Georgia - a peaceloving genocide

Within 20^th century, Georgian regularly troops destroyed South Ossetia villages twice. That’s amazing, but every time the thirst for violence and final solution of the ossetinian issue was awaken when the power in Tbilisi felt in hand of adventurists such as Noe Zhordania, who right away offered the country as a trophy to other powers that were eager to be in this strategic region. On one of the last days of May, 2008, Georgian military columns were marching along Rustavelli avenue in the centre of Tbilisi with a special pomp – wearing new NATO uniform, with American riffles M-4 instead of “Kalashnikov”. The picture of the day was embellished by earlier unseen in Georgia armoured vehicles “Cobra” and “Iroquois” – a gift of western strategic friends. This was the way the leaders of the republic decided to celebrate 90 years from declaration of democratic republic of Georgia at the head of social democrat Noe Zhordania. The main sorrow of this father of Transcaucasian democracy was the deep persuasion that a fateful mistake was made by Georgian tsars when they were directing towards Russia. Republic of Zhordania, however, existed for less than 3 years – up to March 1921 – but left rough memories after itself.

Zhordania and his adherents, calling themselves Mensheviks, found support in the west very quickly, and decided to assault Russian positions at Caucasus. Active Zhordania started to obtain independence from inviting German troops to the republic. It was not in vain: Kaiser rewarded this zeal with Prussian Order for aid to the army of occupation. But Germany lost the World War II, and Zhordania replaced the powerless German ally with a more reliable British protectorate. During all those years Georgian soldiers were by turns wearing German and British uniform, and they did not even remember of any independence that turned out to be a myth. There was no success on fronts with the regulatory army, and Georgian forces fought having lost any idea of the political coordinates system, and not very bravely, must be said. But a chance to be notable came soon. Their neighbor, ossetinians, refused to divide from Russia, fighting the right of nation for self-determination. In response, Georgian government decided to punish the independent neighbor and sent punitive troops to Ossetia. Multiple historical archives still keep documents of those years – memories with eerie details of genocide, letters and telegrams with desperate cries for help that osetinians directed to Moscow. “Without any reason, cause, warning, they are firing villages disorderly, using machine-guns and other weapon.” “In 1920 it was not simply an assimilation started – but it was an ethnic purge started. It was the first approach of Georgia to exile and exterminate descendants of ossetinians and alans,” – the historian and political scientist Valentin Falin says. The first genocide was, however, not the first try to punish too independent ossetinians who had joined Russia 30 years before Georgia. Even in 19 century Georgian princes, being a part of Russian Empery, by any mean tried to claim control over South Ossetia. They even made a request to St.-Petersburg Senate. Enterprising princes, however, got a resolute refusal. History saved the famous expression: “Princes Machabelovs are refused in the importunity to recognize serfdom over ossetinians.” Georgia intentions were so unmerciful that, by a personal order of Emperor, ossetinians were given the category of formal state peasants. It was a prototype of the future autonomy of South Ossetia. Then it was October 17^th, and the knight of national movement, as well as father of the political chimera named “absolute independence of Georgia”, Noe Zhordania gave an order to start a punitive operation. Facts are terrifying: 18 thousand of brutally murdered, over 50 thousand were banished from burning villages. The most part of them died because of cold and illnesses. Having known those facts, people's commissar Chicherin sent a sharp note of protest to Georgian government.

“We insist on Georgia recalling her troops from Ossetia because we reckon that Ossetia must have only the power she is willing to have”. In 1921 the Red Army entered Georgia. Genocide was stopped. Zhordania emigrated to France. All the 3 years Georgia, per se, was an instrument of influence, a guide of foreign interests, where unhidden genocide was taking place under banners of decorative independence.

No one would think that time that it was not for the last time. But, as it has been proved, Zhordania has assiduous learners, and the history repeated twice after nearly 100 years, which tightened the age-old ossetinian knot.