Russian-Georgian conflict explained (Abkhazia & South Ossetia)

The 2008 Russo-Georgian war was an incredibly important event that shaped the geopolitics of the Caucasus region and Europe. The war began as a regional escalation in Georgia's separatist region of South Ossetia, but quickly evolved into a full-blown war with Russia and Abkhazia, Georgia's other separatist region. In the aftermath, Russia temporarily occupied parts of Georgia while Moscow also recognised South Ossetia and Abkhazia as independent states. Today, only four other UN member states do the same. The story behind the Russian Georgian conflict is very complicated and has only become more relevant as the war between Russia and Ukraine continues. Georgians, Abkhazians, Ossetians and Russians have a deeply intertwined, complex and often tragic history - from the early Middle Ages to the chaos of the 1990s. In this video, we explore the origins of this conflict and try to answer three questions: Who are the actors involved? Why did they fight? And how does the geopolitical conflict between Russia and the Western world influence this issue? If you enjoy my videos, subscribe for more countryballs / polandball educational content! __________________ Consider supporting this channel on Patreon or by becoming a channel member: Patreon:   / politicswithpaint   Channel Membership:    / @politicswithpaint   A big thank you to my current Patrons/Channel Members: Justin H.; Colanax; Marcelo Lacarda, Aleksandr B.; Bruno Dantas; Rasmus Sorensen; Stephen Kurek; ; Stephen; Jeff H.; IvanTT; Fel Martins; Tim Canada; WaltzingMatilda; Matthew E. __________________ Music: Laendler in C Minor Hess 68 (by Kevin MacLeod) Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 licence. https://creativecommons.org/licenses/... Source: http://incompetech.com/music/royalty-... Artist: http://incompetech.com/ Folk Round (by Kevin MacLeod) Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 licence. https://creativecommons.org/licenses/... Source: http://incompetech.com/music/royalty-... Artist: http://incompetech.com/ Teller of the Tales (by Kevin MacLeod) Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 licence. https://creativecommons.org/licenses/... Source: http://incompetech.com/music/royalty-... Artist: http://incompetech.com/ Russian Dance (by Joey Pecoraro) Source: YouTube Audio library Magic Escape Room (by Kevin MacLeod) Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 licence. https://creativecommons.org/licenses/... Source: http://incompetech.com/music/royalty-... Artist: http://incompetech.com/ Miri's Magic Dance (by Kevin MacLeod) Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 licence. https://creativecommons.org/licenses/... Source: http://incompetech.com/music/royalty-... Artist: http://incompetech.com/ Vespers on the Shore (by The Mini Vandals) Source: YouTube Audio library __________________ Time stamps: 0:00 Introduction 0:50 Broad history 4:20 Soviet period 5:07 After independence 9:15 2008 war 11:29 Situation today __________________ Main Sources: Thomas de Waal (2019) The Caucasus: An Introduction. Oxford University Press. Donald Rayfield (2012) Edge of Empires: A History of Georgia. Reaction Books. John F. Baddeley (1999) The Russian Conquest of the Caucasus. Curzon Press. __________________ #georgia #russia #russiageorgiawar