Would someone be so kind as to explain the whole Georgia-Russia conflict to me in Layman's terms?

Question

The only thing I know about this conflict is that Georgia and Russia are fighting, but I don't really know the details or why they are fighting. And yes I do know that its Georgia the country, not the state! Haha

Answer 1

It's complicated, but I'll try.  Georgia is an ancient nation, made of several ethnic groups (largely Christian historically) and it was part of the Soviet Block or Soviet Union (aka USSR).  The Soviet Union resulted from communist socialist Russia overrunning and gaining control of several small nations around its borders in the early 20th century.  IN Georgia's case, it was independent as a democracy from 1918 - the end of WWI - until 1921 when Russia's communist Red Army took it by force.

In 1991, as the Soviet Union was collapsing, Georgia was one of many countries to declare independence from the USSR.  But Russia began to interfere, working to cause strife between regions within Georgia.  Reportedly, Russia instigated a military coup, in which the elected president of Georgia was ousted.  This began a civil war in Georgia that lasted for 4 years.  During this war, Russian army and supporters in the province of Abkhazia murdered an estimated 250,000 Georgians in that area, in a blatant act of ethnic cleansing.

After an uneasy truce, Georgia was a democracy again.  But Russia continued to meddle in its affairs, notably encouraging such things as Russian immigration into the Georgian regions of Abkhazia and South Ossetia,  manipulating the banks and economies in those areas,  and generally doing everything besides military invasion to send a message that it intended to split Georgia again.  

Meanwhile, the UN and international community passed several resolutions that Georgia was a sovereign and unified nation, and should remain so to receive the economic support of the rest of the West (and this is ultimately what Georgia's majority desired as well).  Russia - notably - signed ON to these resolutions!

But meanwhile Russia continued to work behind the scenes to cause instability.  There are believe to be two reasons for this.  First, Georgia controls a major oil pipeline, and Russia wants control of it so that it can have greater control over the world market (with its current pal Iran).  Secondly - and what is most horrifying to those who remember the USSR - Russia seems to still view the world as a place needing a dictatorship in charge.  They evidently want to return the Soviet Empire to Russia.  

If Georgia were to gain membership in NATO, it would be that much closer to being a part of the free world, and that much further from being Soviet-bound.  In recent years, Georgia has gained membership in various western world economic organizations, and has developed close political relationships with free western countries like the U.S., Great Britain, and France.   Russia doesn't like it.

It seems clear in the past week that Russia is bent on re-acquiring the Soviet Block nations.  Poland rushed to sign on with the US to allow the US to install a missile defense system in Poland that would prevent Russian and Iranian missiles reaching Europe.  This had been in negociation for a long time, but Poland stepped it up after the invasion of Georgia, fearing that it was also on Russia's list.  (Russia issued a statement yesterday that Poland upon signing the deal with the US could be "100% assured of a Russian military strike".)

It is rumored in the Ukraine, the nation directly to the north of Georgia, that it will be invaded next by Russia.   To follow would likely be Latvia, Lithuania, Estonia, and perhaps Poland and Czechoslovakia.  

Some young people here at YA seem to misunderstand the term "cold war".  The Cold War was not a military conflict.  It was years of a kind of war of words between the free west and the USSR, in which the USSR threatened the West and flexed its 'imperialist' muscle, and the US responded by arming itself defensively.  Reagan believed that the best defense was a good offense.  The "arms race" was a result of this philosophy:  as long as the US could match Russia in military might, no one dared start a war.  It turned out to be a good philosophy.

But in the years since the fall of the USSR, Russia has cultivated modern-world relationships with the West, and has - through various treaties - reduced its nuclear storehouse, as the US has.  No one in the West dreamt Russia was lying and biding its time until it would start the old games over again.  So for those of us who remember those times - the last week has been astounding and scary.  

The West is caught between a rock and a hard place.  If we ignore Russia's antics in Georgia - we abandon a Georgian government that has found to create a free country for its people and has shown nothing but friendship to the US and other western countries.  And, although Georgia seems like a small country - it is a part of the former USSR - and thus a part of a pattern that Russia seems bent on following once again.  So what happens in Georgia reflects the future safety of other countries - those named above.   Finally, Russia's takeover of Georgia (and theft of the pipeline) will disrupt the world economy, as the takeover of other countries will.  So it matters to everyone.

On the other side of the coin - here we are again, doing Europe's dirtywork - only France is helping.  Europe has a long history of allowing the US and Great Britain to protect it and its political and economical interests.  This laziness created two world wars in the twentieth century, both of which cost the US greatly.   There is little reason to believe that Europe will rise to this occasion either.  I guess it depends upon how frightened they get as the Russian army invades nation after nation. . . .

Answer 2

Well Georgia has a dividing checkpoint between it and the Russian side, the Russians had piece keeping guards on this line, the American troops trained the Georgian army, then there was an invasion from the Georgians side resulting in a number of Russian piece keepers being killed, and a town being attacked so the Russians sent a force in and pushed them back into Georgia and took a lot of American arms, it looks like another CIA Op to see how far they could push the Russians.

Answer 3

Basically, South Ossetia and Abhkazia are two regions of Georgia that since the early 90's have revolted against Georgia for independence.  They have essentially be running their own show, with the Russians aiding them in doing so, since that time.  The Georgians have repeatedly said and attempted to regain the provinces.

