Georgia/Russia Timeline

I thought this might be helpful in an attempt to understand the conflict in Georgia. The United States can only stand by powerless to intervene, except by their "harsh criricism". Bush was treated like a genial fool by Putin at the Olympics and when French President Nicolas Sarkozy, who is also the present President of the European Union, tried to rebuke Putin at the games, Putin publicly bitch slapped the pompous little punk hyper president, who again, through his own personal vanity and inflated sense of self importance, squandered and further weakened the illusion of Frances influence. This is a conflict which need not to have occurred and was only fueled by the meddling of the west: 1801: Russian empire swallows up a large area of modern-day Georgia 1864: Abkhazia annexed by Russian empire 1918: Georgia declares independence 1921: Red Army invades and Georgia becomes a Soviet socialist republic. Abkhazia is named an autonomous Soviet socialist republic 1931: Stalin orders Abkhazia incorporated into the Georgian Soviet Socialist Republic 1989: About 20 Georgian pro-independence activists killed by Soviet troops in Tbilisi. Georgians and Ossetians clash over demands for greater autonomy for South Ossetia 1990: Zviad Gamsakhurdia, a nationalist politician, takes power in Georgia 1991: Georgian people vote overwhelmingly for independence in a referendum. Georgia leaves Soviet Union 1991: Gamsakhurdia elected president of Georgia 1992: Fighting breaks out in Tbilisi between government and opposition troops. Gamsakhurdia deposed and Eduard Shevardnadze takes power. Separatist troops in Abkhazia engage Georgian forces 1993: Georgian troops driven out of Abkhazia after fierce fighting 1994: Ceasefire signed between Tbilisi and Abkhaz separatists. Russian peacekeepers begin to patrol the disputed region 2001: Georgia and Abkhazia sign an agreement against the use of force in their dispute, but series of skirmishes later in the year 2003: Peaceful "Rose Revolution" leads to Shevardnadze's removal 2004 January: Mikheail Saakashvili wins presidential elections. Result not recognised by the autonomous southwestern area of Ajaria, whose leader Aslan Abashidze reacts by destroying a series of bridges connecting the area to the rest of Georgia. Saakashvili orders Abashidze to disarm his forces or face removal. Abashidze resigns May: Tbilisi refuses to recognise parliamentary elections held by South Ossetia. Tensions rise after Georgian troops take part in anti-smuggling manoeuvres in the disputed area August: Series of clashes between Georgian and South Ossetian soldiers. Abkhazia also holds elections, which are again unrecognised by Tbilisi 2005: South Ossetia rejects a Georgian offer of autonomy within Georgia. Saakashvili tells Abkhazia that no similar offer will be considered unless Georgian refugees are allowed to resettle in their former homes 2006 January: Main pipeline delivering Russian gas to Georgia damaged by an explosion on the Russian side of the border. Saakashvili blames Moscow and later accepts gas from Iran February: Georgian parliament votes unanimously for international peacekeepers to replace Russian forces in South Ossetia March: Georgia announces compensation package for displaced people who lost their property during the South Ossetia crisis May: Georgian and Abkhaz officials hold the first meeting of the UN-chaired joint co-ordinating council in Tbilisi since 2001. During the meeting, the Abkhaz side hands a new peace plan to Georgian side. Georgians submit their own Abkhaz peace plan to parliament June: International donor conference in Brussels pledges $12.6m towards rebuilding infrastructure in the Georgian-Ossetian conflict zone and adjacent areas November: South Ossetia holds referendum intended to reaffirm independence from Georgia. The West calls the vote illegal, but Russia says it should be respected 2007 March: Abkhazia holds parliamentary election, again condemned by Tbilisi as illegal. The results of the poll are inconclusive, electing only 18 members of the 35-seat parliament 2008 April: Abkhazian and Georgian troops come close to war July: Heightened tension between Georgia and Russia, with several explosions in Abkhazia. US warns Russia against stoking tensions in breakaway regions August 1: Heavy fighting breaks out in South Ossetia, killing six people and injuring seven. August 3: Hundreds of women and children are evacuated across the border to Russia August 8: Georgian tanks launch an attack on Tskhinvali, the capital of South Ossetia, killing at least 15 people.