Allies Against Two Evils

Givi Gabliani

Description

DRCs available through Edelweiss

ARCs available upon request

Outreach through networks of Georgian exiles 

Outreach through collection librarians at Harvard and Yale who were interested in acquiring Gabliani's archive before Tbilisi

Outreach to scholars of Soviet and Eastern European Studies. Expressed interest from Northwestern, Yale, and Harvard, among others.

National print campaign focusing on historical aspects: military; Russia and Ukraine; Russia and Crimea; the "German Resistance" within the Nazi party; Caucasus; and any past reviewers of David Nasaw's "The Last Million: Europe's Displaced Persons from World War to Cold War"

Timing and respected scholarship: first English edition of Gabliani's highly respected memoir previously published in Georgia, where the Gabliani Archive wing in the National Library in Tbilisi is planned to open in 2023–24. 

Hybrid memoir / historical account relevant to geopolitics today: Gabliani advocates for independence and self-determination among states colonized or conquered by Russia or the Soviet Union. Fills a gap in knowledge about WWI, the USSR and WWII as well as the fate of displaced persons in the late-1940s all of which reflects on current events in Ukraine, Crimea, and wars in the Caucasus.

Tells the story of the German Resistance and about the Georgian Exile Government's efforts to save Jews and other oppressed people in WWII. Rare first-person testimony about the Georgian Legion's connection with the German Resistance including to Theodor Oberländer and Admiral Wilhelm Canaris (later executed for his role in the assassination plot against Hitler).

Ethnic group/area not well known in America: an accomplished alpinist and adventurer, Gabliani was a fiercely independent Svan (from the high mountain regions never conquered by any invaders). This ethnic group traces back to the Zoroastrians. 

Historical photos

An eye-witness account of the Russian/European conflict at the heart of WWII, relevant today as war rages again along similar battle lines in Ukraine, Crimea and the Caucasus.

In a corner of 20th-century history almost unknown to the English-speaking public, anti-Stalinist Georgians and anti-Hitlerite Germans worked as an arm of the German Resistance, disavowing Hitler’s inhuman "East Policy" mandates and seeking to liberate Caucasian nations from Stalin. Allies Against Two Evils: Georgian P.O.W.s in WWII’s Bergmann Units and the Quest to Liberate the Caucasus from Russian Imperialism by exiled Georgian M.D. Givi Gabliani vividly recalls this time, the hopes of the Georgians who fought in World War II, their solidarity, their tribulations, their devotion to the Jewish people, and why they made the alliances they did.

Gabliani's memoir, written in English and published several years ago in Georgia, contrasts the vision of an ascendant Russian Empire and a decaying West with historical European-Georgian cooperation and the centuries-long quest of the Georgian people for self-determination.

The preface by Georgian-German scholar and former head of the Georgian National Library, Alexander Kartozia examines the legacy of Givi Gabliani and the Gabliani family from the highland province of Svaneti, keepers of 12th century artifacts from Georgia's Golden Age and leaders of the 1920s resistance insurgency against Soviet invasion.

Gabliani envisions a future Europe supporting a trans-Caucasian alliance with mixed races and religions living together equally in tolerance and prosperous harmony, as they had for millennia in Georgia. As a spokesman for the POWs, he coordinates with the Georgian exile government in occupied Paris and Berlin, finding a secret effort afoot in occupied France to save Georgian and other Eastern European Jews. Today, Gabliani's war memoir centers our attention on an active fault line. Across the great conflicts of the twentieth century that undergird and still define the region between Russia, with its imperialist ambitions, and the Black Sea, Georgia and the Georgian people appear as some of the most likely partners for international efforts toward peace.

