Stephen F. Jones, "The First Social Democracy: The Democratic Republic of Georgia, 1918–1921" (Harvard UP, 2026)

About this episode

Professor Stephen F. Jones discusses the establishment and challenges of the first social democratic state in Georgia from 1918 to 1921.

Following the collapse of the Russian Empire, the small nation of Georgia established its independence in May 1918. Its leaders surprised the world by creating the first social democratic state. Based on a combination of parliamentarianism and direct democracy, it was a representative government of the peasants and workers themselves, with ballots in their hands. The First Social Democracy: The Democratic Republic of Georgia, 1918–1921 (Harvard University Press, 2026) is the definitive history of a government that should inspire social democrats today. Professor Stephen F. Jones chronicles how the founders of the new state navigated myriad challenges, including territorial threats from abroad, internal ethnic conflicts, and geopolitical rivalries between the imperial Ottomans, the British, and the Germans. In the midst of these existential challenges, Georgia’s social democrats set about writing a constitution to put the country on a distinctive path of genuine self-government—protecting democratic rights, promoting political pluralism, and championing equality. Professor Jones brings to life the passionate debates that shaped Georgia’s democracy during a moment of acute global…

People in this episode

Guest: Stephen F. Jones

Topics covered

• social democracy
• Georgia
• political history
• direct democracy
• constitutional development
• geopolitical challenges

Keywords

• social democracy
• Georgia
• political pluralism
• democratic rights
• historical challenges
• Soviet rule
• constitutional history

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: Harvard University Press

Books & works: The First Social Democracy: The Democratic Republic of Georgia, 1918–1921

Places: Georgia, Russian Empire, Ottomans, British, Germans

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