The war between Georgia and Ossetia Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

The war between Georgia and Ossetia - Essay Example The key issue of the conflict is the history of the two nations. It is important to determine who the original settlers in the region are. Georgia believes that they are the initial settlers of the place given that Ossetia settlement began two to three centuries before the war. The Ossetia nationals however believe they are a descendant of the Alans, a tribe that occupied the Caucasus in ancient times. In 1918, Georgia declared its independence and signed a friendly treaty with Russia in 1920 where it recognized South Ossetia as its integral part (Sammut and Cvetkovski 7). In 1918 Georgia left Russia and South Ossetia declared independence as a Soviet republic on 8th June 1920. Conflict arose after the separation with each nation justifying its move. The people believed that the issue would rise again, but the central question was how and when (Sammut and Cvetkovski 8). The causes of the war are complex and multifaceted. The Caucus has faced territorial struggles since the fall of the Soviet Union in 1991. Since the 20004 election of the Georgian president Mikheil Saakashvili tension in the region has been high. Mikhaels’s national policies were to further democratic reforms in Georgia and also pushed for the accession of Georgia to NATO. He tightened border controls and hence increased pressure on South Ossetia and what was called the Rose Revolution. He dismantled a smuggling operation organized by Russia and which included corrupt Georgia officials. He further gave military, police and intelligence personnel in South Ossetia arguing it was aimed at enhancing peacekeeping. Russia also sent its paramilitary to South Ossetia and also assisted those form Abkhazia and Transintria to gain access to South Ossetia. Clashes between the paramilitaries by late 2004 led to Russia and Georgia withdrawing most of their paramilitary forces. The internat ional community intervened and helped