Question by J’adore: Why are Georgia and Russia fighting?
Also, can you show me on a map, where georgia and russia are?
Answers and Views:
Answer by Joseph S
Russia wants to take them over, and this would be a terrible time to have Barack Hussein Obama as president.
Answer by Billy B
Timeline of Russia-Georgia tensions over separatists
MOSCOW—Following is a timeline of Russian-Georgian tensions, which have spiralled with Georgia attacking the capital of breakaway South Ossetia and Russia reportedly bombing Georgian territory.
1991 The Soviet Union collapses and Georgia, which was absorbed into the Russian empire in the 19th century, then taken over by the Soviet Bolsheviks in the next century, becomes independent.
1992-4 Minority ethnic groups in the provinces of South Ossetia and Abkhazia fight separatist wars to end Georgian rule, resulting in thousands of deaths. Both rebel statelets have significant Russian financial and political backing, but have not been recognized by any foreign government and officially remain part of Georgia.
1994 Under a shaky ceasefire agreement, a mainly Russian peacekeeping force is deployed in Abkhazia. Russian troops also lead a joint peacekeeping force in South Ossetia.
2000 Russia’s new president, Vladimir Putin, imposes visa requirements on Georgians going to Russia, unlike citizens from other countries in the 12-member Commonwealth of Independent States.
2002 After repeated accusations by Russia that Georgia is sheltering Chechen rebels, an air raid takes place on the Pankisi Gorge just inside Georgia. Russia denies being behind the attack, which killed one person.
Georgia applies to join the North Atlantic Treaty Organization, angering Russia. Georgia also becomes a key US ally after agreeing to host oil and gas pipelines from the Caspian Sea to Turkey, avoiding Russia.
2003 The peaceful “Rose Revolution” ousts Eduard Shevarnadze and brings to power Mikheil Saakashvili, who immediately launches a strongly pro-Western policy aiming at NATO membership and economic and governmental reforms.
2005 Despite growing tensions with Saakashvili’s government, Moscow agrees to remove Soviet-era military bases from Georgian territory by the end of 2008.
2006 Georgia is briefly left with severe gas shortages after a pipeline explosion inside Russia destroys a key export route. Those behind the bombing are never discovered.
Georgia arrests four Russian military personnel on spying charges. Moscow responds with sweeping economic sanctions, cutting all travel links, deporting hundreds of ethnic-Georgians from Russia, and stopping Georgian imports.
August 8, 2008 After weeks of tension and low-level clashes Georgia says it has taken control of the South Ossetian capital of Tskhinvali. Russia sends reinforcements into the territory, saying Georgian attacks killed more than 10 of its peacekeepers. Russian warplanes also reportedly bomb Georgian targets.
Answer by David k
its a land dispute
Answer by The dude
Georgia wanted to reclaim separatist regions of Georgia that are INTERNATIONALLY RECOGNIZED as being part of Georgia. Georgia invaded that separatist region of South Osetia. Russia on the other hand probably wants an excuse to get rid of Georgian pro-Western president. I think Georgia is right and Russia is wrong for invading Georgia.
Answer by Scarlet
When the USSR broke up all former soviet citizens were offered Russian passports. Ever since the break up both south ossetia and abkhazia have been de facto independant states, i.e. technically georgian territory but they don’t really control it due to rebel groups.
Russia has probably been funding and supplying rebel groups for a while, and even had peacekeepers in south ossetia. The rebels had been attacking georgian forces for a while and the other day the georgians hit back and invaded south ossetia, in response russia invaded south ossetia as well.
Georgia has taken every effort it can to alienate Russia and align itself with Russia’s rivals, so it’s hardly surprising Russia has been a bad neighbor to them. The situation is analagous to the USA and Cuba: if you’re a tiny state and you live next door to a powerful state, you would be well-advised to keep on good terms with your neighbor.
tl;dr Georgia has been playing with fire and now they’ve gotten burnt.
