Was South Ossetia Artificially Added to Georgia During Joseph Stalin Time? Are They Ethnically Different?

Question

http://www.cnn.com/2008/WORLD/europe/08/08/georgia.ossetia/

TBILISI, Georgia (CNN) -- Bombs rocked Tbilisi early Saturday morning as the fight between Georgia and Russia over a breakaway region intensified and moved into the Georgian capital.

Answer 1

They are of Iranian origin.

Answer 2

In USSR days (when there used to be Russian Federation and 14 other SSRs), 'the question of nationalities' who have aspirations to have their homelands with their own identity culturally, ethnically, linguistically and even religion-wise was tackled. Result was a structure with three more tiers - ASRs (autonomous soviet republics), ARs (autonomous regions) and 'Autonomous districts' but sovereignity vested in the respective republics. Russian Federation (RSFSR), being the largest (3/4 area, 2/3 population) has many such units, 'Chechnya' being one. Some republics (Moldavia, Belarus, Lithuania, Estonia, Latvia) had none. Georgia being a small area (62,000 sq.miles) wanted perhaps to incorporate Abkhazia & South Ossetia in Georgia proper.

Being a weak country it had to enter into an alliance with an outside big power who have scant respect or regard to the erst-while USSR constitution. First Abkhazia severed its  connection with Georgia. This might have hastened Georgia's action in bombing its S. Ossetian capital Tskhinvali bringing in Russia who assumed the role of guarantor of autonomy of smaller units.

War is a war and it is bad.

Also it gives rise to varied interpretations. Curiousely, North Ossetia is in Russia & South Ossetians of Georgia feel like joning them. None of these minoir areas (except being spurred by Islamic fundamentalism in the case of Chechnya, blurring the line between terrorist and freedom fighter) wants to be fully sovereign state that entails being a player in global power politics, in my opinion. But this arrangement is at variance with the Western concept of an ethnically homogenous Nation-State aspiring to be a country. Looked from that point of view, all these ASRs, ARs, ADs are straining to break free from Russian tyranny.

Remember the gas stoppage to Ukraine? In USSR all these republics were assured of gas supplies at very cheap prices, unsustainable from capitalistic point of view. Nevertheless, Ukraine which has some of the largest Iron ore deposits(Krivoy Rog range) had a large steel-making activity. Post-USSR, some of them were bought over by many outside USSR (including Lakshmi Mittal) because natural gas is used in steel-making and that was supplied by Russia at dirt cheap rates. When the steel-producers were making a killing in the bargain, Russia which was impoverished, had to raise gas prices to international, commercial rates.

Answer 3

I would consider them diffrent cause they do consider them self diffrent!

Thus Ossetians are either Russians or Georgians their Ossetian!

Answer 4

I don't know when South Ossetia became part of Russia,but in 1990 after the wall fell in 89,they became a seperate and independent nation.Russia is flexing it's might too show the world they are tough guy's.If they align with Iran we will have a war of Biblical proportions on our hands.That will be fire from the skys,Nuclear fire.Iran will lauch a nuke at Israel the first chance they get.They believe the Israeli's are less than human and have no right to live amoung us or anywhere else.They speak about annhilation of Israel constantly.We should un-leash Israel,and their military and let them destroy Iran,and we will handle old Putin.Wating to long will be a mistake we will regret,that I am sure of.

Answer 5

A majority of the people of South Ossetia are Russians.The Georgian President sent in his troops to quell the dissidents but miscalculated the Russian response.and is paying the price.