FOREWORD

Relatively few people in the Western World appreciate the fact that the October 1917 Bolshevik Revolution was solely a Russian phenomenon—it never took place in Georgia and other countries of the Caucasus region. Instead, the Caucasians used this opportunity and declared sovereign democratic states, which were recognized by many countries, among them Bolshevik Russia. For instance, a treaty was signed on May 7, 1920, between the Democratic Republic of Georgia and the Russian Socialist Soviet Federative Republic. Article I of this document states, "Russia recognizes without reservation the independence and sovereignty of the Georgian State and voluntarily renounces all sovereign rights which belonged to Russia with respect to the Georgian people and their territory." However, on February 11, 1921, without the slightest provocation by Georgia and without any warning by Russia, the Red Army invaded Georgia. The Georgians fought as best they could but were surprised, outnumbered and out-gunned. The occupied Georgian Nation was subjected to the deprivation of elementary human rights. Empowered by the Constitutional Assembly, the Georgian Government traveled to Western Europe in order to appeal to the civilized world for help, "and to continue the fight against the invaders from Moscow until final victory."

Some members or the Constitutional Assembly and of political parties also went into exile. There was considerable understanding and sympathy for Georgia in the League of Nations and among politicians of the Western World but during the years that followed, Bolshevik Russia gained gradual recognition in the world community of nations. France was the last major power who held out and continued recognizing the Georgian Embassy for thirteen years. The Georgian Emigration never abandoned its quest for freedom and although a strong divisiveness along party lines was present, it remained the torch bearer for the defense of the Georgian national interests. It was never the representative of any privileged class or the elite—it was a national emigration. It may be fitting to quote here the British Scholar, W.E.D. Allen, who noted, "We find throughout the history of Georgia, as of Spain and Ireland, that it is the nation that is held sacred and not this or that principle."^[1]

Some Georgians felt that it was a failure of democracy that Bolshevik Russia was allowed to swallow Georgia and other Caucasian Democratic States. In spite of this, the overwhelming majority of emigres continued to be members of the traditional democratic political parties. The majority of Georgians in exile were taken by surprise when Hitler invaded his former ally, Stalin’s Empire. The German Army’s progress created a real possibility for entering Caucasus. Therefore, the emigres put forth considerable effort to learn about the German plans toward Georgia and other parts or Caucasus and, if need be, to influence them in a positive direction. It was a popular thought that Germany would now pursue the same Caucasus policy as it had during World War I, when Georgian independence from 1918–1921 thrived due to German help. Such hope was further strengthened due to the fact that during World War II in the German occupied North Caucasus, the German policy was quite different as compared to other occupied Eastern Territories where the indigenous population [and especially Jews] had suffered due to Hitler’s inhuman decrees. The reason for such difference was the fact that Hitler did not have territorial claims toward Caucasus. This situation was adroitly taken advantage of by some German military leaders and persons from the civilian sector who were convinced that Hitler was leading Germany toward its destruction. They tried to alter his course.

One of the important members of this circle was a General Staff Officer in the Organization Division of the Army, Major later Colonel Count Klaus von Stauffenberg, who in 1944 attempted to kill Hitler and therefore was executed. He was able to arrange that General Ernst Köstring was appointed as “General in charge of Caucasian Affairs.”^[2] In this capacity, Köstring was an important advisor to his old friend Field Marshal E. von Kleist—the commanding general of the Army Group South (Caucasus). Köstring’s adjutant was Captain Hans von Herwarth, also a diplomat, specialist on U.S.S.R., and a close co-worker of Stauffenberg and a long time member of the resistance movement against Hitler. Other advisors and contributors to the Caucasus Policy were Otto Schiller, the former agricultural attache of the German Embassy in Moscow, Otto Brautigam formerly from the foreign Ministry now working for the Ostministerium and Professor G. von Mende the Chief of Caucasian and Turkish Section of the Ostministerium.

