difficult geopolitical conditions under which the above-mentioned institutions were established – conditions created by Soviet Russia, which, compared to the old monarchical Russia, pursued even greater expansionist goals.                                      

The present article is the initial part of a broader research work. It is based on materials from 1918-1921 found in the press and scattered throughout scholarly literature. Its purpose is to collect and systematize these materials, with further research to continue through the study of archival sources.

As the research shows, the young and still unrecognized Democratic Republic of Georgia managed to establish contact and diplomatic relations with many coun­tries. Its independence was recognized de jure only on January 27, 1921 – just a few weeks before Georgia was invaded by Soviet Russia.

Keywords: South Caucasus, Diplomatic recognition, embassy, consulate, First Democratic Republic.

Introduction

After the declaration of independ­ence, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Georgia began the process of es­tablishing diplomatic relations with foreign countries. In the scholarly literature reflecting the relations be­tween Georgia and other nations, the relevant materials are scattered. The aim of this article is to collect and briefly present information about which countries had Georgian em­bassies, consulates, and representa­tive offices between 1918 and 1921. It also lists the diplomatic missions of foreign states that existed in Georgia during that period. During its three years of independence, Georgia man­aged to establish diplomatic relations of various levels with several dozen countries.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Georgia

Before the Ministries of Foreign Affairs of the independent republics of the South Caucasus were estab­lished, these bodies already had pre­decessor structures. In the Transcaucasian Commissariat, Evgeni Gegechkori, in addition to serving as chairman, also held the position of Commissar for Foreign Affairs and Labor. When the Trans­caucasian Democratic Federative Republic was formed and declared its independence, Akaki Chkhenkeli became both the head of government and the Minister of Foreign Affairs. When, on November 26, 1917, the Executive Committee of the National Council of Georgia was created, sev­eral commissions were also estab­lished to perform the functions of various parliamentary committees. Among them, the Foreign Affairs Commission was headed by Akaki Chkhenkeli. These few facts are re­called here to show that both Akaki Chkhenkeli and Evgeni Gegechkori had already gained experience in dip­lomatic service before they succes­sively assumed the responsible post of Minister of Foreign Affairs of in­dependent Georgia.

Akaki Chkhenkeli held the posi­tion of “Foreign” Minister in the first coalition government and was the one who took the initial steps toward establishing the structure of the for­eign affairs office. However, starting in June, he was already in Europe, dealing directly with Germany’s po­litical circles to resolve urgent and high-priority diplomatic issues. In Georgia, the ministry’s activities were in practice directed by Noe Ramishvili.

From November 1918, after the Germans left Georgia and the coun­try’s foreign policy orientation shift­ed toward the Entente, Chkhenkeli was replaced as minister by Evgeni Gegechkori. Akaki Chkhenkeli wrote the following in his diary: “The day before yesterday I received a radio message from N. Zh. – the head of government – informing me that Evgeni Gegechkori has been ap­pointed as Minister of Foreign Af­fairs in my place, while I am to re­main here as ambassador… My re­placement is quite appropriate; this had to happen, and I myself was thinking of suggesting it. Indeed, now that the victorious Entente stands at Georgia’s doorstep, it is only fitting that someone else should hold the portfolio of Minister of For­eign Affairs. This parliamentary practice is certainly proper. In such a case, the cabinet itself should also be reshuffled, but that is probably im­practical, as suitable candidates are not so easy to find”¹.

During the three years of inde­pendence, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Georgia conducted highly active and energetic work. It estab­lished direct relations with both neighboring and distant countries; carried out extensive efforts to achieve de facto and de jure recogni­tion of the country; organized embas­sies, consulates, and representative offices in many states; and made nu­merous attempts to establish normal or at least peaceful relations among the Caucasian states within the re­gion, among other significant initia­tives.

An essential part of the ministry’s structure consisted of the Deputy Ministers: Konstantine Gvarjaladze, Konstantine Sabakhtarashvili, and Nikoloz Kartsivadze. Former Minis­ter Akaki Chkhenkeli wrote in his diary entry dated November 6, 1919: “Kotsia Gvarjaladze – he has ma­tured and broadened, though he still lacks salt; he is not yet capable of playing the role of a statesman. “At that time, “Kotsia” (Konstantine) was a 35-year-old diplomat. In one of his letters, Akaki Chkhenkeli listed Gvarjaladze’s intensive diplomatic activities throughout 1919, carried out personally and often together with Avalishvili and Ghambashidze. These included meetings with the British Foreign Secretary; the deliv­ery of a memorandum to the Japa­nese Ambassador to the United Kingdom; meetings with the French Minister of Foreign Affairs, the Ital­ian delegation, and the U.S. delega­tion; as well as with representatives of several other countries and the chairman of the Paris Peace Confer­ence etc.

