I know there is a lot going on domestically that is shocking, sucking up the oxygen from the rest of the news, but the fight taking place between Georgia and Russia right now has the potential to blow up into something pretty serious. For a brief primer on the history of the area, follow me below the jump.
I was as surprised as anyone to hear the news that Russia and Georgia were engaged in armed conflict over South Ossetia this morning. The last blurb I had heard was the Georgian President Mikhail Saakashvili had ordered a unilateral cease-fire. But reports are that Georgian troops moved into the region, and Russian forces, both ground and air, have been deployed in response.
Sources like the Times or the BBC are much better sources for news of the current conflict, but I thought people might find it useful to have a primer on the region to get a sense of the historical relationship between Russia and Georgia and how it bears upon the present day.
Georgia has only been an independent nation-state since the fall of the Soviet Union. Before that time it was part of the Soviet Union, and before that, the Russian Empire. Annexation took place in stages through the 19th century, but before Georgia was annexed by the tsars it was its own polity, ruled by Christian kings. Therefore Georgia has always had a strong national identity and history as a political entity, which is important for the Caucasus.
Contemporary Russia views Georgia as within its sphere of influence, and has not been happy with Georgia's attempts to align themselves with NATO, America and Western Europe. And Georgia has been trying really hard. Did you know that until today, Georgia had the third most troops serving in Iraq behind America and Britain? (Those 1,000 or so troops are being recalled back to Georgia now as the reserves are called up). Georgia doesn't trust Russia and is banking on American support.
So both Russia and Georgia are nations with established national identities. Obviously Russia is much more powerful, but Georgia occupies a strategic position along the Black Sea. The issue is, between the two countries lies the Caucasus, a region filled with ethnicities that has never been politically strong or unified. These many ethnicities, such as Ossetians, Avars, Abkhazian, Chechen, etc., fought Russian dominance, on and off, for hundreds of years, with violence reappearing at any time the central state was weak or otherwise preoccupied. Thus there is a political minefield between the two countries, lined with ethnic minorities the two sides can pit against each other.
Within Georgia lies the territory of South Ossetia: North Ossetia is a part of Russia. Russia has been funding and promoting Ossetian separatists in South Ossetia, who have been ruling the province independent of the Georgian government in Tblisi since a civil war in the '90s. Without expertise on the situation, it is hard for me to say how much these guys are a independent freedom movement vs. puppets from Moscow, but this current fighting escalated when Saakashvili decided to move against them today. As you can see from the map above, unlike Abkhazia (another breakaway republic on the western edge of the country) South Ossetia is centrally located and close to the capital Tblisi.
The timing of this move is interesting. Why did Saakashvili move on the day of the Olympics, and did he let the USA know this was going to happen? While America has consistently said it respects Georgia's right to territorial sovereignty, how far are the United States, Britain and the rest of Europe willing to go on behalf of their would be ally? And what is Russia really after, and how far are they willing to push the conflict?
The politics of the Caucasus are hard, and we should hope that international diplomacy can stop the fighting from escalating further, for the sake of Georgia, Russia and the citizens of South Ossetia caught in the middle of this mess.
Cross posted from www.readingourpast.com
****Literature Update****
I'm happy to see this diary on the rec list, so thanks to everyone. I think it says a lot about this site that though we are susceptible to shocking news of the day, we also try to be sensitive to what's going on in the larger world.
I thought I'd use this diary for a second purpose: to recommend one of my favorite writers, Fazil Iskander. An ethnic Abkhazian (another region in Georgia that has been involved in the troubles between Russia and Georgia), Iskander wrote in Russian about growing up in Abkhazia through the lens of a fictitious mountain village called Chegem.
The first book in the series is called "Sandro of Chegem" I can't recommend these stories enough both as stories and for background into the history of the Caucasus. If you haven't read them, they are gorgeous stories- really funny, accessible, beautiful and sad. Iskander's been called the Gabriele Garcia Marquez of Russia.
****Links Update****
There is a lot of really good work going on in the comments, so check them out. But I have moved some of the links up here for easy access:
Hat tip to safi:
Did the U.S. Prep Georgia for War with Russia?
Russia, Georgia Hold Military Exercises amidst Tensions
Brzezinski: Russia after BTC pipeline
And to Michigan Liberal's earlier diary: with links to the violence yesterday that precipitated today's action.