Early Life and Career
Born into the prominent aristocratic family of Prince Ioseb Cholokashvili in the family estate at Matani, Kakheti, eastern Georgia (then part of the Tiflis Governorate, Imperial Russia).There is spelling of his name "Челокаев" (Chelokayev) in Russian documents... Cholokashvili graduated from the Tiflis Gymnasium for Nobility in 1907, and enlisted in the Imperial Russian army. After having served in the Tver Dragoon Regiment, he retired in 1912 and returned to Georgia, where he married Princess Nino née Meghvinetukhutsesi in 1913. With the outbreak of the World War I in 1914, he was recalled to active service and assigned to lead a cavalry squadron on the Austrian front. Wounded later that year, he was transferred to the Caucasus Front. During the Battle of Sarikamish in December 1914, he commanded a cavalry squadron within the corps led by General Gabashvili and distinguished himself by capturing and defending the strategic "Eagle's Nest" against the overwhelming Ottoman troops. He was severely wounded again and awarded a golden saber for his valor. After a medical course at the Tiflis St. Nino hospital, he was enlisted in the nascent Georgian Cavalry Legion which marched in Iran as part of General Baratov's 1915 expedition, and made a raid into Mesopotamia, where he joined the British expeditionary forces in 1916.
After the Russian Revolution of 1917, he returned to Georgia and became involved in the Georgian independence movement. He joined the National Democratic Party of Georgia in mid-1917 and helped organize national cavalry units early in 1918. On May 26, 1918, Georgia declared independence as the Democratic Republic of Georgia. Promoted to Colonel, he commanded a cavalry division in the wars with Armenia (1918), Russia (1921), etc. He also briefly served as Deputy Defense Minister in 1919.
Read more about this topic: Kakutsa Cholokashvili
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