The Social Democrat K. Gvarjaladze was described in an in­teresting way by the Socialist-Federalist émigré Niko Urushadze: “He was undoubtedly distinguished by his worldview, by his personal approach to fundamental issues, and by his own understanding of them… He had never been a devotee of the Russian spirit – that legacy inherited from Asia, which denies the individ­ual and corrupts the human personali­ty. Moreover, and fortunately, none of the spineless variants of Russian Menshevism had any influence on him. He found his spiritual and intel­lectual nourishment in European hu­manist socialism, which he saw as devoted to the freedom of both the individual and the nation… Konstantine Gvarjaladze was, with­out question, a Georgian national figure; at the same time, an unwaver­ing Georgian Social Democrat… For two or three decades he moved with­in influential European socialist cir­cles, where, to the best of his ability and with tireless energy, he defended the interests of Georgia”².

Konstantine Sabakhtarshvili came to the position of Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs by a different path. In 1917, he was elected Mayor of Batumi as a result of local self-government elections. Afterwards, Sabakhtarashvili was appointed Dep­uty Minister. He also served as Geor­gia’s Ambassador to Italy and played an important role in establishing friendly relations between Georgia and Italy. He led the Georgian gov­ernmental mission that arrived in Italy at the end of 1920 and was in­strumental in securing financial and economic assistance for Georgia. K. Sabakhtarashvili actively participated in many other diplomatic and politi­cal processes carried out by Georgian representatives working in Europe. In October 1918, Akaki Chkhenkeli advised Noe Zhordania whom the head of government should send to the upcoming Paris Conference and, more broadly, to represent Georgia on the European diplomatic stage. He wrote that Karlo Chkheidze and Kaki Tsereteli were essential choices, as they had a “great reputation” in Europe: “Even small children in Europe know Tsereteli and Chkheidze,” he re­marked, and con­tinued: “It may also be possible and useful to send Kolia Kartsivadze – he knows the language, is well educated, and would be a good assistant in the work”, N. Kartsivadze was also a Social Democrat, but he belonged to the dissident group of Alioni (“The Dawn”) members.

The remaining Georgian figures active on the diplomatic and political stage were appointed as ambassadors, consuls, or held various positions within diplomatic structures in differ­ent countries. They did not all belong to the Social Democratic Party – in fact, many were National Democrats or Socialist-Federalists. However, as was acknowledged at the time, party affiliation played only a minimal role in their work abroad. Diplomats op­erated under the instructions of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Minister, following the general state policy and orientation.

The number of direct employees of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs was around 50 people, or perhaps slightly fewer. The Ministry was composed of the following structural units: The Minister, the Director of the Ministry, the Vice Director, the Legal Adviser, and the Minister’s Secretary; The Personal Department, which included the Head of the Min­ister’s Personal Office, a Clerk, and a Typist; The Political Department, which consisted of the Head of De­partment, the Head of the European Section, and the Head of the Asian Section. These sections included clerks, administrative staff, and trans­lators; The General Department, which had a Head, a Clerk, an Assis­tant, and a Chancellery; The Infor­mation Bureau, which consisted of a Head, a Clerk, a Chancellery, and translators. In addition, the Ministry included Diplomatic and Economic Divisions, an Accountant, an Assis­tant, a Registrar, a journalist, and Diplomatic Couriers (Messengers). The Ministry of Foreign Affairs was accountable to the Parliament and later to the Constituent Assembly.

Georgia’s Diplomatic Services Abroad

Earlier, and especially after Georgia’s de facto and de jure recog­nition of independence, our country opened embassies and diplomatic missions in many foreign countries. First and foremost, it was crucial to establish embassies in leading states and appoint ambassadors.

In Germany, following Akaki Chkhenkeli, Vladimir Akhmetelashvili was appointed as Georgia’s Extraor­dinary and Plenipotentiary Ambassa­dor. The embassy was located on “Brückenallee” in Berlin. Thanks to Vladimir Akhmetelashvili’s energetic and patriotic efforts, the embassy also became a center of Georgian culture. Let us briefly recall a few character­istic episodes from the activities of Georgian representatives working abroad.

