Social Democratic Party of Georgia

Former political party in Georgia

Social Democratic Party of Georgia

საქართველოს სოციალ-დემოკრატიული პარტია

Founded| Late 1893
Dissolved| c. 1954
Split from| Mesame Dasi
Headquarters| Tiflis, Georgia (until 1921)
Newspaper| Ertoba
Ideology| Democratic socialism
Left-wing nationalism
Marxism
Menshevism
Social democracy
Political position| Left-wing
National affiliation| Russian Social Democratic Labour Party (Mensheviks) (until 1918)
International affiliation| Labour and Socialist International (1923–1940)
Constituent Assembly of Georgia|

109 / 130

Election symbol
Flag variant of Georgia between 1918 and 1921 when it was governed by the Social Democratic Party

* Politics of Georgia
* Political parties
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Karl Kautsky with the Georgian Social-Democrats, Tbilisi, 1920.
In the first row: Seit Devdariani, Noe Ramishvili, Noe Zhordania, Karl Kautsky and his wife Luise, Silibistro Jibladze, Razhden Arsenidze;
in the second row: Kautsky's secretary Paul Olberg, Victor Tevzaia, Konstantine Gvarjaladze, Konstantine Sabakhtarashvili, Sardion Tevzadze, Avtandil Urushadze, Grigol Tsintsabadze

The Social Democratic Party of Georgia (Georgian: საქართველოს სოციალ-დემოკრატიული პარტია, romanized: sakartvelos sotsial-demok'rat'iuli p'art'ia), also known as the Georgian Menshevik Party, was a Georgian Marxist and social democratic political party.[1] It was founded in the 1890s by Nikolay Chkheidze, Silibistro Jibladze, Egnate Ninoshvili, Noe Zhordania and others. It became the Georgian branch of the Russian Social Democratic Labour Party. After 1905, Georgian social democrats joined the Menshevik faction, except for some such as Joseph Stalin, Grigol Ordzhonikidze and Makharadze. Several leaders were elected to the Russian Duma from Kutais or Tifli: Nikolay Chkheidze, Akaki Chkhenkeli, Evgeni Gegechkori, Isidore Ramishvili, Irakly Tsereteli, and Noe Zhordania.

The party was prior to 1917 "ambivalent" on Georgia's independence from Russia, for which it has been criticized by some Georgians as "unpatriotic and anti-national". Natalie Sabanadze describes them as "unique in their non-nationalist approach to national liberation." She argues that "they led a highly successful national movement while maintaining a degree of hostility towards nationalism and avoiding the use of nationalist rhetoric and ideology."[1] The party became a "vehicle for Georgian nationalism" following the Russian Revolution.[2] It governed the Democratic Republic of Georgia from 1918 to 1921. At parliamentary elections on February 14, 1919 it garnered 81.5% of the votes. Noe Zhordania became prime minister. In the words of Ronald Grigor Suny, "Their achievement in building a Georgian political nation was extraordinary. Their support among all classes of the Georgian people was genuine. And however ephemeral their accomplishments in the brief episode of national independence, the most impressive testimony to their successes is the fact that they could not be dislodged from Georgia except by a militarily superior force from outside."[3]

In March 1921, the Georgian government was overthrown by the Red Army invasion. The party was liquidated in Georgia during the Soviet repressions predating to the failed anti-Soviet August Uprising in 1924. From 1921 onwards, the party began operating in exile, particularly in France, Germany (until 1933) and the United States. A Foreign Bureau was set up as the new leading organ of the party. The party was a member of the Labour and Socialist International between 1923 and 1940.[4]

## Notable members

[edit]

* Kristine Sharashidze
* Razhden Arsenidze
* Nikolay Chkheidze
* Akaki Chkhenkeli
* Benia Chkhikvishvili
* Seit Devdariani
* Vladimir Darchiashvili
* Evgeni Gegechkori
* Grigol Giorgadze
* Ivane Gomarteli
* Evgen Gvaladze
* Ioseb Iremashvili
* Valiko Jugheli
* Noe Khomeriki
* Grigol Lordkipanidze
* Vlasa Mgeladze
* Ivane “Barbayiannis” Passaldze
* Isidore Ramishvili
* Noe Ramishvili
* Victor Tevzaia
* Irakli Tsereteli
* Grigol Uratadze
* Noe Zhordania
* Huseyngulu Mammadov

## See also

[edit]

* Government of the Democratic Republic of Georgia in Exile

## References

[edit]

1. ^ a b Sabanadze, Natalie (2010). Globalization and Nationalism: The Cases of Georgia and the Basque Country. Central European University Press. p. 77\. ISBN 9789639776531.
2. ^ Kotkin, Stephen (2014). Stalin: Volume I: Paradoxes of Power, 1878-1928. Vol. 1\. Penguin. p. 263\. ISBN 9780698170100. "But then came world war, revolution, and imperial dissolution, and voila-Georgian Menshevism had morphed into a vehicle for Georgian nationalism."
3. ^ Suny, Ronald G. (1994), The Making of the Georgian Nation: 2nd edition, p. 207. Indiana University Press, ISBN 0-253-20915-3.
4. ^ Kowalski, Werner. Geschichte der sozialistischen arbeiter-internationale: 1923 - 19. Berlin: Dt. Verl. d. Wissenschaften, 1985. p. 336.

* Stephen F. Jones, Socialism in Georgian Colors: The European Road to Social Democracy, 1883-1917, ISBN 0-674-01902-4

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Political parties in Georgia

Parliamentary majority|

* Georgian Dream – Democratic Georgia
* People's Power

Parliamentary opposition|

* Strength Is in Unity
* United National Movement
* Progress and Freedom
* Victorious Georgia
* For Georgia
* Girchi
* Strategy Aghmashenebeli
* European Socialists
* Lelo for Georgia
* Citizens
* Republican Party of Georgia
* Law and Justice
* National Democratic Party
* State for the People

Extra-parliamentary parties|

| Parties with local representation|

* Ahali
* European Georgia
* Alliance of Patriots of Georgia
* Georgian Labour Party
* Girchi – More Freedom
* For the People
* Free Georgia

|

Unrepresented|

* Christian-Democratic Movement
* Communist Party of Georgia
* Conservative Party of Georgia
* Democratic Movement – United Georgia
* Droa
* European Democrats
* Eri
* Federalists
* Free Democrats
* Georgian Idea
* Georgian March
* Georgian Troupe
* Greens Party of Georgia
* Ilia Chavchavadze Society
* Industry Will Save Georgia
* National Forum
* New Communist Party of Georgia
* People's Party
* Social Democrats for the Development of Georgia
* Solidarity Alliance of Georgia
* Freedom
* Union of Georgian Traditionalists
* Unified Communist Party of Georgia

Defunct|

* Round Table—Free Georgia
* National Independence Party of Georgia
* Union of Citizens of Georgia
* Democratic Union for Revival
* People's Front
* Movement for United Georgia
* Unity
* Intellectuals League of Georgia
* New Rights Party
* Rightist Opposition
* Development Movement
* The Way of Georgia
* Burjanadze-Democrats
* Democratic Party
* Peace
* Merab Kostava Society
* 11 October Bloc
* Unity Bloc
* Charta 91
* Socialist Party of Georgia
* United National Council
* Alliance for Georgia
* Georgian Party

Historical|

* Social Democratic Party of Georgia
* Georgian Socialist-Federalist Revolutionary Party
* Mesame Dasi

Banned|

* Communist Party of Georgian Soviet Socialist Republic
* Centrist Party
* Conservative Movement

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* List of political parties
* Politics of Georgia
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* List of political parties in South Ossetia

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