History and Historians in the Context of the Time

3-11

Authors: Irakli Baramidze, Oleg Jibashvili, Khatuna Diasamidze

After the First World War in order to regulate the situation and establish a new world order, according to the Allied Powers (the Great Britain, the USA, France and Italy) decision in January 1919 the Peace Conference was held in Paris. The results of WWI assured the formation of new states. Among those new emerged states was Georgia that restored the independence lost at the beginning of XIX century. Although the obtained independence needed maintaining and strengthening. At the same time the recognition of a new state on the international arena was essential. Georgia tried to solve these important issues at the Paris Peace Conference. The Georgian delegation had to face a lot of difficulties at the conference. In fact only “Big Four” (the Great Britain, the USA, France and Italy) was the main decision-maker at the conference. Because of the close relations with Germany, the Allied Powers had some doubts about Georgia and Armenia was the country in the Transcaucasia they regarded more. In general they saw the future of Georgia within the restored Russian State or the Transcaucasian federation with dominant Armenia. Denikin’s obvious and Armenia’s concealed anti-Georgian activities worsened the situation. At the beginning of 1920 the White Movement was defeated in the struggle against the Bolsheviks. Now Bolshevik Russia threatened the independence of Georgia. Although, by that time the European Great Powers recognized the independence of Georgia, but nobody wished to oppose Russia. So they rejected Georgia’s request to enter the League of Nations. Such policy toward the new state finally helped Russia to occupy Georgia.