3 Review(s)

On 8 August 2008, what started as a provoked assault by Georgia against the separatist regime of South Ossetia quickly developed into a short armed conflict between Russia and Georgia. The Georgians had miscalculated when they attacked South Ossetia`s capital, Tskhinvali, while Russia took the conflict to another level by bombing and invading Georgia proper. The five-day military conflict challenged the geopolitical setting of the Caucasus region. The complex and multifaceted nature of this conflict has important implications for regional and international power politics. The decisive military move by Russia was the first of its kind, beyond Russian borders, since the Afghan war of the 1970`s and 1980`s.