Chapter 197 The Proud Shevardnadze
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When Ryzhkov returned to Moscow from Abkhazia, Georgia, the situation in Georgia did not show signs of improvement because of Ryzhkov's personal visit. On the contrary, the situation there became worse. Zhikov returned to Moscow a week later. Some well-known local political opinion in Georgia stepped forward one after another, and began to take advantage of this wave to make a staking claim for Georgia's secession from the Soviet Union.
Since Yakovlev and Gorbachev came to power, those political dissidents, anti-Soviet figures, ultra-nationalists, and anti-socialists who were originally imprisoned in the Brezhnev era have been imprisoned by the government. With leniency, they finally leave the mysterious Gulag. And thanks to the policy of openness, these marginal figures in Soviet politics were able to publish their doctrines in newspapers. Perhaps in Gorbachev's view, Stalin was much more harmful than them.
These fringe figures regard their time in the Gulag as an honor, a qualification to brag about. And only a handful of them really care about the country like Sakharov and Solzhenitsyn. They tested the bottom line of the government time and time again, only to find that the government really wanted to open up the freedom of speech, so these people became more and more daring. And the political crisis in Georgia this time gave these people a godsend opportunity.
Instigated by some extremists, more than 100 Georgians began a sit-in protest on the square of the Abkhaz City Government to protest the Soviet central government's attempt to split Abkhazia. At the same time, in Abkhazia, the Georgians who accounted for the majority of the population also began to attack the local Abkhazians, Armenians, and Russians, the main ethnic group of the Soviet Union. This wave began to move from the media to the streets. In just one week, the Abkhazian Internal Affairs Bureau handled more than a dozen group brawls. The parties involved in these incidents were Georgians and Abkhazians without exception. local ethnic minorities.
Although Patty Ashvili is the first secretary of Georgia, as an airborne cadre, he has to rely on local Georgian cadres to handle many things. However, the reason for the deterioration of the situation in Georgia is fundamentally the anti-government movement launched by Patti Ashvili here. Now the issue of corruption has not been well resolved, but it has caused social division and national hatred. Patty Ashvili now neither dares to report to the central government, nor can he solve this problem well. Under such circumstances, Patty Ashvili is caught in a dilemma. Backstage Ligachev went to ask for help.
Ligachev was indeed a traditionalist in the party. Almost without thinking, he blamed Georgia's problems on domestic conspirators for denying the leadership of the party. At the Politburo meeting, he suggested immediate emergency measures against Georgia, sending troops To maintain order locally.
"Comrade Ligachev, we are not Stalin, we cannot use force to solve all problems." Gorbachev now has an extreme dislike for Ligachev, if not for him, how could Georgia become what it is now.
"Secretary Gorbachev, just because we denied Stalin,
The ruling foundation of our party has been shaken, and the current situation is definitely related to certain policies pursued by some politically naive comrades in the party..." Ligachev retorted to Gorbachev .
"Comrade Ligachev, all of us here are very clear about the reason for the Georgian problem. If Pattyashvili can listen to the voices of the local people and solve the problem as soon as possible, instead of blindly using power to suppress How could things in Abkhazia have developed to this point?" Yakovlev replied unceremoniously.
"Then you want us to give up the authority of the central government and the leadership of the party?" Ligachev asked angrily, patting the table.
"Enough! How long are you going to argue?" Gorbachev was also angry. He picked up the document and threw it heavily on the table. He glared at Ligachev angrily. The anger in the venue fell to freezing point, and the whole room fell silent immediately.
About a quarter of an hour later, Gorbachev said to Shevardnadze: "Comrade Shevardnadze, what do you think of the Abkhaz problem?"
"General Secretary, the problem of Abkhazia is a long-standing problem left over from history. The Abkhazia region once joined the Soviet Union as an independent republic in the 1920s, but later under Stalin's national integration policy, Abkhazia was forcibly Incorporated into Georgia, the ethnic integration policy has reconfigured the population of many areas that have historically belonged to a single ethnic group, which has resulted in a situation where the proportion of Georgians in Abkhazia is more than half. Georgians have already regarded Abkhazia as They made their own land, and when I was the first secretary of Georgia, the Abkhaz people never had the idea of joining the Soviet Union independently. I think this is related to the simple and rude way of working of some of our Georgian cadres. It is directly related to the democratic communication among other leading cadres, violating internal democratic procedures, and arbitrariness." Shevardnadze sat on the seat, looked at Ligachev with a smile, and then said with some pride . This time Ligachev is absolutely screwed, even Gorbachev can't stand him now, what else can he do besides occupying a position in the Politburo?
"Comrade Shevardnadze, what's the use of saying this now, what we need is a solution to the problem. You are an old comrade in Georgia, and you are more familiar with the situation there than anyone here. Shevard Comrade Nadze, now is the time when the party needs you to stand up, and you have to shoulder this burden..." Gorbachev said earnestly.
"Okay General Secretary, I will arrange my schedule as soon as possible. I think I have to go to Abkhazia and listen to the voices of people from various factions. But if I go to Georgia so rashly, Comrade Patti Ashvili will I won't have any opinion on me..." Shevardnadze looked at Gorbachev eagerly, and now his vanity has been greatly satisfied, and today's Politburo meeting is his The happiest time I have ever driven. Now that the country is in crisis, Shevardnadze has bravely stood up to turn the tide. What an honor it is. It would be even better if Gorbachev transferred Patyashvili again.
"A question from Comrade Pattiashvili..." Gorbachev paused and thought for a long time before speaking.
"talk later!"