Georgian–Ossetian conflict (1918–20)

Quick Facts: Who was Georgian–Ossetian conflict (1918–20)?

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Georgian–Ossetian conflict (1918–20)

Known for:

A series of uprisings in South Ossetia against Georgian rule (1918–1920).

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2Day Chrono-Wiki & Primary Historical Archives

Origins & Early Life

The Georgian–Ossetian conflict of 1918–1920 were a series of uprisings, which took place in the Ossetian-inhabited areas of what is now South Ossetia, a breakaway republic in Georgia, against the Transcaucasian Democratic Federative Republic and then the Menshevik-dominated Democratic Republic of Georgia. During its brief tenure, the Menshevik government of Georgia came across significant problems with ethnic Ossetians who largely sympathized with the Bolsheviks and Soviet Russia. The reasons behind the conflict were complicated. An overdue land reform and agrarian disturbances in the poor Ossetian-populated areas intermingled with ethnic discord and the struggle for power in the Caucasus. During the rule of the Russian Empire in the Tiflis gubernia most Ossetians in what is today South Ossetia worked as peasants on Georgian-owned farms.

Career & Major Achievements

As such, during the 1917 February Revolution the Bolsheviks found the Ossetians very receptive to the idea of class conflict as it would also be an ethnic conflict against their Georgian landlords. The first revolt was an unorganized attempt towards returning "land to the peasants" and largely performed by returning soldiers seizing the farms they worked on. In December 1917 the Ossetian National Council was established. Initially supported by the Georgian government and dominated by Ossetian Mensheviks with a limited Bolshevik and Socialist Revolutionary presence, they held five congresses in short succession that pushed for a separate administrative-political unit. However, at the sixth congress a Bolshevik-dominated council was elected which refused to participate in the Georgian elections, and called for an independent South Ossetian okrug.

Enduring Legacy & Impact

The Bolsheviks did not initially enjoy the support of the peasantry in 1917. Before the October Revolution the Ossetian Union of Revolutionary Peasantry was founded to fight the local landowning gentry, which included both Georgians and Ossetians. The Transcaucasian authorities were trying to regulate the land reform. The armed bands, many associated with the Revolutionary Union, began to resist the tax collection efforts, attacked and killed the local gentry and seized their property. The Transcaucasian officials dispatched the Georgian People's Guard in February 1918, appointing ethnic Ossetian commissar Kosta Kazishvili (Kaziev) in the region.

Chronological Milestones & Life Events

1. 1917: 1917 Milestone — As such, during the 1917 February Revolution the Bolsheviks found the Ossetians very receptive to the idea of class conflict as it would also be an ethnic conflict against their Georgian landlords.
2. 1918: 1918 Milestone — The Georgian–Ossetian conflict of 1918–1920 were a series of uprisings, which took place in the Ossetian-inhabited areas of what is now South Ossetia, a breakaway republic in Georgia, against the Transcaucasian Democratic Federative Republic and then the Menshevik-dominated Democratic Republic of Georgia.

Historical Fact-Check Quiz: Georgian–Ossetian conflict (1918–20)

True or False: “The initial cause of the 1917 revolt was solely due to Bolshevik agitation.”

Answer (FALSE ❌): The conflict stemmed from a complex mix of factors including overdue land reform, agrarian disturbances, and existing ethnic power struggles.

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