A Failed Community
On the History of South Ossetia and Georgia
Deutsche Fassung
Abstract
In losing the August 2008 war, Georgia has probably lost the renegade areas of South Ossetia and Abkhazia forever. In the case of South Ossetia, the natural landscape, ethnic make up, socio-economic relations, and administrative history spoke against such a development. A political settlement between Ossetia and Georgia on the basis of a constitutionally guaranteed territorial autonomy would have been possible. This chance has been squandered.
(Osteuropa 11/2008, pp. 97–110)