The August 2008 War

After weeks of escalating border violence, Georgian President Mikheil Saakashvili went on television on the night of August 7, 2008, and assured the Ossetian people that he had announced a unilateral ceasefire. "We do not have the will to respond to violence with violence," he said. Less than four hours later, Georgia launched a full-scale attack on the sleeping city of Tskhinval, using Grad rockets and heavy artillery. In the five days of fierce fighting that followed, nearly 200 South Ossetians and 72 Russian peacekeepers were killed and thousands were left homeless. Tens of thousands of people fled the conflict. Tskhinval was destroyed. Although Georgian forces briefly occupied a large portion of the country and engaged in war crimes against many South Ossetian civilians, they were quickly routed after Russian troops came to South Ossetia's aid. In an effort to prevent further violence and provide security for the Ossetian people, the Russian Federation immediately agreed to send troops to the region and assist in rebuilding the country.

Prelude to the August 2008 War

Since 2004, Georgia's leaders have sought to forcibly resolve their territorial dispute with South Ossetia and "unfreeze" the conflict. To accomplish that goal, Georgia substantially upgraded its military, with the help of the United States, NATO member states and Eastern Europe. American military advisors were active in Georgia during this period. By the beginning of the August war. Georgia's troops were more than ten times the size of the military forces of the RSO.

In the weeks prior to August 7, Georgian forces and South Ossetian troops exchanged intermittent sniper and machine-gun fire. In early August, South Ossetian troops observed Georgian forces occupying hills along the border and bringing in large numbers of heavy military equipment. By the morning of August 7, Georgia had positioned 12,000 troops on its border with South Ossetia. Military forces of the RSO, in accordance with peace initiatives, kept their heavy weapons outside the border.

While Georgia was preparing this assault, however, President Saakashvili claimed to be pursuing a policy of peace. At 7:10 P.M. on August 7, Saakashvili made a televised announcement to South Ossetia, stating, "I love Ossetians as a President and as an ordinary citizen of this country." Saakashvili announced a unilateral ceasefire and said he had ordered Georgian forces not to return fire, even in the face of intense bombing. "We do not have the will to respond to violence with yet more violence," Saakashvili said. While he was speaking, Georgia moved additional infantry and artillery up the front. Less than four hours later, Georgia launched a full-scale attack on South Ossetia.

Georgian invasion

At 11:45 P.M. on August 7, Georgian artillery began to shell the South Ossetian capital of Tskhinval. Along with scores of South Ossetian civilians, this shelling killed Russian peacekeepers at their barracks in Tskhinval. Officials in Tbilisi claimed that this attack was in response to shelling of Georgian villages. However, on-site monitors for the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe later reported they had observed no shelling of Georgian villages or territory.

Georgian forces followed up this artillery attack by invading South Ossetia and quickly occupying several villages. Within a few hours Georgians had surrounded Tskhinval and were firing on any civilians attempting to flee the city. (see Zar Road Massacre.) By early morning August 8, Georgian forces claimed to control two-thirds of South Ossetia's territory and in the early afternoon Tskhinval was partially occupied by the Georgian troops.

Georgia officials made little effort to disguise their ambition to conquer and annex South Ossetia. Mamuka Kurashvili, chief of Georgian peacekeeping operations, announced on the night of August 7-8 that the Georgian attackers were engaged in an operation to "restore constitutional order throughout the region."

Russia responds

With South Ossetian forces badly outnumbered by the invading Georgians, President Eduard Kokoity called on Russia for assistance. While calling a UN Security Council meeting to discuss the Georgian aggression, Russia dispatched troops through the Roki tunnel into South Ossetia to help with the country's defense.

By the evening of August 8, nearly 24 hours after the Georgian invasion, Russian troops approached the outskirts of Tskhinval. At the same time, Russia dispatched troops to Abkhazia, to help Abkhazian troops drive Georgian occupiers from the Kodori Gorge.

Saakashvili declared war on Russia and ordered a full mobilization on August 9, but the tide of battle began to turn against Georgia. On August 10, with Russian troops in control of most of South Ossetia and parts of Georgia, Saakashvili requested a ceasefire.

End of the battle

Russia, determined that Georgia not be rewarded for its aggression, refused to sign a treaty until Georgian forces had left South Ossetia and pledged not to attack again.

On August 11, an intense period of international diplomacy began. French and Finnish foreign ministers arrived in Tbilisi to mediate a peace agreement, and by that afternoon Saakashvili had signed a ceasefire.

The United States and United Kingdom condemned Russia's actions -- though both countries later qualified these condemnations as details of Georgia's aggression emerged. On August 12, Saakashvili accepted Russia's ceasefire terms, effectively ending major combat operations. Two days later, South Ossetia and Abkhazia agreed to the ceasefire, and on August 16, Russian President Dmitry Medvedev officially signed a French-brokered peace plan.

Aftermath

After the war, Georgian officials claimed their actions had been defensive, arguing that Russian troops had begun moving into South Ossetia on the night of August 7, before the Georgian attacks. However, those claims later proved to be false. As evidence of Georgia's aggressive and deceptive behavior continued to emerge, even some of the country's strongest allies, such as the United Kingdom, expressed criticism of Georgia's behavior during the war, particularly the use of Grad rockets against civilians.

The international standing of South Ossetia and Abkhazia improved after the war. Though neither country had been widely known internationally before the war, their plight received global attention. On August 26, 2008, Russian President Medvedev officially recognized South Ossetia and Abkhazia, and opened full diplomatic ties with their governments.