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Abstract
The 2008 Ossetia War underlined the fact that Georgia is caught in a political struggle between East and West. Per Gahrton analyses American and Russian policy towards the country and provides a firsthand account of the Rose Revolution of 2003, its origin and aftermath.
The book traces the increasing US involvement in Georgia and the Russian reaction of anger, sanctions and, eventually, invasion. Gahrton's analysis is based on interviews with key politicians and his experience as the rapporteur of the European Parliament on South Caucasus. At centre stage is the growing opposition against authoritarian aspects of President Mikheil Saakashvili's regime and the mysterious death of Prime Minister Zhvania in 2005. The book also asks if the Rose Revolution was a conspiracy or a genuine popular uprising.
This truly authoritative account of Georgia is a must for students studying international relations in the aftermath of The Cold War.
Table of Contents
| Section Title | Page | Action | Price |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cover | Cover | ||
| Contents | v | ||
| List of photos | ix | ||
| Acronyms | xi | ||
| Preface | xiii | ||
| Map of Georgia | xv | ||
| 1. The geopolitical setting - a renewed Great Game | 1 | ||
| A troubled area | 1 | ||
| The new Silk Road | 4 | ||
| The Western Offensive | 6 | ||
| A regional alternative? | 9 | ||
| Russia's Comeback | 10 | ||
| Chechnya - all about oil? | 14 | ||
| New Russian strategy | 15 | ||
| Will Obama make a difference? | 16 | ||
| Notes | 18 | ||
| 2. Puppet or buffer? | 20 | ||
| Paradoxes | 20 | ||
| National or private religion? | 24 | ||
| Georgianization | 26 | ||
| Javakheti – far from Tbilisi | 28 | ||
| A transit country | 30 | ||
| Puppet or buffer? | 32 | ||
| Notes | 32 | ||
| 3. A history of failed independence | 34 | ||
| Long before Christ | 35 | ||
| Georgievsk 1783 - occupation or protection? | 36 | ||
| The first modern independence | 38 | ||
| Soviet Georgia = occupied territory? | 41 | ||
| Notes | 44 | ||
| 4. The dissolution of the Soviet Union - blessing or disaster? | 46 | ||
| Perestroika | 48 | ||
| Social collapse, political pluralism | 49 | ||
| On the brink of civil war | 53 | ||
| Western indifference to Russian suffering | 55 | ||
| Notes | 55 | ||
| 5. The breakaway regions - Russian stooges or freedom | 57 | ||
| South Ossetia | 57 | ||
| Abolishing the autonomy | 58 | ||
| Years of relative calm | 60 | ||
| Attempts at reconquest | 61 | ||
| Abkhazia | 63 | ||
| Countdown towards war | 64 | ||
| The fall of Sukhumi, and Georgian mass flight | 67 | ||
| Russia – culprit or scapegoat? | 69 | ||
| Renewed tension | 71 | ||
| Peace efforts | 73 | ||
| Waiting for a Georgian de Gaulle | 74 | ||
| Notes | 75 | ||
| 6. Gamsakhurdia, the tactical fanatic | 78 | ||
| April 9, 1989 | 79 | ||
| Good liberator, poor administrator | 81 | ||
| Dark legacy | 82 | ||
| Notes | 84 | ||
| 7. Shevardnadze. the failed saviour | 86 | ||
| Contradicting moods | 86 | ||
| Shevardnadze's comeback | 89 | ||
| Shevardnadze's first 'realistic' phase | 92 | ||
| 2000: cracks in the wall | 94 | ||
| Shevardnadze turns to the West | 97 | ||
| Escalation | 98 | ||
| Preparing for Shevardnadze's exit | 102 | ||
| Back to Russia? | 102 | ||
| Notes | 103 | ||
| 8. Kmara - enough! The Rose Revolution | 105 | ||
| Did the opposition win? | 107 | ||
| Fear of Abashidze | 111 | ||
| Peaceful takeover | 112 | ||
| Was it a CIA-led coup? | 113 | ||
| Notes | 118 | ||
| 9. The revolutionary honeymoon | 119 | ||
| Successes and failures | 120 | ||
| The presidential election of 2004 | 121 | ||
| The brain of the revolution | 124 | ||
| Towards one-party democracy? | 126 | ||
| Reconciliation with Russia? | 127 | ||
| Deteriorating relations with Russia | 128 | ||
| The end of the honeymoon | 129 | ||
| Notes | 131 | ||
| 10. The death of Zhvania - the revolution loses its brain | 134 | ||
| A Green realist | 134 | ||
| Zurab as political psychotherapist | 138 | ||
| Was Zhvania assassinated? | 142 | ||
| Repercussions of the death of Zhvania | 145 | ||
| A great loss | 149 | ||
| Notes | 150 | ||
| 11. Saakashvili, the failed liberator | 151 | ||
| Minister, mayor, president | 152 | ||
| The November crisis, 2007 | 155 | ||
| The presidential election of 2008 | 158 | ||
| The parliamentary election of 2008 | 167 | ||
| Good for business, not for the poor | 170 | ||
| Notes | 173 | ||
| 12. The Ossetia War 2008 - a conspiracy, but by whom? | 176 | ||
| The final escalation | 177 | ||
| 'Operation Clear Field' | 178 | ||
| Ceasefire | 179 | ||
| The Aftermath | 180 | ||
| Contradictory conspiracy theories | 182 | ||
| A struggle about democracy? | 184 | ||
| Countermoves against Russian re-emergence? | 186 | ||
| Dissident voices | 187 | ||
| The European Union blames Georgia most, which embarrasses the EU presidency | 188 | ||
| Notes | 191 | ||
| 13. After the war: renewed political clashes | 195 | ||
| Attempted coup - or fake? | 197 | ||
| Repressive tolerance | 200 | ||
| Notes | 202 | ||
| 14. Georgia and Russia, the prodigal son and the Big Brother | 204 | ||
| Russia's whiplashes | 205 | ||
| Escalation | 207 | ||
| No anti-Russian feelings | 210 | ||
| Russians against anti-Georgian policy | 212 | ||
| Is a Russian carrot impossible? | 213 | ||
| Notes | 214 | ||
| 15. Georgia's future: Caucasian, European and nonaligned | 216 | ||
| NATO: no solution | 216 | ||
| Why not a Finnish option? | 218 | ||
| Cyprus repeated in the Caucasus? | 220 | ||
| What carrot for Russia? | 222 | ||
| Russian neocolonialism - or just globalization?? | 225 | ||
| Options for Georgia | 227 | ||
| The need for alternative policy | 229 | ||
| Notes | 232 | ||
| Bibliography | 234 | ||
| Index | 241 |