Saggi di Dodis 3 (2021/2)

The Democratic Republic of Georgia, which emerged after the collapse of the Tsarist Empire, sought international recognition between 1918 and 1921. The young state also tried to establish diplomatic relations with Switzerland, where some Georgian politicians had studied and a Georgian colony had formed in the late 19th century. In its rhetoric, Georgian diplomacy made reference to Switzerland mainly through two narratives: a kinship myth of these two small, mountainous countries and a kind of role model myth that located the roots of the Georgian constitution in the Swiss one. The young republic received support from the Swiss civilian population, which campaigned for the recognition of the Georgian state. Along these interconnections, this article examines diplomatic relations between Switzerland and Georgia in the early 20th century.