Nikoloz Chkheidze | |
|---|---|
ნიკოლოზ ჩხეიძე Николай Чхеидзе | |
 Autochrome portrait by Auguste Léon, 1919 | |
| Parliamentary President of Georgia (National Council,Parliament, and Constituent Assembly) | |
| In office 26 May 1918 – 16 March 1921 | |
| Prime Minister | Noe Ramishvili Noe Zhordania |
| Preceded by | Office established |
| Succeeded by | Office abolished |
| President of theTranscaucasian Seim | |
| In office 23 February 1918 – 26 May 1918 | |
| Preceded by | Office established |
| Succeeded by | Office abolished |
| Executive President of the Petrograd Soviet | |
| In office 12 March 1917 – 19 September 1917 | |
| Preceded by | Office established |
| Succeeded by | Leon Trotsky |
| Chairman of the All-Russian Central Election Commission | |
| In office 7 July 1917 – 9 November 1917 | |
| Preceded by | Office established |
| Succeeded by | Office abolished[a] |
| Member of the Provisional Committee of the State Duma | |
| In office 27 February 1917 – 2 March 1917 | |
| Chairman | Mikhail Rodzianko |
| Preceded by | Office established |
| Succeeded by | Office abolished |
| Member of the Russian Constituent Assembly | |
| In office 25 November 1917 – 20 January 1918[b] | |
| Preceded by | Constituency established |
| Succeeded by | Constituency abolished |
| Constituency | Transcaucasus |
| Leader of the Social Democratic Labor Party in theRussian State Duma | |
| In office 1 November 1907 – 6 October 1917 | |
| Preceded by | Position established |
| Succeeded by | Position abolished |
| Member of theRussian State Duma | |
| In office 1 November 1907 – 6 October 1917 | |
| Preceded by | Multi-member district |
| Succeeded by | Constituency abolished |
| Constituency | Tiflis Governorate |
| Personal details | |
| Born | (1864-03-21)21 March 1864 |
| Died | 13 June 1926(1926-06-13) (aged 62) |
| Cause of death | Suicide |
| Resting place | Père Lachaise Cemetery |
| Political party | Russian Social Democratic Labor Party (Mensheviks) Social Democratic Labour Party of Georgia |
| Education | Kharkiv Veterinary Institute (expelled) |
| Signature | .svg) |
Nikoloz Chkheidze[c] (21 March [O.S. 9] 1864 – 13 June 1926), commonly known asKarlo Chkheidze, was aGeorgian politician and statesman. In the 1890s, he promoted theSocial Democratic movement in Georgia, and later became a leading Social Democrat in theRussian Empire. He was a key figure in theFebruary Revolution as theMenshevik president of the Executive Committee ofPetrograd Soviet. He later served as president of theTranscaucasian Sejm in from February to May 1918, and as parliamentary president of theDemocratic Republic of Georgia from 1918 to 1921.[1]
Chkheidze was born into theHouse of Chkheidze, an aristocratic family inPuti,Kutais Governorate (in the present-dayZestaponi Municipality of theImereti province ofGeorgia). From his marriage with Alexandra Taganova (X-1943), he would have four children including a daughter who would accompany him in exile.[2]
In 1892 Chkheidze, together withEgnate Ninoshvili, Silibistro Jibladze,Noe Zhordania and Kalenike Chkheidze (his brother), became a founder of the first Georgian Social-Democratic group,Mesame Dasi (thethird team).
From 1907 to 1917 Chkheidze was a member of theRussian State Duma representing theTiflis Governorate and gained popularity as a spokesman for theMenshevik faction within theRussian Social Democratic Party. He was an active member of the irregularfreemasonic lodge, theGrand Orient of Russia’s Peoples.[3]In 1917 the year of theRussian Revolution, Chkheidze became Chairman of thePetrograd Soviet. He failed to prevent the rise ofBolshevism and refused a post in theRussian Provisional Government. However, he did support its policies and advocated revolutionaryoboronchestvo (defencism). He also voted to continue the war against theGerman Empire.[4][5]
In October 1917 theBolsheviksseized power in Russia. At the time, Chkheidze was in Georgia. He remained in Georgia and on 23 February 1918, became leader of theTranscaucasian Federation inTiflis. Some months later the federation was dissolved.[6]
On 26 May 1918 the Act of Independence of Georgia was adopted, Chkheidze was elected chairman of theNational Council of Georgia: this Georgian Provisional Assembly decided to appoint a government, to prepare elections and to create a constitutional commission. In February 1919 he was elected a member of theConstituent Assembly of Georgia and on 12 March president of this assembly, but could not participate in its first session because he was located in Paris. Chairing the Georgian delegation to theVersailles Conference, he tried to gain theEntente's support for theDemocratic Republic of Georgia. He also proposed toGeorges Clemenceau and toDavid Lloyd George a French or British protectorate for Georgian foreign affairs and defense, but was unsuccessful.[7] Chkheidze, who had 14 years of parliamentary life experience, oversaw the writing of the Constitution byRazhden Arsenidze and 14 other MPs of the majority and the opposition.
In March 1921 when theRed Armyinvaded Georgia, Chkheidze fled with his family toFrance viaConstantinople.[8] In 1923 and 1924, as part of theSocial Democratic Labour Party of Georgia in exile, Chkheidze opposed a national uprising in Georgia. Chkheidze,Irakly Tsereteli, Datiko Sharashidze, and Kale Kavtaradze formed a group calledOppozitsia. In their mind, theRed Army andCheka were too strong, and the unarmed Georgian people too weak. After theAugust Uprising of 1924, 10,000 Georgians were executed, and between 50,000 and 100,000 Georgians were deported toSiberia or to Central Asia.
On 13 June 1926 Chkheidze committed suicide at his official residence inLeuville-sur-Orge,France. He was buried inParis, in thePère Lachaise Cemetery.[9]
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Leaders of Georgia since 1918 | |
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Democratic Republic of Georgia Prime Minister | .svg) |
| Georgian SSR Chairmen of the Revolutionary Committee | |
| Georgian SSR First Secretaries of Georgian Communist Party | |
Modern Georgia  Presidents | .svg)  |
| Elections | |
* Acting head of state | |
| International | |
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| National | |
| People | |
| Other | |
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