History of the relationship between Russia & Georgia

Since B.C. times, huge empires have fought over the Caucuses and Georgia in particular. Throughout history, Georgia has appealed to greater powers for protection but never assimilation, including Rome, Persia, and Russia.

Georgia's first appeal to Russia happened in the 18th Century when Georgia needed to get out of the hands of Persia, who had installed their Shahs as leaders there. Closely tied to their Christian religion, and feeling bound by Persia's tightening grip, Georgia asked Russia (another Christian nation) to be an ally and protector of its borders. Russia agreed and they entered into a treaty wherein Russia agreed to protect Georgia and maintain control over foreign relations but Georgia could otherwise maintain its independence and autonomy. Angered by this treaty, the Muslims attacked. Russia, however, didn't come to Georgia's aid, as it was using Georgian troops elsewhere at the time.

Frustrated by Russia’s disinterest in protecting Georgia, the Georgian king started plans to appeal to another empire for protection. However, Georgia's plans were cut short in December of 1800, when the king died. Only one month later, Russia declared Georgia abolished and annexed it to Russia, using Georgians as slave labor to build their military highways through the Caucuses and through Georgia. These highways are still used today and are the main reason Russia can roll tanks into Georgia. Georgians revolted, along with many Russian intelligentsia including Tolstoy but to no avail.

Georgia struggled for over 100 years to gain independence from Russia, finally seizing their opportunity in March of 1917 when the Tsar was overthrown. They established an interim government and began their long-awaited self-governance as a social democracy. Seven months later, however, in October of 1917, Lenin's Bolsheviks overthrew the Georgian government and Russia seized Georgia again. Georgians, of course, resisted, but by that time, their soldiers had been enveloped by the Russian army and Georgia had no military defenses left of their own to stand up against Russia.

In early 1918, Russian soldiers marched into Tbilisi and forced the government to resign.

Georgia then turned to Germany for support and got it. However, as soon as Georgia could declare formal independence, Germany found itself in dire straits, losing WWI, and couldn't carry out its promises to Georgia.

Just after WWI, Georgia had another short chance to re-instate their autonomy and constitution, which they did as of February 21, 1921. Four days later, however, on February 25, 1921, the Red Army rolled their tanks into Georgia and took it for their own. Again. In December of that year, the USSR appeared on the world map, claiming four resistant nations as their own: Georgia, Armenia, Ukraine, and Belarus.

At that time, the Bolsheviks set up three "autonomous" territories within Georgia: Ajara, South Ossetia & Abkhazia. These regions are politically and geographically desirable for Russia to maintain military control of: Ajara in the Southwest on the Black Sea, bordering Turkey; South Ossettia in the North, bordering Russia and one of the only access points into Russia through the caucuses; and Abkhazia in the Northwest, also on the Black Sea, bordering Ukraine and also protecting another mountain pass through the giant Caucuses. Abkhazia is also a favorite Russian vacation spot on the Black Sea.

For over 60 years, the Georgians endured Soviet Rule, but in April of 1989, Georgia staged a peaceful demonstration against communism. In response to the uprising, Soviet troops rolled tanks into Tbilisi, killing 19 and injuring thousands more. My husband was there.

In April of 1991, on the 2-year anniversary of the demonstration, Georgia declared sovereignty and independence, reinstating the 1918-1921 Georgian State and electing their first president.

The USSR refused to recognize Georgia's independence, but was weakening. It officially disintegrated on December 21, 1991, forming a Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) in its place. Not surprisingly, Georgia refused to become a member.

The day after the CIS was formed, Russia again swatted their enormous hand at Georgia, financing revolts in Tbilisi and Georgia's elected president fled to Chechnya. The revolutionaries (backed by Russia) took over the government and appointed Shevardnadze (former USSR minister) as the new president.

With Russia in power again under the guise of president Shevardnadze, Russia was able to bring “peacekeepers” into the separatist regions in 1992, allegedly to keep the peace between separatists and Georgians, but instead, they formed allegiances with the separatists, passing out Russian passports to them, financing continued revolts against Georgia, and ousting anyone with a Georgian last name (approximately 300,000 people).

In Abkhazia at this time, I am told that it was acceptable for an Abkhazian or Russian to kill anyone with a Georgian last name. Thousands of Georgian refugees escaped into the mountains and forests, eventually making their way out of Abkhazia on foot to seek safety in Georgia. I know a few refugees from Abkhazia who would love to go back to their homes but, to this day, cannot, due to the Russian-backed separatists there.

Georgia finally had a successful nonviolent revolution in 2003 (the Rose Revolution) led by Michael Saakashvili, who was educated in the U.S. and vowed to make Georgia into the democratic state that Russia had never allowed it to be. The revolution occurred after an obviously (and now admittedly) rigged vote that Shevernadze won, Saakashvili and his revolutionaries gathered on the steps of parliament with roses instead of weapons.

Shevernadze’s guards were told to ward off revolutionaries, but instead, they too crossed the lines and joined the nonviolent revolt. Shevernadze, seeing he had no choice, stepped down gracefully and handed the presidency over to Saakashvili, who, much to Russia’s chagrin, remains president to this day.

Saakahsvili was recently re-elected. I was in Georgia for the campaign. A large part of Saakashvili's campaign platform rested on taking back the three separatist regions created by Russia so long ago including Abkhazia and South Ossetia and reinstating a unified Georgia. Not surprisingly, he won again.