On February 22, 1921, when the Red Army was attacking Tbilisi, Vladimir Akhmetelashvili met with the President of the Weimar Republic and requested that “he and the Ger­man government immediately (of course, in secret correspondence) intervene in the war between Georgia and Soviet Russia and exert appro­priate influence on Moscow”. Akhmetelashvili and the Georgians asked Ebert to summon the Russian ambassador from Berlin and demand a cessation of the war in Moscow; they also requested that the German ambassador visit Lenin in Moscow and influence him, among other measures³.

In neighboring Ottoman Turkey, in Constantinople, the government commissioner was Konstantine Gvarjaladze, the consul was Ioseb Gogolashvili, and the economic rep­resentative was Ivane Chavchanidze. Earlier in Ottoman Empire, Georgia’s first ambassador was a well-known leader of the Socialist-Federalist Par­ty, Grigol Rtskhiladze (May-October 1920). After the Republic of Angora emerged on the political scene, Georgia’s ambassador was appointed as the second Socialist-Federalist, Svimon Mdivani (from December 17, 1920).

Georgia was the first state to rec­ognize Mustafa Kemal’s Turkey. The embassy was distinguished by a large staff: military adviser – General Alexandre Eristavi; administrative officer – Aristo Chumbadze; attachés – Meliton (Osman-Bey) Kartsivadze and Zia-Beg Abashidze; two officers – Emkhvari and Lieutenant Dimitri Shalikashvili; and two soldiers – messengers. Dimitri Shalikashvili was the father of Generals John-Malkhaz and Otar Shalikashvili. The famous John-Malkhaz Shalikashvili served as the Chairman of the U.S. Joint Chiefs of Staff from 1993 to 1997. It was natural that for Georgia, normalizing relations with the main Entente powers and establishing rep­resentations in those countries was of utmost importance. Opening an em­bassy in France was perhaps the most ambitious, notable, and at the same time – almost a historical irony. Georgia’s plenipotentiary ambassa­dor, Akaki Chkhenkeli, handed over his credentials to President Alexandre Millerand in Paris, at the Élysée Palace, on the very day the army of Soviet Russia entered Tbilisi – Feb­ruary 25, 1921. Perhaps the French did this as a form of subtle protest against Bolshevik Russia. However, as one member of the Georgian dele­gation, S. Asatiani, recalled, in prac­tice, “the country’s representation presented to the President of France represented nothing and no one”.

Although the Georgian embassy in France and other European coun­tries operated after the fall of Geor­gia’s First Republic, it still embodied independent Georgia in diplomatic terms for many years. Akaki Chkhenkeli, as ambassador, was granted broad pow­ers. His representation was not lim­ited to France alone. He was:

“Extraordinary and Plenipoten­tiary Representative of the Democrat­ic Re­public of Georgia before the govern­ments of France, Great Britain, and Italy. He is tasked with defending Georgia’s interests before all allied governments. He is also responsible for protecting Georgia’s interests at all international conferences, ses­sions, and other forums. Akaki Chkhenkeli is authorized, if neces­sary, to sign treaties, conventions, decisions, and protocols on behalf of the Georgian government, except in cases requiring special approval or subsequent ratification by the gov­ernment. Akaki Chkhenkeli is also mandated, on behalf of the Demo­cratic Republic of Georgia and the Georgian people, before the govern­ments of His Majesty in Sweden, Spain, Romania, Portugal, Norway, Denmark, Greece, the Netherlands, France, Great Britain, Belgium, and Italy. In this capacity, he is author­ized to conduct negotiations on all political, economic, financial, and other matters, and to sign all agree­ments and treaties. His credentials give him the right to affix the proper signatures and seals. The government of the Democratic Republic of Georgia fully entrusts Akaki Chkhenkeli to sign all declarations on behalf of the Georgian government”, This was all reported in the document outlining A. Chkhenkeli’s mandate⁴.

Members of Georgia’s embassy in France also included Sosipatre Asatiani – secretary; advisers Zurab Avalishvili and Mikheil Sumbatashvili; and others: A. Zhorzholiani, A. Kutateladze, M. Skobelev, N. Jugheli, and V. Voitinsky. The Georgian em­bassy in France existed until 1933.