Answer by hunter hyj
Georgia wants to get hold of South Ossetia , a pro Russian province that threw off Georgian rule in 1990 , which in this case was the route to oil to western bloc. G is smart in a way that they attack during opening ceremony of Olympic where all leaders are not around in their country including Putin which in China.
The timing of the G war was perfect , heavy artilary bombardment towards the innocent people and devastating their homeland and houses and try quickly to sieze it.
But their judgement is flawed as the Russian military is always at all time ready, and the moment South Ossetia pops was hit by G, many citizen which many Russian are nearly mascared, then R stand into the way to prevent their citizen from been killed.
And war broke loose, and since G are US allies , the propaganda created in web makes the original aggresor (G) that started the war played down as victim , and makes it look like the Russia as the bad guy. This technic and act was written in ” Sun Tsu Art of War ”
By the way… many facts and sites that you can search in the net .. this is way too long to write. and somore those who are pro-G will thumbdown on me anyway.
Hope that G will surrender and pay for the damage done on Ossetia citizen.
Answer by Sergey P
I think the exact reason is deeper, than just South Ossetia. Historically, Caucasus always has been under Russian influence. But since Soviet Union went to history in the beginning of 1990-th and what is more, since “Rose revolution” in 2003, Russia started to rapidly loose their influence in this historically very important region. When US and EU let Kosovo go with their independence this year Russia treated it as an important precedent and this, actually, gave them a wild card to start doing the same in Georgia. South Ossetian with Russian support increased their activity on the way to full independence. Georgia was provocated and since negotiating went to nothing, they decided to use military force to make ossetians subordinate. And the way they decided to do this was their biggest mistake. It was a kind of genocide or destruction, but not suppression of existing government, so Russia had to intervene. And since they do, it will be tough for Georgia.
Read all the answers in the comments.
What do you think?
Annonymous says
Russia is doing what it has been tryng to do for centuries-ivade whole Caucasus! South Caucasus is very important region for Russia. Putin wants to rebuild USSR and invade Georgia and Ukraine, that are willing to join NATO and Europe in General. Putin has said many times that he needs the territories of Georgia! Anyway, every empire collapses, and Caucasus will be free and united in future! Russia will be punished for what it has been doing for the last centuries to Georgia-the country of Virgin Mary!
Annonymous says
Georgians aren’t fighting, Georgians are defending itself! First of all, THERE IS NO SUCH REGION AS SOUTH OSSETIA! Ossetia is one, and it has always been located in Northern Caucasus. You know that Georgia has always had various enemies. So, during the ivasions of Mongols, Turks and many others Ossetians used to come down from the mountains and settle in the Georgian region of Samachablo. Our kings expelled them many times from that region, but in the times of crisis they still used to settle there. After Soviet invasion of Georgia, Bolsheviks called that historical Georgian region South Ossetia. After many years, Ossetians really beleived that Samachablo was an Ossetian land. The first conflict occured in 1991-1992, just before the war of Abkhazia. In both confilcts the separatists got a sagnificant Russian (and north Caucasian) millitary and economical support. As a result, these regions were separated from Georgia excluding few territories controlled by Georgia. In 2008, Russia provoked a war to interrupt Georgia from joining NATO. Yes, that war was intentionally provoked by PUTIN! As a result, Georgia completely lost control over these territories. Russia strengtherned its positions in South Caucasus.
Samachablo and Abkhazia are pure Georgian lands! Tskhinvali, Kvaisi, Java, Akhalgori are Georgian-founded cities! Even every village in Samachablo is Georgian! And Russia has nothing to do with it! The same thing is with Abkhazia. Pichori, Gali, Tqvarcheli, Gulripshi, Sukhumi, New Aton, Gudauta, Pitsunda, Pskhu, Gagra are Georgian-founded cities, and Abkhazia has always been in Georgia. In fact, Abkhazia was the name of western Georgia. Even the cities: Sochi and Tuapse has always been Georgian that are now in Russia, Krasnodar Krai. These towns are also Georgian-founded.
Read more: http://www.russiandogs.net/what-is-the-issue-between-georgia-and-russia.html#ixzz3jYp3AnC8