Abstract:
In the early summer of 1782, the Russian imperial court decided to
finally settle the issue of Crimea, Taman, and Kuban. The Russian government
believed that the annexation of these territories would lead to
war with the Ottomans. Therefore, active preparations for the impending
war began. For the successful implementation of the developed plan, the
relevant order of the emperor was issued and its implementation swiftly
began. One of the most significant components of the plan was a stealth
attack through the Caucasus. The Georgian kings were to help the Russian
army through “sabotage” against the Ottomans. Without their participation
in the war, it would have been almost impossible to successfully carry out
the planned operation in the South Caucasus. Accordingly Correspondingly,
according to the plan of Catherine II, a significant part of the mission was
assigned to the Georgian kingdoms.
The above circumstances prompted the Russian government to radically
change its attitude towards Erekle II and Solomon I. For this very
purpose, the Russian imperial court decided to raise the issue of patronage
and began negotiations with the Georgian side.