On the 8th of August, Georgia's president Saakashvili tried to retake the region of South Ossetia by force.  The Russians told them stop (probably knowing already they wouldnt), and when they didnt, the Russians invaded full force in "defense" of the break away republics.

The main issue between the seperatists and the Georgians have been mangled by the two larger forces of the Russians on one side and the US and NATO on the other.  The Russians have ties with the seperatists and had warned the west that if Kosovo for example could be pried away from Serbia then these two provinces could be taken away from Georgia.  The US and NATO have said in this case, no it is Georgian territory.  Obviously this is a great double standard that world powers usually play.

In reality, the Russians do not want NATO and the US to interfere in their backyard in the Caucusus and the Caspian Sea area.  The US on the other hand is propping up Georgia because it has nurtured it as a route to the Caspian Sea riches bypassing Iran and Russia.

With Bush currently saying those territories are Georgian and will remain Georgian, but with Russia already having changed that reality on the ground, this scenario will ultimately end with the west and NATO refusing to recognize the new reality and with the Russians simply continuing to do as it has already.

The South Ossetians and Abhazians will get what they want as long as they remain Pro-Russian, the Georgians will continue to press the US to sanction the Russian in the "Intl" forums, and the US will have simply made itself seem all talk and irrelevent in this situation.

Answer 4

I believe that ever since Georgia split from the USSR at the end of the cold war, there have been some people in Georgia that wanted to be part of Russia.  So now Russia has forcibly occupied Georgia to try to regain control of that area.  It sounds awful, huh?  And it's exactly what Lincoln did during the American Civil War.  It was the South's constitutional right to secede, and Lincoln used deadly force to make them rejoin the union.  History is written by the winners, so most people don't look at it that way, and feel that the American Civil War was about slavery.  Ha!  Slavery was already on its way out due to mechanization.  But, I digress....

Answer 5

Sure:  the Soviet Union imploded.  Georgia was able to become a free nation but two areas, one now called South Ossetia, were stuffed full of Russians during the Soviet era and didn't want to be a part of Georgia. A civil war ensued and, with Russian help, South Ossetia became an autonomous region of Georgia with Russian "peace keepers" there to ensure no rapprochement with the Georgian government.  In what has been called the Rose revolution, Georgia became a democratic nation and naturally wanted closer ties to the west.  To protect itself from Russian aggression, it turned to the USA to train its army and has been trying to join NATO like its near neighbor Turkey.  The fascist Russian government did not like this so encouraged the Ossetian rebels to cross into Georgia proper to terrorize Georgians.  After a while, with the public becoming upset, the Georgian President, probably knowing full well that it was a Russian trap, ordered the Georgian army into South Ossetia to take care of the terrorists.  Russia was counting on this and had its army mobilized and plans prepared so was able to instantly invade to "prevent genocide".  It did so and even though tiny (the SIZE of a state, S. Carolina) caused rather large losses to the Russians (dozens of tanks and a couple of fighter/attack jets), they were routed and forced to sue for peace on Russian terms.  Russia used even ballistic missiles on them and still occupies much of Georgia despite signing a treaty calling for immediate withdrawal.  Russia probably didn't meet all of its terms and has riled Europe who thought old style land grabs a thing of the past but it has likely blocked NATO ascension and will probably try to assassinate the Georgian President.  It was basically a test to see how far they could go and to increase the domestic prestige of Putin and his national socialist’s party.

Answer 6

Really simple.  A very large powerful country is invading a smaller country to show that it can.  And, nobody can do anything about it.   Been going on since we started recording history.  

Answer 7

Russia wants control of international oil pipelines.  And they don't like the idea of such a nice little democracy running on near them.  The old USSR is putting together a reunion tour.

Answer 8

Russia is trying to save the influence on Post soviet Republics, but these republics invaded 90-70 years ago Know know price of Russian hegemony and slavery and are trying to escape it by becoming NATO members, they hope that NATO will Protect them.

If you See National Interests Of Russia, Proved By Duma in 2001 you'll see on statement, that Russians National interest is to become center in multipolar World and spread its influence on Caucasus, Eastern Europe and they central Asia.

In fact National interests of Post soviet Countries (about becoming NATO members) intervenes with Russians National Interest and that causes Conflict (war). If these countries Become NATO member than Russia won't have any influence and will lose it's national interest, that is most important think for any country.

Russia Claims to be Democratic (according to Freedom house it's democracy level is quite Poor and is falling every year),so it can't just go in another country and invade it (spread influence by putting there puppet government) and is seeking for reasons or Creating Reasons. Russia Provocated Georgia By killing it's Soldier in S. Ossetia conflict Region and by shooting Georgian Villages in the Region. Georgian government lost Temper and responded on aggression. Russia had already prepared militaries as was planning this provocation long before and began invading Georgia, it's main Roads, Railways, ports..

Russia Hoped to:

1) Overthrow Democratic government and put their puppets Loyal to PutMed.

2) Underline the fact that it has a power and Russians Militaries are strong enough to conquer a country (in this case Tiny Georgia)

3) Show Nato that they are to accept Country with serious threats that puts hole Nato to threat and in this way frighten tham.

4) To Show the world that only pipeline that doesn't cross Russia and goes to Europe through Georgia isn't as safe as thay sought.

Russia is becoming Evil Empire and if it won't be able to satisfy it's ambitions and appetite as a revenge probably will become partner with Iran and N. Korea (they sell lot's of Armour already there)