The Georgian Democratic Republic after 100 years: Why it still matters. Eric Lee

For more than 100 years, the word "socialism" has been associated with the Leninist-Stalinist state established by the Bolsheviks. When democratic socialists like US Senator Bernie Sanders or leaders of the British Labour Party try to explain that their vision is nothing like the Soviet Union, the question is always asked: where was a democratic variant of socialism ever tried out? That's the historic significance of the Georgian experiment of 1918-21. It was a proof of concept. A society based on social justice and equality could also be a free society, where human rights are respected.

About Eric Lee:
Eric Lee is the author of several books, among them two books about Georgian history. The Experiment: Georgia's Forgotten Revolution 1918-21 and Night of the Bayonets: The Texel Uprising and Hitler's Revenge were published in 2017 and 2020. His next book completes his 'Georgian trilogy' and is entitled The August Uprising: Georgia and the Birth of Democratic Socialism.

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