The process of appointing Geor­gia’s ambassador to Great Britain was complicated and somewhat de­layed. Akaki Chkhenkeli sent creden­tials to Davit Gambashidze as early as November 1918; Gambashidze was well known in Western Europe­an diplomatic circles. He had pub­lished several works promoting Georgia’s strategic relevance for the West, and particularly for Britain. On March 14, 1919, D. Gambashidze sent his credentials to the British For­eign Office, requesting recognition as the official representative of the Democratic Republic of Georgia, but he was refused. After Georgia’s de facto independence was recognized, a renewed request was again denied. The Georgian diplomat was consoled with the explanation that he was still considered Georgia’s unofficial rep­resentative in His Majesty’s king­dom. In fact, Davit Gambashidze, Mikheil Sumbatashvili, and Konstantine Gvarjaladze acted as Georgia’s unof­ficial representatives, but none were recognized by London at the level of ambassador.

Only Akaki Chkhenkeli was rec­ognized by Great Britain with the status of plenipotentiary ambassador, after Georgia’s de jure independence was acknowledged. In this capacity, Chkhenkeli was received by the Brit­ish Foreign Secretary, Lord Curzon, on March 17, 1921, at the same time when, on the night of March 17–18, the government of the First Demo­cratic Republic of Georgia left the fallen and occupied country to go into exile abroad.

In Italy, the Democratic Republic of Georgia was represented by Konstantine Sabakhtarashvili; the embassy’s first secretary was Giorgi Machabeli; the economic representa­tive was Mikheil Qaukhchishvili; and the consul was Giorgi Apkhazi. Machabeli’s contribution was signifi­cant in concluding beneficial finan­cial and economic agreements with Italy.

Mikhako Tsereteli wrote about him: “Giorgi Machabeli entered dip­lomatic service as soon as his liberat­ed homeland had its own diplomacy. Specifically, he first worked in Austria, and then became the consul and soon thereafter the diplomatic representative (ambassador) of inde­pendent Georgia in Italy. His work in Rome will remain invaluable and unforgettable in the history of our country’s final period”⁵.

As for Georgia’s representations in other countries around the world, Giorgi Guramisdze Sharadze, listing the ambassadors and representatives appointed abroad, names Andria Dekanozishvili, one of the contempo­rary leaders of the Socialist-Fede-ralist Party, as Georgia’s repre­sentative in Argentina⁶.

 In many countries, opening dip­lomatic missions was hindered by the state’s lack of funds. In this regard, the example of the Scandinavian countries is noteworthy. A state in severe economic difficulty could not maintain its diplomatic missions. Ini­tially, Mikhako Tsereteli was ap­pointed as Georgia’s representative in the Kingdom of Sweden in October 1918. For several months, Aristo Chumbadze also worked in the mis­sion with him, and he soon became Georgia’s representative in Sweden. He also tried, through his representa­tion, to cover Norway. As it appears, for a certain period, Aristo Chumbadze also performed the func­tions of Georgia’s representative in Denmark. At least, on December 15, 1918, Akaki Chkhenkeli wrote to the Georgian government that Konstantine Gvarjaladze had re­ceived the neces­sary consent from Denmark’s For­eign Minister, noting: “Chumbadze will go there – that is, to Copenhagen”⁷.

Moreover, Chkhenkeli believed that Georgia should maintain its rep­resentation in the Scandinavian coun­tries.

He wrote on October 17, 1919: “The Scandinavian states and our representation with them is an entire­ly positive matter, which I do not think is worth less than what is spent on the representative (2,000 francs per month)”⁸.

However, soon the Georgian gov­ernment was forced to close its mis­sions in the Scandinavian countries. This function was assigned to Geor­gia’s ambassador in Germany, Vladimir Akhmeteli⁹.

However, soon the Georgian gov­ernment was forced to close its mis­sions in the Scandinavian countries. This function was assigned to Geor­gia’s ambassador in Germany, Vladimir Akhmeteli.

Switzerland did not recognize Georgia’s independence, but a Geor­gian mission existed there, and a des­ignated diplomatic representative, Mikheil Sumbatashvili, was active. His work was first based in Bern and later in Geneva. Sumbatashvili’s spe­cial activity was connected with the League of Nations, which unfortu­nately did not end successfully. After the League of Nations refused to rec­ognize Georgia, the government re­called Sumbatashvili from Switzerland – first to Britain, then to France, and finally back to Britain. It should also be noted that Vladimir Gurjidze served as the mission’s first secretary, while Khariton Shavishvili represented the government before the League of Nations.

In Belgium, Georgia’s representa­tive was Anton Zhorzholiani, and the attaché was Alexandre Kutateladze.

In Manchuria, Harbin – Nikoloz Jishkariani.

In the United States – Ilia Goldman.

In Czechoslovakia – Giorgi Aiolo.

