PARTY POLARIZATION AND THE PARADOX OF COOPERATION: POLITICAL COEXISTENCE IN GEORGIA IN 1917–1919

Abstract

The article examines the relationships and principles of cooperation between political parties in Georgia during 1917-1919 in the context of ideological and political conflicts. These interactions developed both before and after the restoration of the country’s independence. Based on primary archival sources, periodical press, memoir literature, and contemporary historiography, the article analyzes the key characteristics of the political climate in which radically different forces were forced to consolidate around common state goals. The study confirms that, despite deep ideological and tactical differences, cooperation between the parties was made possible by considering national interests. The political culture of the First Republic was grounded in democratic values. This period represents an important model in which political pluralism and mechanisms of agreement became the foundation for the political development of the country.

Keywords: Georgia; political polarization; National Council; coalition; elections; First Republic; social democracy.