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The August 2008 war: main consequences for Georgia and its conflicts

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  20 November 2018

Ghia Nodia*
Affiliation:
International School of Caucasus Studies, Ilia State University, Tbilsi, Georgia

Abstract

The purpose of this paper is to take stock of the major political consequences that the August 2008 war had (or did not have) for Georgia: how the war affected Georgia's internal political dynamics and its policies toward its separatist conflicts, its neighbors, and the world. I start by briefly summarizing my views on the nature of and reasons for the war, and on its impact (or the lack thereof) on the global security architecture. These constitute the backdrop against which changes in Georgia can be understood.

Type
Special Section
Copyright
Copyright © 2012 Association for the Study of Nationalities 

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