Work

Political Spectrum and National Minorities in the Democratic Republic of Georgia (1918-1921)

Year: 2026

Type: article

Abstract: The struggle of non-dominant groups of the population to preserve and recognize their cultural, religious or ethnic identity is a process inherent in history. It began with the emergence of nation states and continues to this day.Since the beginning of the 20th century, the protection of minorities has become a major issue in international law. The turning point in the history of the rights of national minorities began in 1919, which was associated with the creation of the League of Nations.It was at this time, at the final stage of the First World War, that the Georgian state arose on the ruins of the Russian Empire, which was designated on the political map of the world under the name of the Democratic Republic of Georgia.The Democratic Republic of Georgia was the first precedent in human history where the Social Democratic Party found itself at the head of the government. It immediately set a course for the West and began state building based on democratic values and principles. All basic human rights were protected in the republic. Women had the right to vote, there was a multi-party democracy, free elections, freedom of the press and speech, national minorities had the full right and opportunity to participate in the political, economic and cultural life of the state.All this was guaranteed by legal acts, including the law on the state language, the provision on citizenship (subordination), the constitution. The purpose of the article is to describe and illustrate the attitude of the political spectrum of the Democratic Republic of Georgia towards national minorities. The resistance that accompanied the process of integration of national minorities during the period under review will also be shown.

Source: Vakanüvis uluslararası tarih araştırmaları dergisi/Vakanüvis-uluslararası tarih araştırmaları dergisi

DOI: 10.24186/vakanuvis.1794907

Authors: Nikoloz Akhalkatsi, Otar Janelidze

Institutions: Gori State University, Samtskhe-Javakheti State University

Language: Turkish

Topic: Minority Rights and Languages

Subfield: Political Science and International Relations

Field: Social Sciences

Domain: Social Sciences

SDGs: Peace, justice, and strong institutions, Reduced inequalities

Open Access status: gold

Estimated APC paid: $13