Leo Kereselidze
Encyclopedia
Leo Keresselidze or Kereselidze (1885 – 1944) was a Georgian
military figure, politician and journalist involved in the Georgian national movement against the Russian
and later Soviet
domination.
Early in his twenties, Keresselidze was involved in the Russian Revolution of 1905
and took part in attacks against Russian officials and military as well as in the running of a cargo of guns to the port of Sukhum-Kale
. He subsequently moved to Western Europe
and obtained a Ph.D. degree from the University of Geneva
. In 1913, he joined a group of Georgian patriots in the Committee of Independent Georgia
, and engaged in journalism, co-editing with his brother Georges Keresselidze a Geneva-based Georgian newspaper Tavisupali Sakartvelo (“Free Georgia”) from 1913 to 1914, and then working for a Berlin
-based Kartuli Gazeti (“Georgian Newspaper”) from 1916 to 1918. In 1914, at the eve of World War I
, the Committee moved to Germany
and sought the German aid in restoring the independence of Georgia from Russia. Keresselidze led a military unit of Georgian volunteers, the Georgian Legion
, which fought on the German side and was transferred to the Ottoman
-Russian Caucasus front
. Keresselidze tried to negotiate an alliance with the Ottoman Empire, but refused to accept its suzerainty over a potentially independent Georgia. He was subsequently promoted to major general
, but the Legion was disbanded due to his disagreement with the Ottoman government. Keresselidze was then involved in diplomacy between Georgians and Germans, and staging subversions against the Russian troops. After the collapse of the Russian armies in the Caucasus and the proclamation of Georgian independence
in May 1918, Keresselidze was able to his own country and helped create national army divisions. The 1921 Red Army invasion of Georgia
forced him into exile to Germany where he was among the founding members and a secretary general of the right-leaning nationalist organization Tetri Giorgi
. Not long before his death, he helped establish a new political organization of Georgian émigrés, the Union of Georgian Traditionalists
.
Keresselidze’s revolutionary career is the subject of a fictionalized biography Unending Battle (London, 1934) by the British
army officer and writer Harold Courtenay Armstrong (1891-1943).
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...
military figure, politician and journalist involved in the Georgian national movement against the Russian
Russian Empire
The Russian Empire was a state that existed from 1721 until the Russian Revolution of 1917. It was the successor to the Tsardom of Russia and the predecessor of the Soviet Union...
and later Soviet
Soviet Union
The Soviet Union , officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics , was a constitutionally socialist state that existed in Eurasia between 1922 and 1991....
domination.
Early in his twenties, Keresselidze was involved in the Russian Revolution of 1905
Russian Revolution of 1905
The 1905 Russian Revolution was a wave of mass political and social unrest that spread through vast areas of the Russian Empire. Some of it was directed against the government, while some was undirected. It included worker strikes, peasant unrest, and military mutinies...
and took part in attacks against Russian officials and military as well as in the running of a cargo of guns to the port of Sukhum-Kale
Sukhumi
Sukhumi is the capital of Abkhazia, a disputed region on the Black Sea coast. The city suffered heavily during the Georgian-Abkhaz conflict in the early 1990s.-Naming:...
. He subsequently moved to Western Europe
Western Europe
Western Europe is a loose term for the collection of countries in the western most region of the European continents, though this definition is context-dependent and carries cultural and political connotations. One definition describes Western Europe as a geographic entity—the region lying in the...
and obtained a Ph.D. degree from the University of Geneva
University of Geneva
The University of Geneva is a public research university located in Geneva, Switzerland.It was founded in 1559 by John Calvin, as a theological seminary and law school. It remained focused on theology until the 17th century, when it became a center for Enlightenment scholarship. In 1873, it...
. In 1913, he joined a group of Georgian patriots in the Committee of Independent Georgia
Committee of Independent Georgia
The Committee of Independent Georgia also known as the Georgian Committee was a political organization formed in 1914 by Georgian émigrés and students in Germany during World War I. It aimed at ousting the Imperial Russian rule in Georgia and reasserting the country’s independence under the German...
, and engaged in journalism, co-editing with his brother Georges Keresselidze a Geneva-based Georgian newspaper Tavisupali Sakartvelo (“Free Georgia”) from 1913 to 1914, and then working for a 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...
-based Kartuli Gazeti (“Georgian Newspaper”) from 1916 to 1918. In 1914, at the eve of World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
, the Committee moved 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...
and sought the German aid in restoring the independence of Georgia from Russia. Keresselidze led a military unit of Georgian volunteers, the Georgian Legion
Georgian Legion
The Georgian Legion was a name of a Georgian military formation within the German army during World War II. Their established aim was the restoration of Georgia’s independence from the Soviet Union.- History :...
, which fought on the German side and was transferred to the Ottoman
Ottoman Empire
The Ottoman EmpireIt was usually referred to as the "Ottoman Empire", the "Turkish Empire", the "Ottoman Caliphate" or more commonly "Turkey" by its contemporaries...
-Russian Caucasus front
Caucasus Campaign
The Caucasus Campaign comprised armed conflicts between the Ottoman Empire and the Russian Empire, later including Azerbaijan, Armenia, Central Caspian Dictatorship and the UK as part of the Middle Eastern theatre or alternatively named as part of the Caucasus Campaign during World War I...
. Keresselidze tried to negotiate an alliance with the Ottoman Empire, but refused to accept its suzerainty over a potentially independent Georgia. He was subsequently promoted to major general
Major General
Major general or major-general is a military rank used in many countries. It is derived from the older rank of sergeant major general. A major general is a high-ranking officer, normally subordinate to the rank of lieutenant general and senior to the ranks of brigadier and brigadier general...
, but the Legion was disbanded due to his disagreement with the Ottoman government. Keresselidze was then involved in diplomacy between Georgians and Germans, and staging subversions against the Russian troops. After the collapse of the Russian armies in the Caucasus and the proclamation of Georgian 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...
in May 1918, Keresselidze was able to his own country and helped create national army divisions. The 1921 Red Army invasion of Georgia
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...
forced him into exile to Germany where he was among the founding members and a secretary general of the right-leaning nationalist organization Tetri Giorgi
Tetri Giorgi (organization)
Tetri Giorgi has been a name of several political and paramilitary organizations as well as non-political foundations operating in Georgia or by Georgians abroad. It is derived from the cult of Tetri Giorgi, one of the Georgian identities of St...
. Not long before his death, he helped establish a new political organization of Georgian émigrés, the Union of Georgian Traditionalists
Union of Georgian Traditionalists
Union of Georgian Traditionalists was a national political organization of the Georgian Political Emigration in 1930s.The Union was established in 1942, in Berlin...
.
Keresselidze’s revolutionary career is the subject of a fictionalized biography Unending Battle (London, 1934) by the British
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
army officer and writer Harold Courtenay Armstrong (1891-1943).