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First South Ossetian War

1991–1992 South Ossetia War
Part of the Georgian–Ossetian conflict, the Georgian Civil War, Cold War, Dissolution of the Soviet Union and the Revolutions of 1989
Ossetia-map.png
Location of South Ossetia within Georgia
Date 5 January 1991 – 24 June 1992
(1 year, 5 months, 2 weeks and 5 days)
Location South Ossetia, North Georgia
Result Division of the region into Georgian- and Ossetian-controlled parts
Territorial
changes
South Ossetia became a de facto independent republic, but was internationally recognised as part of Georgia.
Belligerents
Georgia (country) The National Guard of Georgia
Internal Troops of Georgia
Georgia (country) Georgian local militias
South Ossetia South Ossetian Republican Guard
South Ossetia South Ossetian irregulars
South Ossetia North Ossetian Volunteers
Strength
Georgia (country) National Guard: unknown
Georgia (country) Militias: Between 50–200 men per militia
South Ossetia Republican Guards: About 2,400
South Ossetia Irregulars: unknown
Casualties and losses
Approximately 1,000 fatalities overall

The 1991–1992 South Ossetian War (also known as the First South Ossetian war) was fought as part of the Georgian-Ossetian conflict between Georgian government forces and ethnic Georgian militia on one side and the forces of South Ossetia and ethnic Ossetian militia who wanted South Ossetia to secede from Georgia and become an independent state on the other. The war ended with a Russian-brokered ceasefire, signed on 24 June 1992, which established a joint peacekeeping force and left South Ossetia divided between the rival authorities.

Following the breakdown of the Tsarist regime in Russia, South Ossetians allied with the Russian Bolsheviks, fighting a war against the newly independent Menshevik Georgia. Initially Georgia was successful, but in 1921, the Red Army conquered the country. South Ossetia became an autonomous oblast in the Soviet republic of Georgia. During the Soviet period, relations between ethnic Ossetians and Georgians were peaceful, with a high rate of interaction and intermarriages.

In 1989, around 98,000 people lived in South Ossetia. Of these, 66.61% were Ossetian and 29.44% Georgian. Another 99,000 Ossetians lived throughout the rest of Georgia.

At the end of 1991, with the collapse of the Soviet Union, Georgia became an independent country again under the leadership of Zviad Gamsakhurdia. While his agenda was mainly directed at Soviet policies, his actions were often also at the expense of minority groups within Georgia. At the same time, South Ossetians organised as well and expressed national aspirations: the Supreme Soviet of South Ossetia demanded a change of status to an autonomous republic, a move declared illegal by the Supreme Soviet of Georgia. On 23 November 1989, Gamsakhurdia organised a demonstration of Georgians that was to occur in Tskhinvali, the capital of South Ossetia. South Ossetians prevented this by blocking the road. Violent clashes broke out resulting in several people being wounded. In the following months, the South Ossetians started arming themselves.


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