DISINFO: Georgia joined the Russian empire in the early the 19th century
SUMMARY
At the beginning of the nineteenth century, Georgia joined the Russian Empire, and later became a republic of the Soviet Union.
RESPONSE
This disinformation message follows the Kremlin’s policy of historical revisionism by whitewashing the circumstances under which Georgia became part of the Russian Empire, suggesting that Georgia voluntarily "joined" the Russian Empire rather than being invaded.
Georgia did not join the Russian Empire of its own free will. In 1801, Russia annexed the Kingdom of Kartli-Kakheti. Subsequently, Russia also annexed other kingdoms and principalities of Georgia. In May 1918, Georgia finally gained independence from Russia after a long struggle for national liberation. Soviet Russia attempted to reconquer Georgia on several occasions, but the country managed to defend its independence for almost three years.
The Red Army then invaded Georgia in February 1921, overthrowing the Social-Democratic (Menshevik) government of the Democratic Republic of Georgia. Later on, it established a Bolshevik regime annexed to the Soviet Union, after heavy resistance from its countrymen that lasted until September 1924, in what was known as the August Uprising.
The "Soviet Occupation Day" is a memorial day in Georgia. It is observed annually on February 25 to commemorate the Red Army invasion of Georgia in 1921, as well asthe hundreds of thousands of victims of political repressions of the Communist occupational regime.
See similar examples of pro-Kremlin historical revisionism targeting Poland, Ukraine and the Baltic states: Poland creates and promotes its historical myths in an active and aggressive way; Poland and Lithuania question the status of Russia as a country who won WWII; President Duda and President Zelensky promote propaganda and Poland tries to adjust history to politics, misinterpreting the historical facts.