What does it mean that South Ossetia was a breakaway region of Georgia?

Question

Does it mean that it wanted to become independent ? Or that it wanted to be a part of Russia because there are Russian peace keepers there? I understand Georgia wants to control South Ossetia, but what does Russia want? To control it? Or to keep the peace?

I don't understand much about this Russian-Georgian conflict, so could someone please explain it?

Answer 1

It means georgians always wanted to force ossetians from ossetia.

It is genocide.

http://64.233.179.104/translate?u=http%3...

(it is translated version of site http://www.osgenocide.ru)

If ossetia will be russian there will be no genocide.

Answer 2

Georgians and osetians don't get along well. They are like israelies and palestinians.  There always have been tension between them, even in USSR.  Since USSR collapsed, georgia didn't control osetia at all. They just let them do everything by themselves, they didn't provide them opportunities and security that they have in georgia, and now all of a sudden they want osetia back. And yeah all US media is biased against russia, it's the georgia who started the war not russia.  

Answer 3

Thats a good question to ask - because it helps everyone understand the situation:

South Ossetia have been wanting separation for many years. They had a vote - and the result was overwhelmingley in favour of independence - something llike 92% in favour. In 2006 they asked Europe, the UN, Georgia and Russia to recognise their independence. No one supported them - including Russia. I think the problem is they are so small - but I can't be certain.

Russia has been aware of the problem and the potential for a possible conflict. It seems that Georgian military does not go into SO. Russian has had peace keeping force there.

Then the Georgians took the opportunity to attack SO when everyone focussed on Olympics.

The other point to note is that there were 1000 US military trainers in Georgia - but they left on 1st August. A week later the attack occurred.

Answer 4

Georgia had as much right to invade S Ossettia as The Union had to invade the Confederates in the American Civil War.  Russia wants all of Georgia to become a part of a new Soviet Union I think, although no one knows for sure.  Russia obviously isnt about keeping the peace, as the Georgians tried to stop fighting and the Russians kept invading.

Answer 5

The story that Russia is telling is that they want to keep the peace in South Ossetia.  They invaded in response to Georgian troops killing thousands of civilians in the region after South Ossetia declared independence from Georgia.

Answer 6

Well first of all it SO wanted independence and if they couldn't have that to be part of Russia. No one including Russia really cared. Then Georgia (not a democratic nation by the way) attacked to put down the "rebels" (innocent women and children). That is also why Georgia was rejected from NATO human rights violations and not democratic.

Why Russia helped SO is somewhat unclear, but two guesses would be to resources (oil pipe) and to help the Russian people there (basically Russian people).

Either way for mcbush and bush to criticize is insane. They marched to war for no reason at all and invaded not one, but two sovereign nations.

Answer 7

it wanted to return to the homeland.

Answer 8

The population of South Ossetia:

"The present composition of the population is unknown, although according to some estimates there were 45,000 ethnic Ossetians and 17,500 ethnic Georgians in South Ossetia in 2007."

"South Ossetia is a region in the South Caucasus, formerly the South Ossetian Autonomous Oblast within the Georgian Soviet Socialist Republic. A part of it has been de facto independent from Georgia since it declared independence as the Republic of South Ossetia early in the 1990s during the Georgian-Ossetian conflict. The capital of the region is Tskhinvali."

I hope it helps.

Answer 9

Try looking @ some of these websites. Maybe they will help you to understand it more.

http://blog.wired.com/defense/2008/08/th...

http://www.boston.com/bigpicture/2008/08...

Answer 10

This will give you a basic run down:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/europe/...

Answer 11

Basically, for the last ten years since the break-up of the Soviet 'Union' the countries which had been a part of it have become free again but this idiot Putin doesn't like that - he's one of the old brigade and so he is now h**l bent on pulling those countries which have anything to offer globally back into Russian control.

Had Great Britain belonged to them in the past - they wouldn't want us back at any price!

Answer 12

South Ossetia fought with Georgia in the early 90s to break away. SO didn't want to be controlled by or a part of Georgia, which it is officially not. The 90s conflict between the two was never resolved, so SO is an independent region no matter what anyone says. SO sides more with Russia, so Russia wants to keep it independent of Georgia of course.

Right when Putin left for the olympics, Georgia attacked rebels in SO. Many SO civilians were killed and fleed into Russia. SO has some Russian troops there for peace, but more were sent in and now we have a full-on war. That's about it. I think Russia's actions are more legitimate than the US's in Iraq. Iraq never attacked the US. It's ironic what Rice and Bush are saying about Russia needing to respect a sovereign nation and everything. Really hypocritical stuff.