In addition, Georgia had econom­ic representatives in Europe and America: Ioseb Eligulashvili, Nikoloz Jaqeli, Mate Skobelev, and Simon Shifrin¹⁰.

The First Republic of Georgia maintained particularly close rela­tions with newly independent post-imperial states and had diplomatic missions of various levels in almost all of them.

Among neighboring countries, in the Republic of Azerbaijan, the first official representative of Georgia was the Social Democrat Nikoloz Kartsivadze, who served briefly as Georgia’s plenipotentiary ambassa­dor. Kartsivadze was succeeded in the ambassadorial post by Grigol Alshibaya. His tenure lasted from 1919 until November 1920, after which Gabriel Khundadze took over in December. Throughout the three-year period, the position of Consul General was held by Levan Tumanishvili.

In the Ukrainian People’s Repub­lic, Georgia’s ambassador from 1919 to 1921 was the Social Democrat Biktor Tevzaia. Apparently, his per­formance in this post did not satisfy Akaki Chkhenkeli. Tevzaia did not send sufficient information to Tbilisi about the political developments tak­ing place in Ukraine. Moreover, he demonstrated wavering regarding the question of Georgia’s independence. Chkhenkeli’s patience was finally exhausted when the Georgian diplo­matic representative attended some Russian unification conference. In November 1918, Chkhenkeli sent a letter to Tevzaia, accusing him of “betraying Georgia’s interests”, In­deed, there were also wavering ele­ments among the Georgian Social Democrats. At least, Chkhenkeli held similar opinions about Irakli Tsereteli and Karlo Chkheidze.

In Poland, the diplomatic mission of the Democratic Republic of Georgia was headed by Giorgi Sidamon-Eristavi. The mission enjoyed the great patronage of the Polish authori­ties, as was fitting given the mutual solidarity between the Georgian and Polish peoples. The mission includ­ed: secretary – Sergo Kurulishvili, and legation attaché – Nikoloz Feradze.

Foreign States’ Representatives in Georgia

As for representatives of foreign states in Georgia, a probable list was published by the newspaper “Sakartvelos Respublika”, which listed those who congratulated the Chairman of the Georgian government, Noe Zhordania, on the de jure recognition of the country’s independence. Specifically, the newspaper reported that:

“On February 6, at the palace, the following representatives of foreign states visited the Chairman of the Republic’s government and congr­atulated him on the legal recognition of the Republic of Georgia:

1. The High Commissioner of Great Britain, Stkos (likely Stoks),
2. The High Commissioner of France, Chevalier,
3. France’s military representative, Colonel Corbeil,
4. Representative of the German diplomatic corps, Rauscher,
5. Ambassador of Italy, Cerutti,
6. Consul of Italy, Franzoni,
7. Diplomatic representative of the RSFSR, Sheinman,
8. Representative of the American Relief Committee, Elverg,
9. [Number missing],
10. Representative of the Ottoman Grand National Assembly, Kiazim Bey,
11. Representative of the Republic of Poland, Ostrowski,
12. Vice-Consul of the Netherlands, von Allen Stein,
13. Consul of Norway, Sonlom,
14. Vice-Consul of Spain, Barsegian,
15. Representative of Greece, Skeferis,
16. Diplomatic representative of Finland, Colonel Berkvist,
17. Representative of the Czechoslovak National Council, Svatosh,
18. General Consul of Persia, Moda-Zet Dovleh,
19. Diplomatic representative of the Azerbaijani Soviet Republic, Najafov,
20. Diplomatic representative of the Armenian Soviet Republic, Shaverdov,
21. Diplomatic representative of Armenia, Katzen,
22. Consul of Estonia, Paul,
23. Consul of Latvia (likely Lithuania), Dailide,
24. Representative of the Assyrian Soviet Committee”¹¹.

According to this list, the Chairman of the Georgian government was congratulated on de jure independ­ence by representatives of 19 foreign states. Among them, three states had two representatives each: France, Italy, and Armenia. In addition, the 9th number is missing from the list, and at the very end, it was the repre­sentative of the Assyrian “Council” who congratulated Georgia – not the “Soviet Council,” as written by Giorgi Sharadze on page 146 of his work.

For greater accuracy, below is a list of foreign state representatives compiled according to contemporary scholarly sources. Alongside this, we briefly note some of the foreign rep­resentatives who played an important role in developing positive relations with Georgia, regardless of the fact that the First Georgian Republic ul­timately ended poorly.

