I36 HUMAN LIFE IN RUSSIA
most of the other peoples and nationalities, were enabled to
found an autonomous State outside Russia. In this foundation
every party, but more particularly the groups of the Left,
participated. On May 7,1920, the State was recognized by the
Soviet Union and a treaty was concluded. Article 2 of which
says: "Russia undertakes to refrain from any interference in
Georgian affairs." On January 27,1921, the Georgian Republic
was formerly recognized by the Supreme Council of the Allies,
embracing Great Britain, France, Italy and Japan. At that
time the relation between Georgia and the Soviet Union, and
the relation between the former and the Allied Powers seemed
to have been settled. There was thus a parallel to the fate of
the Estonians, Latvians, Lithuanians and Finns, who, recog-
nized alike by the Soviet Union and the Great Powers, could
proceed to develop their own nationhood.
As early as February 1921, however, Georgia was occupied
by Russian troops and thus became a victim of the Moscow
regime. From this period may be said to date the systematic
suppression of every manifestation of Georgian nationalism,
which united in resisting the action of the Kremlin. The
Powers and the League protested against this illegal proceeding,
and on September 22,1922, a resolution of the Assembly was
accepted which directed the attention of the Council to the
question. Meanwhile there were insurrections in Georgia which
were violently suppressed and which involved the deaths of
thousands of Georgians: members of every occupation and
social class were "liquidated," i.e. executed, in numbers. The
number of persons deported amounted to 20,000. In various
parts of the country there was prolonged faction fighting, and
when this was ended every branch of national life began to
be impenneated with the Moscow spirit.
A rigorous policy of national persecution was thus pursued
by Moscow earlier and more vigorously in Georgia than in
any other part of Russia. Georgia affords an example in which
the various stages and methods of national persecution can