Georgian Civil War

Georgian Civil War
Part of Dissolution of the Soviet Union, Post-Soviet conflicts, Abkhaz-Georgian conflict and Georgian-Ossetian conflict


Location of Georgia (including Abkhazia and South Ossetia) and the Russian part of North Caucasus
Date1991 – December 31, 1993
(2 years, 1 week and 2 days)
Location
Result
  • Gamsakhurdia government expunged
  • Abkhazian and South Ossetian separatists gain control of most of their claims
  • State Council takes control of Georgia proper
  • Georgia joins the Commonwealth of Independent States
Belligerents

Georgia (country) Government of Georgia (until 6 January 1992)

Georgia (country) Zviad Gamsakhurdia's government in exile (since 6 January 1992) Zviadists
Supported by:

 Chechen Republic of Ichkeria

Georgia (country) Military Council (until March 1992)
State Council (until October 1992)
Eduard Shevardnadze's government

Supported by:

 Russia (since October 1993)

South Ossetian separatists (1991-1992)
Abkhazian separatists (since 1992)

Confederation of Mountain Peoples of the Caucasus (since 1992)
Supported by:
 Russia
Commanders and leaders
Georgia (country) Zviad Gamsakhurdia 
Georgia (country) Loti Kobalia
Georgia (country) Zurab Iremadze
Georgia (country) Akaki Eliava
Georgia (country) Eduard Shevardnadze
Georgia (country) Tengiz Sigua
Georgia (country) Jaba Ioseliani
Georgia (country) Tengiz Kitovani
Georgia (country) Shota Kviraia
Georgia (country) Giorgi Karkarashvili
Russia Boris Yeltsin
Russia Eduard Baltin
South Ossetia Lyudvig Chibirov
Abkhazia Vladislav Ardzinba
Musa Shanibov
Shamil Basayev

The Georgian Civil War lasted from 1991 to 1993 in the South Caucasian country of Georgia. It consisted of inter-ethnic and international conflicts in the regions of South Ossetia and Abkhazia, as well as the violent military coup d'état against the first democratically-elected President of Georgia, Zviad Gamsakhurdia, and his subsequent uprising in an attempt to regain power.

While the Gamsakhurdia-led rebellion was eventually defeated by the Eduard Shevardnadze-led government, the South Ossetia and Abkhazia conflicts resulted in the de facto secession of both regions from Georgia. As a result, both conflicts have lingered on, with occasional flare-ups.