The South Ossetians have a valid claim to be Russian citizens, their nobility voluntarily joined the Russian Empire in 1774, and all Ossetians have been subjects/citizens of Russia continuously since then, except for a brief period 1918-1925 during the Russian revolution when the Bolsheviks, Mensheviks, White Russians and Mountainous People of the Caucasus Federation, were fighting in the Caucasus.
In the years preceding the Russian annexation of Ossetia, Georgian nobles had continuously attempted to reconquer the territory, but Georgian power was in steep decline due to continuously war with expanding southern polities.
Georgia was conquered by Russia in 1801. Ossetians had already pledged fealty to the Russian crown for a generation by that time.
“The South Ossetians have a valid claim to be Russian citizens, their nobility voluntarily joined the Russian Empire in 1774, and all Ossetians have been subjects/citizens of Russia continuously since then”
Well hoist up the Union Jack America, because if we’re going back in time, Britain certainly has a right to come in and defend enclaves of British subjects in the States.
Obviously, Schverdnadze (President before current President Saakashvili), former Soviet Foreign Minister, was involved with Georgia's liberation as an Independent State. At some level, certainly. Now, the 18 months after "independence" were bloody awful between Georgia and So. Ossetia. Do you know why So Ossetia, with such long-held fealty to Russia wasn't able to "break away"?
George Soros and Schverdnadze go all the way back together to the 1980s. If the plan was to have So. Ossetia be the "ruling" party, why didn't that happen? George Soros helped shoot down Schverdnadze and helped Mr. Saakashvili be elected President. And years after So Ossetia was holding its own elections.
Do you know or have data about this pls?