SUMMARY
The conflict between the Republic of Georgia and the Republic of South Ossetia before Georgia’s independence was one of the first conflicts in Georgia in the wake of the disintegration of the Soviet Union. During Soviet rule, the relations between Georgians and Ossetians had generally been good, despite some tensions in the past, like the Georgian – Ossetian conflict between 1918 and 1920. With the majority of ethnic Ossetians living outside South Ossetia spread over Georgia and numerous ethnic Georgians residing in Ossetia, there was a high level of interaction in everyday life. Also, intermarriages were relatively common, and like Georgians, the majority of Ossetians are Orthodox Christians. Nonetheless, nationalist and separatist tendencies grew within the Georgian and Ossetian communities during the late 1980s. Demands for independence from the Soviet Union and then Georgia aggravated the relationship between the Georgian majority and the Ossetian minority. Moreover, policies of the Georgian government aiming at promoting the Georgian identity at the expense of the minorities, such as declaring Georgian the only official language, contributed to the rising tensions and led to growing concerns among the Ossetians about their status within Georgia. The moves of South Ossetia to gain more autonomy and eventually independence encountered heavy resistance within the Georgian government trying to suppress the nationalist uprising. Eventually, the collapse of Soviet institutions facilitated an emerging market of violence and the outbreak of violence between Georgians and Ossetians. The availability of young men and plenty of weapons in a setting that lacked formal institutions made it easy for various political actors to exploit the rising tensions and build up militias.
The first clashes occurred in November 1989 when Georgians attended a “reconciliation meeting” in the South Ossetian center of Tskhinvali. What was intended to be a reconciliatory gesture was perceived by the Ossetians as a demonstration of power. Armed conflict between the groups increasingly seemed inevitable as South Ossetians started arming themselves and Georgians living in South Ossetia began to flee the area. Eventually, violence broke out after the South Ossetian parliamentary elections in December 1990. The Georgian Supreme Council did not acknowledge the results and abolished the South Ossetian Autonomous Oblast, making South Ossetia a part of Georgia. A state of emergency was declared for Tskhinvali, and Georgian troops were sent to South Ossetia.
Large-scale violence broke out in early 1991 after Georgian troops entered Tskhinvali. The capital of South Ossetia saw heavy fighting in the streets; buildings and infrastructure in the town were seriously damaged. Eventually, Ossetians gained control over Tskhinvali while Georgian troops occupied the hills surrounding the town. Local militias fought a brutal conflict in which Georgian villages were attacked by Ossetian militants, and ethnic Georgians attacked Ossetian settlements. About 100 villages were destroyed in South Ossetia. The Georgian side was reinforced by the Georgian National Guard and the paramilitary forces of Mkhedrioni. South Ossetians received support from volunteers from North Ossetia. Russian troops had been in Tskhinvali from the very beginning of the conflict. Their role in the conflict was, however, unclear. According to South Ossetians, the Russian forces did not intervene when Georgian forces invaded Tskhinvali. Other sources point out that South Ossetia did not receive direct help from Moscow. Georgians, on the other hand, accused Russia of handing over arms to the Ossetians. Some sources indicate that South Ossetians might have received support from the forces of the Russian Interior Ministry in spring 1991.
As a result of the conflict, the ethnic distribution of Ossetians and Georgians changed significantly. The violence caused about 100 000 Ossetians to flee Georgia and South Ossetia. Most of them crossed the border to North Ossetia. In the other direction, about 23 000 ethnic Georgians left South Ossetia.
With the independence of Georgia in April 1991, the non-state conflict became a state-based conflict between the Government of Georgia and the Republic of South Ossetia. In late 1991 and early 1992, the South Ossetians reiterated their demands and voted in favor of independence and joining the Russian Federation. Talks between South Ossetia and the Georgian government in 1992 resulted in a ceasefire, and a peacekeeping force was established. The conflict remained frozen, with sporadic eruptions of violence.
The conflict over South Ossetia turned violent again in 2004 and 2008. The clashes between Russian and Georgian troops in August 2008 alone left more than 600 people dead in five days of fighting. For more information on the conflict after Georgia became independent, see the state-based conflict over territory in Georgia in the database.
The non-state conflict between the Republic of Georgia and the Republic of South Ossetia is first included in UCDP data in 1991. In January and February that year, violence between the groups escalated, resulting in more than 25 battle-related deaths.
