Ioseb Iremashvili
Encyclopedia
Ioseb Iremashvili (1878-1944) was a Georgian
politician and author. A boyhood friend, and later political adversary, of Joseph Stalin
, he is primarily known for his book Stalin und die Tragödie Georgiens ("Stalin and the Tragedy of Georgia', Berlin
, 1932), the first memoir
of Stalin's childhood.
(then part of the Tiflis Governorate
, Imperial Russia), where they attended a local church school. Later, they studied together at Tiflis Theological Seminary. A member of the Russian Social Democratic Labour Party
, Iremashvili was involved in the revolutionary activities in Transcaucasia and joined the Menshevik
faction which quickly became a dominant political force in Georgia. After 1917, he worked as a teacher at Tiflis and was elected to the Constituent Assembly of Georgia
in 1919. In February 1921, the Soviet Russian Red Army invaded
Georgia and put an end to its three-year independence
. Iremashvili, like several other Georgian Mensheviks, was placed in the Metekhi
prison, but was then released through the efforts of his sister who negotiated with Stalin during his visit to Tiflis in July 1921. In October 1921, sixty-two arrested Mensheviks, including Iremashvili, were deported to Germany
where he was granted a political asylum. Having settled in Berlin, he engaged in Georgian émigré activities aimed at enlisting Europe
’s support to the Georgian independence cause.
, most notably by Gustav Bychowski and Daniel Rancour-Lafferiere, which consider beatings the key psychological determination of the future dictator. Iremashvili also reports that the young Stalin voluntarily terminated his studies at the Seminary, and was not expelled for his revolutionary activity as stated in the Soviet leader’s official biography. In addition, he claims that Soso’s parents were ethnic Ossetians
, thus explaining Stalin’s particularly hard-line policy towards independent Georgia and his excessive harshness in suppressing anti-Soviet opposition in the Georgian SSR in the 1920s.
Georgia (country)
Georgia is a sovereign state in the Caucasus region of Eurasia. Located at the crossroads of Western Asia and Eastern Europe, it is bounded to the west by the Black Sea, to the north by Russia, to the southwest by Turkey, to the south by Armenia, and to the southeast by Azerbaijan. The capital of...
politician and author. A boyhood friend, and later political adversary, of Joseph Stalin
Joseph Stalin
Joseph Vissarionovich Stalin was the Premier of the Soviet Union from 6 May 1941 to 5 March 1953. He was among the Bolshevik revolutionaries who brought about the October Revolution and had held the position of first General Secretary of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union's Central Committee...
, he is primarily known for his book Stalin und die Tragödie Georgiens ("Stalin and the Tragedy of Georgia', Berlin
Berlin
Berlin is the capital city of Germany and is one of the 16 states of Germany. With a population of 3.45 million people, Berlin is Germany's largest city. It is the second most populous city proper and the seventh most populous urban area in the European Union...
, 1932), the first memoir
Memoir
A memoir , is a literary genre, forming a subclass of autobiography – although the terms 'memoir' and 'autobiography' are almost interchangeable. Memoir is autobiographical writing, but not all autobiographical writing follows the criteria for memoir set out below...
of Stalin's childhood.
Biography
Both Stalin and Iremashvili grew up in Gori, GeorgiaGori, Georgia
Gori is a city in eastern Georgia, which serves as the regional capital of Shida Kartli and the centre of the homonymous administrative district. The name is from Georgian gora , that is, "heap", or "hill"...
(then part of the Tiflis Governorate
Tiflis Governorate
Tiflis Governorate was one of the guberniyas of the Russian Empire with its centre in Tiflis . In 1897 it constituted 44,607 sq. kilometres in area and had a population of 1,051,032 inhabitants...
, Imperial Russia), where they attended a local church school. Later, they studied together at Tiflis Theological Seminary. A member of the Russian Social Democratic Labour Party
Russian Social Democratic Labour Party
The Russian Social Democratic Labour Party , also known as Russian Social Democratic Workers' Party or Russian Social Democratic Party, was a revolutionary socialist Russian political party formed in 1898 in Minsk to unite the various revolutionary organizations into one party...
, Iremashvili was involved in the revolutionary activities in Transcaucasia and joined the Menshevik
Menshevik
The Mensheviks were a faction of the Russian revolutionary movement that emerged in 1904 after a dispute between Vladimir Lenin and Julius Martov, both members of the Russian Social-Democratic Labour Party. The dispute originated at the Second Congress of that party, ostensibly over minor issues...
faction which quickly became a dominant political force in Georgia. After 1917, he worked as a teacher at Tiflis and was elected to the Constituent Assembly of Georgia
Constituent Assembly of Georgia
The Constituent Assembly of Georgia was a national legislature of the Democratic Republic of Georgia which was elected in February 1919 to ratify the Act of Independence of Georgia and enact the Constitution of 1921...
in 1919. In February 1921, the Soviet Russian Red Army invaded
Red Army invasion of Georgia
The Red Army invasion of Georgia also known as the Soviet–Georgian War or the Soviet invasion of Georgia was a military campaign by the Soviet Russian Red Army against the Democratic Republic of Georgia aimed at overthrowing the Social-Democratic government and installing the Bolshevik regime...
Georgia and put an end to its three-year independence
Democratic Republic of Georgia
The Democratic Republic of Georgia , 1918–1921, was the first modern establishment of a Republic of Georgia.The DRG was created after the collapse of the Russian Empire that began with the Russian Revolution of 1917...
. Iremashvili, like several other Georgian Mensheviks, was placed in the Metekhi
Metekhi
Metekhi is a historic neighborhood of Tbilisi, Georgia, located on the elevated cliff that overlooks the Mtkvari river.- History :The district was one of the earliest inhabited areas on the city’s territory...
prison, but was then released through the efforts of his sister who negotiated with Stalin during his visit to Tiflis in July 1921. In October 1921, sixty-two arrested Mensheviks, including Iremashvili, were deported to Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
where he was granted a political asylum. Having settled in Berlin, he engaged in Georgian émigré activities aimed at enlisting Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
’s support to the Georgian independence cause.
Memoirs
In 1932, he published, in German, his memoirs, Stalin und die Tragödie Georgiens ("Stalin and the Tragedy of Georgia"). Published in emigration and immune to Soviet censure, the book, although hostile to Stalin, is considered the only independent contemporary account of Stalin's youth and his early years in Georgia, and has proven a vital source for Stalin biographers. In his memoirs, Iremashvili relates many details of the Gori life of Soso (Stalin's childhood name), with particular emphasis of his brutal treatment at the hands of his father, Vissarion Dzhugashvili. The primary deduction made by Iremashvili based upon his account was followed by several psychobiographersPsychobiography
Psychobiography aims to understand historically significant individuals such as artists, political leaders, and so on, through the application of psychological theory and research...
, most notably by Gustav Bychowski and Daniel Rancour-Lafferiere, which consider beatings the key psychological determination of the future dictator. Iremashvili also reports that the young Stalin voluntarily terminated his studies at the Seminary, and was not expelled for his revolutionary activity as stated in the Soviet leader’s official biography. In addition, he claims that Soso’s parents were ethnic Ossetians
Ossetians
The Ossetians are an Iranic ethnic group of the Caucasus Mountains, eponymous of the region known as Ossetia.They speak Ossetic, an Iranian language of the Eastern branch, with most also fluent in Russian as a second language....
, thus explaining Stalin’s particularly hard-line policy towards independent Georgia and his excessive harshness in suppressing anti-Soviet opposition in the Georgian SSR in the 1920s.