Georgian Civil War

This article includes a list of general references, but it lacks sufficient corresponding inline citations. Please help to improve this article by introducing more precise citations. (September 2023) (Learn how and when to remove this message)

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
Date 1991 – December 31, 1993 (2 years, 1 week and 2 days) Location Georgia proper (Tbilisi, Rustavi, Mingrelia, Imereti, Guria); Abkhazia; South Ossetia 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
Government of Georgia (until 6 January 1992) National Guard of Georgia Zviad Gamsakhurdia's government in exile (since 6 January 1992) Zviadists Supported by:  Chechen Republic of Ichkeria	Military Council (until March 1992) State Council (until October 1992) Eduard Shevardnadze's government Georgian Armed Forces Internal Troops of Georgia National Guard of Georgia 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
Zviad Gamsakhurdia † Loti Kobalia Zurab Iremadze Akaki Eliava	Eduard Shevardnadze Tengiz Sigua Jaba Ioseliani Tengiz Kitovani Shota Kviraia Giorgi Karkarashvili Boris Yeltsin Eduard Baltin	Lyudvig Chibirov 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.