Batumi, 1919–1920: British Balancing Policy, Russian Post-Imperial Politics, and Georgian Sovereignty
Davit Batsikadze
Batumi Shota Rustaveli State University
Batumi, Georgia
https://orcid.org/0009-0000-0785-236X
ABSTRACT
This article examines the relationship between the Russian National Council and the British occupation administration in Batumi during 1919–1920, and its impact on the state interests of the Democratic Republic of Georgia. The study analyzes the role of Batumi as a post-imperial political space within the context of the Russian Civil War and the rivalry among great powers in the South Caucasus. Particular attention is devoted to the political activities of the Russian National Council, the concept of a "united and indivisible Russia," Britain's policy of balancing, and the efforts of the Georgian authorities to secure Batumi's integration within the framework of an independent state.
The research is based on P. Maslov's memoir Batumi in 1917–1920, as well as on Georgian, Russian, and Western historiography, which allows for a comprehensive analysis of the issue.
The study demonstrates that, during 1919–1920, Batumi emerged as one of the principal centers of international political rivalry in the South Caucasus. Despite its declared policy of balancing, the practical measures taken by the British administration frequently strengthened Russian anti-Bolshevik forces. London considered the Batumi question not only in relation to Georgian interests but also within the broader context of the "Russian question," and supported those forces striving to restore a "united and indivisible Russia." At the same time, the Russian National Council regarded Batumi as part of Russia's historical space and did not recognize Georgian independence. As a result, the Batumi question became one of the significant factors shaping international diplomacy and the regional balance of power.
The article argues that the political crisis in Batumi reflected the contradictions of the post-imperial transitional period, in which the idea of national statehood, imperial revanchism, and the geopolitical interests of the great powers intersected
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