Thanks to the concerted efforts of such well-intentioned high caliber experts and their co-workers, the Caucasus Policy was a success as a result of humane treatment of the people. Field Marshal von Kleist ordered his troops to behave in Caucasus as they would have if they were on maneuvers in their own country—Germany. Among other positive measures were the agrarian reforms, good treatment of the civilian population as well as P.O.W.s . As a result, the Caucasian population was very friendly to the German soldiers, the economic situation was satisfactory and therefore there was no significant partisan movement among the indigenous population. Stauffenberg and his friends wanted to use a successful Caucasian experiment for bringing about similar changes in all other German occupied Eastern territories. The Caucasian Policy was further strengthened by the presence of the volunteer Caucasian military units, among them the Caucasian “Bergmann,” a mountain unit which had been created on orders of Admiral Canaris, the chief of the military intelligence (Abwehr), who appointed Captain Professor T. Oberländer as its commanding officer.^[3] There were other Caucasian military units—the battalions of the Caucasian Legions as well which were formed by the efforts of Stauffenberg, assisted by Herwarth. Another good friend of the Caucasians. Count Friedrich Werner von Schulenburg had also been an essential force to bring about formation of the Caucasian Legions.^[4] Oberländer, due to his criticism of the Nazi policy in occupied Eastern territories in his memoranda, was dismissed from the army and the party during the summer of 1943. He was interrogated by the Gestapo. The SS wanted to court-martial him but this was prevented by efforts of the Army General Staff.

From the above, it emerges that during World War II, an unofficial alliance came about between a group of influential anti-Hitler Germans and anti-Stalin Georgians and other Easteners. They were caught between those two evils. A world without oppression became their common quest.

My memoir is about this drama.

^[1]- W.E.D. Allen A History of the Georgian People, introduced by Sir Denison Ross. Kegan Paul, London, Trench, Trubner and Co., LTD. Broadway House 68-74 Carter Lane, E.C. 1932.

^[2]- Köstring was the former German Military attach in Moscow and one of the great experts on U.S.S.R. He was born in Imperial Russia and genuinely loved the Russian and non-Russian Soviet People, whose trust he enjoyed. He loathed the Nazi Regime.

^[3]- Admiral Canaris was one of the most important members of the conspiracy against Hitler. He was executed during 1945.

^[4]- Schulenburg was executed during 1944 because of his part in the conspiracy against Hitler.

Preface to the Memoirs of Givi Gabliani

by Alexander Kartozia   vii   

Foreword by the author   1 

Leaving Georgia for Russia   5   

Entrance into World War II   33

A German P.O.W. Outside Prison Camp   36

Transfer to Germany   47

In the Bergmann Unit and Caucasus   77

Plot in Bergmann   112

To the Ukraine and Caucasus   131

Patriots and Defectors   146

In Crimea   171

Leaving Crimea for Germany; The Dresden Military School   188

The Georgian Liaison Staff—A Mission   204

In France and Holland   222

Report on the Three Bergmann Battalions   248

March–July 1944   264

Saving the Georgian Legionnaires   282

End of War   297

Displaced Persons   320

From Germany to America   335

Afterword by Gregory Gabliani   347

Appendices

Hans von Herwarth’s Introduction and Affidavit   353

The Brest-Litovsk Treaty   356 

German Georgian Friendship Speech upon German Withdrawal in WW I   359

The Red Army Offensive in November 1942   362

Grigol (Grisha) Alshibaja   363

Kale Salia and The Georgian Destiny   367

Alexandre Manvelishvili   369

Alexandre Nikuradze   372

General Giorgi Kvinitadze   376

The Plot in “Bergmann”   378

Documents from the Author’s Archive   385

Maps   412

Photographs   417

Supporting Literature   431

Index   435

Sujets

• Personal Memoirs
• Political Science
• Former Soviet Union
• HISTORY
• Tiflis
• Iósif Stalin
• Segunda Guerra Mundial
• Schulenburg, Texas
• The Georgian Legion
• Eastern Front
• Canaris
• Military
• Tbilisi
• Caucasus
• World War II
• Russian
• Prisoner of war
• Nazi Germany
• Joseph Stalin
• Schulenburg
• World
• Adolf Hitler
• Georgia
• Wilhelm Canaris
• Mende
• Tbilissi
• Joseph Staline
• Seconde Guerre mondiale

Informations

• Publié par: DoppelHouse Press
• Date de parution: 01 août 2023
• Nombre de lectures: 0
• EAN13: 9781954600232
• Langue: English
• Poids de l'ouvrage: 4 Mo

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