Georgia in the First World War (1914-1918)

This thesis examines Georgia's situation during the First World War (1914-1918), the activities undertaken by the Georgian people, and within this framework, their pursuit of independence. The study is structured into three chapters. Chapter one, outlines the political, geographical and economic characteristics that defined Georgia's to importance, the process through which it came under Russian rule, and the situation of the Georgian people at the early twentieth century. Chapter two analyzes the activities of various states concerning the Georgians during the early phase of the First World War, the outbreak of the war and the Georgians attitude toward it, the participation of Georgian soldiers in Russian forces and military operations on the Caucasian front between 1914 and 1917. Chapter three discusses the revolıtions that took place in Russia in 1917 and their repercussions in Georgia; it also new new political structures in Transcaucasia, the role of the Georgians within them, and Georgia's path to the independence, particularly in relation to the armistices and conferences held with the Ottoman Empire. The study concludes that the aspirations for indepence, which existed before the war, were further strengthened by its outbreak. The wannig of Russian influence over Transcaucasia subsequently paved the way for the emergence of Georgia as an independent state. This study is based on Georgian and Turkish sources, as well as Russian archival documents concerning Transcaucasia and Georgian foreign policy. Access to Georgian materials was made possible throught the open-access collections of the Georgian Parliamentary Library. In this context, both primary and secondary Georgian sources were obtained via this digital archive.