Historical background and causes of the Russian-Georgian War of 2008

Abstract

The Russian Federation traditionally considers the South Caucasus an area of its privileged interests and competes for spheres of influence with the West (led by the United States) and a regional actor, Turkey. The countries of the South Caucasus in their geopolitics are forced to rely on the help of external allies (partners). In the subregion, there is a geopolitical confrontation between Russia and the West, which supports Georgia as its «outpost» in the South Caucasus. Russia’s strategy calls for maintaining control of its satellites in South Ossetia and Abkhazia and their possible use as geopolitical «bridgeheads». An analysis of the historical background and causes of the war between Russia and Georgia in 2008 reveals the general strategy of Russia’s behavior in the international arena in general and in the post-Soviet space in particular.

The article highlights the historical background and causes of the war between the Russian Federation and Georgia in 2008. The origins of the conflict between the Georgian government and the regional authorities of South Ossetia and Abkhazia can be traced back to the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991 and subsequent civil wars. Since the ceasefire in the early 1990s, Russia has been the guarantor of de facto autonomy for both South Ossetia and Abkhazia. The military confrontation between Russia and Georgia has had a significant impact on Georgia’s political and strategic worldview and on the immediate region. The article attempts to identify and characterize the historical background and causes of the Russian-Georgian war of 2008.

Russia’s efforts to divide European nations and its neglect of territorial integrity did not begin with the conflict in Ukraine. Rather, it began with the dismemberment of Moldova in the 1990s and the wars and occupation of Abkhazia and South Ossetia in Georgia. Ukraine is only the last country to fall victim to the Kremlin’s aggressive course, and we can only guess who will be next. In 2008, the Russians intended to overthrow Saakashvili’s regime and take Tbilisi. They failed to do so because the leaders of Poland, the Baltic states and Ukraine gathered in Tbilisi, and because Europeans and the United States pushed Moscow to stop the aggression.