Leo Kereselidze

Leo Kereselidse (Georgian ლეო კერესელიძე; * 1885, † 1944 in Germany ) was a Georgian general and politician. He first fought against Russian domination of Georgia, and later against his Soviet occupation.

Life

In 1910 he founded with Petre Surgladse the newspaper Tawisupali Sakartvelo (Eng. Free Georgia ). In 1914 he co-founded the Committee for the independence of Georgia in Germany. In 1915, he appeared as a major general in the Georgian Legion, there was the highest-ranking Georgian officer. From June to December 1918 he was part of the German military mission Friedrich Kress von Kress stone in the Democratic Republic of Georgia, helped the Georgian government to set up a national army.

After the Soviet occupation of Georgia by the Red Army, he left his home in March 1921 and went into exile in Germany. In 1924, he was next to Mikheil Tsereteli Grigol Robakidze and Shalva Maglakelidse co-founder of the resistance organization Georgian committee White George, was its secretary general. In 1942, he was the inspiration for the founding of the exiled party Union Georgian traditionalists.