Download or read book Exploiting Ethnic Tensions for Political Gain? written by Melissa Faris Gayan and published by . This book was released on 2003 with total page 260 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The Republic of Georgia struggled with the transition to a market economy and democratic political institutions following the collapse of the USSR in 1991. A legacy of centralized planning and socialist nationality policies rendered Georgia incapable of coping with mounting domestic concerns and its geopolitical environment. This thesis argues that in order to stabilize and manage the transition, Georgia was compelled to surrender some aspects of its sovereignty when it required Russian aid to resolve national separatist movements in Abkhazia and South Ossetia and a domestic political conflict that nearly resulted in civil war. For the Russians, the opportunity to intervene in a former Soviet republic was too tempting to avoid, particularly among many elites who lamented Russia's lost empire and international prestige. Intervention in Georgia was an opportunity to reassert a modicum of Russian control and influence, invoking the need for peace and stability along its border. The international community was wary of Russia's new regional role, but was unwilling to interfere in areas of former Soviet influence. Therefore, it neglected a festering conflict in Georgia in favor of developing stronger relations with the more powerful Russian government in a post-cold war environment. This thesis utilizes both secondary and primary sources, including memoirs, newspaper accounts, and documents published during the Soviet and post-Soviet eras.