(10 pts. BA) Someone please explain to me what this Russia-Georgia thing is about?

Question

Please. That or link me to a good article. :D

Answer 1

It's about Russia wanting to overtake a small democratic country, which is not exactly new for Russia.  If you're on the net, which you apparently are, look at the news.

Answer 2

There were 15 republics in USSR.

The main one is Russian Federation (RSFSR). Other 14 SSRs are Kazakhstan, Kyrghizia, Tajikistan, Uzbekstan, Turkomenistan, Azerbaijan, Armenia, Georgia, Ukraine, Byelorussia, Moldavia, Latvia, Estonia, Lithuania. Names & spellings are changed for some.

It was a vast area of racial, ethnic, linguistic, religious diversity but on a single ideological platform. To match the aspirations of all these groups (called 'the question of nationalities'), three more tiers of autonomy were incorporated in their constitution. They are ASRs (autonomous soviet republics), ARs (autonomous regions) & Autonomous Districts. This was done so as to preserve their identity and individuality within the republics. There was no problem as long as USSR lasted. But, sudden demise of it spilled all the nationalitites and their aspirations into the open. There was no occassion to tie up these lose ends. Some republics felt that they can overturn this system and appropriate the ASRs, ARs or ADs into their main stream thus decimating their identity. Russia which is the largest country in the world can gain hardly anything by way of enhanced area. But to some republics it does make sense. Western world always looked at the arrangement as suppression of their (ASR,AR,AD) national aspirations. It is highly debatable. Post USSR, Russia felt dutybound to preserve the old order.

To cut the story short Abkhazia, sprawled along Black Sea coast and S. Ossetia in the mountains (contiguous with N.Ossetia in Russian Federation that has innumerable ASR, AR & ADs) were placed under Georgian (SSR) sovereignty who wanted to incorporate these areas in Georgia. Russia came to their rescue. Now that the trust in Georgia is lost, who claims that the terrritory belongs to Georgians pleads indulgence of outside big powers as a small, weak country, these two regions look to Russia for help. Russia has a long way to go before picking up rudimnts of advertisement, marketing and all that, to put forth its point succintly.

Answer 3

The part of the news that Americans are not getting is that Georgia invaded South Ossetia and machine gunned some neighborhoods, some that included Russians and people of Russian ancestry.  South Ossetia then ASKED Russia for help and they came in to restore order and run the invading Georgians out.  

Like so much of the corporate American news, you're getting only what one side wants you to hear. Btw, there is a Big Oil/CIA/Israel connection to this thing too but you'll have to find it yourself on the internet.

Answer 4

my daughter in law is from Russia, she has been here and other countries since marring my son, i have learned much for her about her life there and she couldn't wait to come to here and become a citizen, we are now hoping to bring her mother here.  i am now learning to speak Russian myself since they do.

this country, and those surrounding it, have had issues for centuries and has many layers that are difficult to peal but their mindsets and culture are difficult for us here to understand.

what Putin has done, out of mostly revenge and muscle flexing, is the equivalent of him saying that CA should be free and separate from the USA. he then issues to all people of mexican dissent passports and he declare that they are now under his protection. they declared their independence from the USA. then he sends in 10,000 'peacekeepers' to protect their rights. he kills or jails anyone who opposes him.

when some of the native citizens of CA do not want their 'peacekeepers; and trouble starts over this fact he sends in his overpowering troops and bombs everything in site and the people with it. then he goes on to nevada and arizona and occupies them too.

this is the basic scenario as to that has happened in Georgia, the entry as they are western and wanted to join with NATO and is supported by the west. to a point that is but it is shame that we are not in a potions to respond more directly due to our independence on foreign oil now. one more reason why we need to be more independent like they are now.

Answer 5

South Ossetia and Abkhazia are regions of Georgia that want to separate from Georgia.

Russia does not want instability on its borders. Russia wants to protect Russian citizens living in Georgia.

Russia has deemed it necessary to intervene with its military.

Note that Georgia is strategic ground should the highly likely mideast conflict break out.

Same Same as all the recent troubles in the Balkans (except its not a muslim problem for a change).

Same Same as Europe doesn't want instabilty on its borders.

Same Same as NATO interceding in the Balkans.

US involvement is due to several factors:

-Georgia is a democratic country.

-There is a pipeline that carries oil to Europe where the US has strategic interests.

-Georgia has been making overtures about joining NATO, something Russia does not want.

-Georgia has been part of the 'coalition of the willing' in Iraq and so is an (informal?) ally of the US.

Answer 6

In short - this is the inheritance of the Soviet ethnic policy from the last century. The Ossetians was divided between Russia and Georgia by Stalin (who himself was a Georgian) in 1922 and now they want to reunite. But situation today is different and there is many other foreign interests involved. Thus after going through several cruel exterminations during recent decades this small people again is a pawn in the big geopolitics and the power game.