Ulrich Karl Paul Rauscher – Rep­resentative of the Weimar Republic (Germany) in Georgia, arrived in December 1920, and was present on January 8, 1921. A minor clarifica­tion is necessary here, as the recep­tion of foreign representatives at the Tbilisi palace and the official con­gratulations took place on February 6. It is noteworthy that during the war waged by the Soviet occupiers, Rauscher “constantly stood alongside the democratic authorities of Georgia”¹². Prior to him, the German Empire’s Caucasian expedition had a diplomat­ic representative in Georgia, Count Friedrich Werner von Schulenburg (October 20, 1918), and a military representative, General Kressenstein. Before Rauscher’s arrival, the Weimar Republic’s representative was Count Driufer (1920).

Claude Bayfield Stokes – Arrived in Tbilisi in September 1920 as the British High Commissioner. Colonel Stokes was a pro-Georgian figure, which he reflected in reports sent to London. On arrival, he was met in Tbilisi by the future Prime Minister, Ramsay MacDonald, who requested Britain’s support for Georgia. Before Colonel Stokes, the British High Commissioner was Sir John Oliver Wardrop¹³ (from August 1919 to spring 1920).

France’s High Commissioner in Georgia and the South Caucasus – Initially, this was Damien de Martel (February 1920). Before him, a tem­porary French mission operated in the region. De Martel served as France’s High Commissioner in Transcaucasia for several months. Prior to him, the post was held by Colonel Chardin and then by de Noncour.

The new French commissioner to Georgia and the South Caucasus, Abel Chevalier, arrived in Georgia on December 2, 1920. It is important to emphasize the French diplomat’s friendly attitude and support for Georgia. Chevalier remained in Georgia until the days of the Soviet occupation, leaving the country only on March 13. “This is the murder of a small socialist country by Moscow communism,” Abel Chevalier wrote to the French Foreign Minister re­garding the fall of the First Georgian Republic.

Compared to Great Britain, the other Entente powers played a small­er or secondary role in the Caucasus region. Nevertheless, France, Italy, and the United States – which joined the anti-German bloc the latest – had certain interests in Russia and the South Caucasus. President Wilson’s administration did not recognize the right of the South Caucasus states to independence except for Armenia. However, the U.S. High Commis­sioner, Colonel Haskell, considered it necessary, upon his arrival in Azerbaijan, to make clear that he would treat the Transcaucasian re­publics on an equal footing and was not solely focused on supporting Armenia. “I treat all the republics in the South Caucasus¹⁴ equally,” he stated in Azerbaijan. “My goal is to prevent conflicts among the republics in the South Caucasus”, Neverthe­less, Haskell’s position – which did not involve other notable support – could not counterbalance his and his country’s pro-Armenian tendencies.

The U.S. consuls were replaced sequentially as follows: Felix Willoughby Smith (1918-1919); John Quimby Woody (May 1919); John Randolph (1919-1921); Charles Krath Mozier (1921).

Representatives of other states can be listed in alphabetical order:

• Argentina – Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary Ambassador: Lucas Eiregeira.
• Belgium – Consul: Mellery.
• Spain – Representative, Vice-Consul: Barsegian.
• Kingdom of Italy – Envoy: Vittorio Cerutti (1920-1921), Military Repre­sentative: Colonel Gabba.
• Kingdom of the Netherlands – Consul: von Aldenstadt; Vice-Consul: von Allen Stein.
• Norway – Consul: Konrad Sundlo (1919-1920); Gurski.
• Ottoman Empire – Ambassador: Abdul Kerim Pasha (from September 3, 1918); Kiazim Bey (from Novem­ber 13, 1920, until the occupation).
• Papal States / Representative of the Pope in Georgia – Bishop Gabriel Morionti.
• Greece – Consul: Manuilis Stefanes’ son, Manuilidis; Skeferis (January 1921).
• Persia / Iran – General Consul: Zoka-ed-Dowleh; Taga Khan (1920).
• Finland – Representative in Georgia: Colonel Henrik Björkquist (1918-1921).
• Switzerland – Consul in Georgia: Berlemont.
• Czechoslovakia – Consul in Georgia: Jaroslav Svatosh (1918-1921).

