In this lecture, we will delve into the complex origins of the armed conflict in South Ossetia, Russian-Georgian armed conflict.  We’ll look at how granting autonomous status to regions like Abkhazia and South Ossetia empowered ethnic elites, strengthening separatist tendencies within Georgia. A central focus will be Russia’s involvement, from its preparations leading to the full-scale 2008 invasion, which caught Georgia off guard, to its role in the 2004 conflict in South Ossetia—a precursor to the 2008 war, shaped by security concerns and misunderstandings on both sides.

Mandatory literature: 

Cornell, S. (2005). Small nations and great powers: A study of ethnopolitical conflict in the Caucasus. Routledge. Chapter 4, pp. 129-184. 

Nicolas, L. H. (2008). The" Frozen Conflict" that turned hot: Conflicting state-building attempts in South Ossetia. Central Asia and the Caucasus, (5 (53)), 150-159.