Georgian PM celebrates birthday of First Democratic Republic of Georgia’s Commander in Chief of army, says his name will remain “forever” in memory of future generations

On Sunday the anniversary of the birth of General Giorgi Kvinitadze, the historical figure and the Commander in Chief of the army of the First Democratic Republic of Georgia,  is celebrated by the country’s Prime Minister Irakli Garibashvili by saying that his name will remain “forever” in the history of Georgia and in the memory of “each Georgian”, as well as “future generations”.

Garibashvili has marked the 148th birthday of General Kvinitadze, who was distinguished with the title of the National Hero of Georgia in 2013, by praising the General as a “fighter dedicated to the freedom of his homeland” and an “outstanding political and military leader”, the Government Administration said.

The Head of the Government said Kvinitadze, “one of the creators of the modern Georgian army”, had not lost his faith in the restoration of Georgia’s independence, “even in the most difficult days of his forced exile”, in a suburb of Paris after the Soviet invasion of the country, and noted that bringing General’s remains back to his homeland last year, “after a long separation”, had been a “great honour”.

There is no bullet that will kill me, because my roots are in the country that was killed and did not die" - his words embody the idea of ​​immortality of Georgia and its freedom, said Garibashvili, citing Kvinitadze in his statement.

General Giorgi Kvinitadze with Georgian and German servicemen in 1918. Photo from the National Archive of Georgia.

Born in 1874 into the family of a colonel, Kvinitadze received military education in Tbilisi and St Petersburg before joining a regiment in the Imperial Russian army in 1894. Promoted in service during the armed forces' campaigns against Japan, in World War I, and by the time of the 1917 Russian Revolution, Kvinitadze had the rank of major general when he became the Commander in Chief of the First Democratic Republic of Georgia in 1918.

He led the armed forces over the three-year independence of the country, with gaps in the service due to disagreements with, and his criticisms of, the Georgian government during the period that led to his resignations. Kvinitadze successfully defended the military school in Tbilisi - founded by him - from an assault by Bolshevik forces, and defeated Muslim revolutionary forces in southern Georgia's Akhaltsikhe province, before leading the armed forces in Georgia's defensive campaign against the invading Red Army in the early 1921.

Serving as Commander in Chief of the armed forces in the campaign, Kvinitadze was forced into emigration along with members of the government and his colleagues in the army after the successful occupation of Tbilisi on February 25, 1921 - and subsequently the rest of the country - by the Soviet forces. In France the former general lived in western Paris' suburb of Chatou and was buried at the location's cemetery after his passing in 1970.