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Chapter 197 The proud Shevardnadze

When Ryzhkov returned to Moscow from Abkhazia, Georgia, the situation in Georgia did not show signs of improvement due to Ryzhkov's personal visit. On the contrary, the situation became worse. Just a week after Ryzhkov returned to Moscow, some of the well-known political opinions in Georgia stood up and began to use this wave to capture Georgia's escape from the Soviet Union.

Since Yakovlev and Gorbachev came to power, those political dissidents, anti-Soviets, extreme nationalists, and anti-socialists who were imprisoned during the Brezhnev era have been leniently treated by the government, and they have finally left the mysterious Gulag. Thanks to the open policy, these marginal figures in Soviet politics can actually publicly express their doctrine in newspapers. Perhaps in Gorbachev's view, Stalin's harm is much greater than that of them.

These marginal figures regard their years in Gulag as a glory and a qualification that can be boasted about. And only a very small number of them are really thinking about this country like Sakharov and Solzhenitsyn. They tentatively test the bottom line of the government again and again, but find that the government really wants to open up in freedom of speech, so these people are becoming more and more courageous. This political crisis in Georgia gave these people a god-given opportunity.

Under the instigation of some extremist people, more than 100 Georgians began to sit in the square of the Abkhazi municipal government to protest against the Soviet central government's attempt to split Abkhaziz. At the same time, in Abkhaziz, the majority-popular Georgians also began to attack the local Abkhaziz, Armenians, and the main ethnic Russians of the Soviet Union. This wave began to shift from the media to the streets. In just one week, the Abkhaziz internal affairs bureau handled more than a dozen group fights. In these incidents, both parties involved were Georgians and local ethnic minorities in Abkhaziz.

Although Padia Asheviri is the first secretary of Georgia, as an airborne cadre, many things have to be handled by local Georgian cadres. However, the reason for the deterioration of the situation in Georgia is fundamentally the anti-corruption campaign launched by Padia Asheviri. The problem of corruption has not been well resolved, but has triggered social division and national hatred. Padia Asheviri now does not dare to report to the central government, nor can he solve this problem well. Under such circumstances, Padia Asheviri is in a dilemma. The only thing he can do is to ask for help from his backstage Ligachev.

Ligachev is indeed a traditional faction within the party. He blamed Georgia's problems on the domestic conspirators' denial of the leadership of the party by the conspirators at the Politburo meeting. He suggested at the Politburo meeting that urgent measures should be taken immediately against Georgia and sent troops to maintain order.

"Comrade Ligachev, we are not Stalin, we cannot solve all problems with force." Gorbachev is now extremely disgusted with Ligachev. If it weren't for him, how could Georgia be like this?

"Secretary Gorbachev, it is precisely because we denied Stalin that the ruling foundation of our party has been shaken. The current situation is definitely related to certain policies implemented by some politically naive comrades in the party..." Ligachev retorted to Gorbachev.

"Comrade Ligachev, we are all sitting very clearly. What happened to the Georgian problem? If Padhi Asheviri could listen to the voices of the local people and solve the problem early, instead of blindly using power to suppress others, how could the matter in Abkhazia have developed to this point today?" Yakovlev replied without hesitation.

"Then do you want us to give up the authority of the central government and the leadership of the party?" Ligachev asked angrily, slapped the table.

"Enough! When will you argue?" Gorbachev was also angry. He picked up the paper and threw it heavily on the table. He glared at Ligachev angrily. The anger in the venue fell to the freezing point, and the whole room suddenly became quiet.

It took about a quarter of an hour before Gorbachev said to Shewaldnaze: "Comrade Shewaldnaze, what do you think about the problem in Abkhazia?"

"General Secretary, the problem of Abkhazia is a long-standing historical legacy. The Abkhazia region once joined the Soviet Union as a franchise republic in the 1920s, but later under Stalin's national integration policy, Abkhazia was forcibly incorporated into Georgia. The national integration policy reconfigured the population of many historically affiliated with a single ethnic group, which caused a situation where the proportion of Georgians in the Abkhazia region was more than half. The Georgians have regarded Abkhazia as their own land, and I served as Georgia.

During his tenure as a secretary, the Abkhazis never had the idea of ​​joining the Soviet Union independently. I think this has a direct relationship with the simple and crude way of working in some of our Georgian cadres. They did not communicate democratically with other leading cadres in the team. They violated the democratic procedures within the ** and made a rash act. "Shevaldnaze sat in his seat, looked at Ligachev with a smile, and then said proudly. This time, Ligachev was definitely defeated. Even Gorbachev could not stand him now. What else could he do except occupy a position in the Politburo?

"Comrade Shevardnaze, 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 those here who say. Comrade Shevardnaze, now is the time for the party to stand up, you have to carry this burden..." Gorbachev said earnestly.

"Okay General Secretary, I will arrange the schedule as soon as possible. I think I have to go to Abkhazia in person and listen to the voices of people of all factions. But if I go to Georgia so rashly, will Comrade Pati Asheviri have any opinions on me..." Shevaldnaze looked at Gorbachev longingly. Now his vanity has been greatly satisfied. Today's Politburo meeting was the happiest time he had in this period. Now that the country is in crisis, Shevaldnaze bravely stood up and turned the tide. What a glorious thing this is. If Gorbachev transferred Pati Asheviri away again, it would be even better.

"Comrade Padishviri's question..." Gorbachev said that he paused here and thought for a long time before he said.

"Let's talk about it!"
Chapter completed!
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