Among the states that emerged on the territory of the former Russian monarchist empire, Georgia always had difficult relations with Soviet Russia and Armenia, which was also reflected in the activities of these countries’ representatives in Georgia. The Extraordinary and Plenipoten­tiary Diplomatic Representative of the Russian Soviet Federative Social­ist Republic, Sergey Kirov (May 29, 1920 – October 12, 1920), who was a personal friend of Stalin, was known for making statements that reflected a double standard toward Georgia. He was later succeeded by Aaron Sheinman (October 12, 1920-1921), who provided intelligence infor­mation to his government’s agencies while simultaneously assuring Geor­gian leaders that in February 1921, Georgia faced no threat from Soviet Russia.

The ambassador of the Democrat­ic Republic of Armenia was initially Arshak Jamalian (1918-1920). Dur­ing the Armenia–Georgia conflict, the Georgian Minister of Foreign Affairs delivered a note of protest to him. After a brief representation by Evangulov in March 1920, Tigran Bekzadian was appointed as the Ar­menian ambassador to Georgia (April 1920 – November 1920).

Georgia’s First Republic, in par­ticular, maintained especially sup­portive relations with post-imperial independent republics: Poland, Ukraine, the Baltic states, and the Democratic Republic of Azerbaijan.

The ambassadors of the Demo­cratic Republic of Azerbaijan, in suc­cession, were Mamed Yusuf Jafarov (June 1918 – May 1919) and Faris Bey Vekilov (May 1919 – April 1920).

Václav Ostrowski¹⁵, son of Viktor, had already been Poland’s representative in Georgia since 1918. It is clear that he sympathized strong­ly with independent Georgia; howev­er, he was “forced not to take firm steps until the decision of the Su­preme Allied Council”, In March 1920, the Polish government ap­pointed Titus Filipowicz as the head of the mission in the South Caucasus, to whom Ostrowski was to report. In 1921, Filipowicz was succeeded by Wiktor Białobrzeski. Successively, the representatives of the Ukrainian People’s Republic in Georgia were: Oleksiy Kulynskyi (July 20, 1918 – November 1, 1918) and Lev Lesniak, from November 11, 1918, until the fall of the Democratic Republic of Georgia.

By May 26, 1918, the Regional Council of Lithuanians in the Cauca­sus was already functioning in Tbilisi. It congratulated the National Council of Georgia on the declaration of independence through a special resolution. The resolution was signed by the Chairman of the Lithuanian Regional Council in the Caucasus, F. I. Dailid. Frants Ivanovich Dailide, also known as Pranas Dailid, was among those who congratulated the Chairman of the Georgian Govern­ment, Noe Zhordania, on de jure in­dependence. At that time, Pranas Dailid  was the head and consul of the Lithuanian Republic’s representa­tion in Georgia, which had been op­erating since August 30, 1918¹⁶. As noted above in a previous remark, in the February 10 issue of “Georgia’s Republic”, the congratulator was mistakenly listed as a representative of Latvia instead of Lithuania.

The consul of the second Baltic state, Estonia, in Georgia remained Johannes Kirkmann until December 1920. From December 1, 1920, he was succeeded by Sergei Paul, who was among those congratulating Georgia on the de jure recognition of its independence on February 6, 1921¹⁷. An excerpt from the congrat­ulatory text of the Estonian diaspora to the Presidium of Georgia’s Con­stituent Assembly reads: the Estonian community wishes Georgia “the best future and the strengthening of the freedom already achieved, while also expressing full confidence that the Georgian people will advance toward progress and civilization”, The mes­sage further states: “This highly sol­emn day is all the more joyful for Estonians because Estonia also cele­brates such a political victory today. Both liberated peoples move forward hand in hand toward the consolida­tion of their independence”¹⁸.

Georgia also hosted the consulate of the third Baltic state, the Republic of Latvia, which was opened in March 1920¹⁹. The first consul was Oskars Bumanis, who served until June 5, 1920, and was succeeded by Jānis Purinš (until May 1921).

Conclusion

The materials presented in this ar­ticle once again demonstrate that the Ministry of Foreign Affairs actively ensured and expanded the Democrat­ic Republic of Georgia’s relations with the outside world. Georgia’s diplomatic missions abroad were composed of personnel with high levels of state responsibility.

During its brief period of inde­pendence, the Georgian government and political class managed to estab­lish diplomatic relations of various ranks with several dozen foreign countries, both near and far. At the same time, the new Georgian state presented itself to the international community as a peaceful country with high democratic values and cul­tural standards, founded on interest­ing humanitarian principles – a state whose full potential, unfortunately, could not be fully realized.

