List of wars involving Georgia (country)

The following is an incomplete list of wars involving Georgia, by Georgian people or regular armies during periods when independent Georgian states existed, from antiquity to the present day. It also includes wars fought outside of Georgia by Georgian military. The list gives the name, the date, combatants, and the result of these conflicts following this legend:

Diaokhi

Colchis and Iberia

Early Medieval fragmentation

United Kingdom

Kingdoms and principalities

The Social-Democratic Georgia

Georgian SSR

Republic of Georgia

See also

Russo-Georgian War

The Russo-Georgian War was an armed conflict between Georgia, Russia, and the Russian-backed self-proclaimed republics of South Ossetia and Abkhazia. The war took place in August 2008 following a period of worsening relations between Russia and Georgia, both formerly constituent republics of the Soviet Union. The fighting took place in the strategically important Transcaucasia region, which borders the Middle East. It was regarded as the first European war of the 21st century.

The Republic of Georgia declared its independence in early 1991 as the Soviet Union weakened. Amidst this backdrop, a 1991–1992 war between Georgia and separatists left parts of the territory of the former South Ossetian Autonomous Oblast under Russian-backed and internationally unrecognised separatist de facto control. After the war, a joint peacekeeping force of Georgian, Russian and Ossetian troops was stationed in the territory. Meanwhile, a similar situation developed during a 1992–1993 war in the region of Abkhazia. After a prolonged lull, relations between Georgia and Russia began to deteriorate drastically in April 2008. Ossetian separatists began shelling Georgian villages on 1 August, with a sporadic response from Georgian peacekeepers in the region. The Georgian Army began a military operation in the South Ossetian conflict zone on 7 August, taking control of most of Tskhinvali (capital of the self-proclaimed Republic of South Ossetia) in hours. Georgia later stated it was also responding to Russia moving non-peacekeeping units into the country.