Notes

• Akaki Chkhenkeli, Diaries, Volume One, 1918–1921, Edited by Zurab Gaiparashvili, Commentaries by T. Kakhetelidze, M. Bakhtadze, S. Chanturidze, D. Chumburidze, G. Javakhishvili, T. Khetashvili, TSU Publishing. 2021, p. 29.
• Lela Saralidze: “Konstantine Iagorisdze Gvarjaladze”, Encyclopedia-Lexicon the Democratic Republic of Georgia, 2018, p. 97.
• Dodo Chumburidze, Akaki Chkhenkeli – Statesman, Diplomat, Patriot, “Universal”, 2018, p. 158.
• Ibidem, 238.
• Lela Saralidze, “Georgia’s Represen-tation in Western European Countries”, The Democratic Republic of Georgia. Encyclopedia-Lexicon, Chief Editor: Dimitri Shvelidze, TSU Publishing, 2018. pp. 378-381.
• Giorgi Sharadze, The First Democratic Republic of Georgia and Foreign Policy, Tbilisi, 2003, p. 251.
• Ibidem, p. 155.
• Dodo Chumburidze, cit., p. 173.
• Kv. E., p. 196.
• Lela Saralidze: “Georgia’s Repre-sentation in the Scandinavian Countries”, The Democratic Republic of Georgia. Encyclopedia-Lexicon, p. 383.
• Lela Saralidze, “Recognition of Georgia’s Independence”, in the encyclopedia-lexicon, mainly, pp. 371-372.
• Sakartvelos Respublika [“The Republic of Georgia”], On the legal recognition of Georgia’s indepen-dence. Greetings, February 10, 1921.
• Giorgi Astamadze, “Ulrich Rauscher”, Encyclopedia-Lexicon, p. 329.
• Irakli Iremadze, “Claude Stokes”, Encyclopedia-Lexicon, pp. 419-420.
• Ibidem.
• Idem, “Ostrovsky Vaclav”, Encyclopedia-Lexicon, cit.
• Nikolay Javakhishvili, Essays on the History of Georgian-Baltic Relations, Tbilisi, 2019, pp. 138-144.
• Ibidem, Preface, p. 159.
• “The Republic of Georgia”, “Greetings”, February 8, 1921.

Bibliography

Primary sources

CHKHENKELI, Akaki. Diaries, Volume One, 1918-1921, TSU Publishing, Edited by Zurab Gaiparashvili, Commentaries by T. Kakhetelidze, M. Bakhtadze, S. Chanturidze, D. Chumburidze, G. Javakhishvili, T. Khetashvili, 2021.

Books

JAVAKHISHVILI, Nikolay, Essays on the History of Georgian-Baltic Relations, Tbilisi, 2019.

SHARADZE, Giorgi, The First Democratic Republic of Georgia and Foreign Policy, Tbilisi, 2003.

SHVELIDZE, Dimitri, The Democratic Republic of Georgia, Encyclopedia-Lexicon, TSU Publishing, 2018.

Newspapers and magazines

CHUMBURIDZE, Dodo, „Akaki Chkhenkeli – Statesman, Diplomat, Patriot”, Universal, 2018. p. 158.

“The Republic of Georgia”, Greetings, 1921, February 8.

“The Republic of Georgia”, On the legal recognition of Georgia’s independence. Greetings, February 10, 1921.

Sakartvelo [“Georgia”], Mr. Haskell in Azerbaijan, September 2, 1919.

Articles and studies

ASTAMADZE, Giorgi, “Ulrich Rauscher”, Encyclopedia-Lexicon the Democratic Republic of Georgia, 2018, p. 329.

IREMADZE, Irakli, “Claude Stokes”, Encyclopedia-Lexicon the Democratic Republic of Georgia, 2018, pp. 419-420.

IDEM, “Ostrovsky Vaclav”, Encyclopedia– Lexicon the Democratic Republic of Georgia, 2018.

SARALIDZE, Lela, “Georgia’s Representation in the Scandinavian Countries”, The Democratic Republic of Georgia. Encyclopedia-Lexicon, Lanham, Md.: Scarecrow Press, 2007, p. 383.

IDEM, “Recognition of Georgia’s Inde-pendence”, the encyclopedia-lexicon, op.cit.

IDEM, “Georgia’s Representation in Western European Countries”, TSU Publishing, 2018.

IDEM, “Konstantine Iagorisdze Gvarjaladze”, Encyclopedia-Lexicon the Democratic Republic of Georgia, 2018, p. 97.

IDEM, “Recognition of Georgia’s Independence”, the encyclopedia-lexicon, mainly: “Recognition of Georgia’s Independence”.