History of tensions between Georgia and breakaway South Ossetia & Abkhazia
In August of 2008, Georgia went to war with its breakaway province, South Ossetia. It was the first time many in the West had ever heard about this small area in the Caucasus. However, South Ossetia is just one of a number of regions that were left in a state of legal limbo after clashes sparked by the break-up of the Soviet Union. Ethnic unrest in another Georgian province, Abkhazia, also ended in a frozen conflict.
RTD’s 2008 film traces the origins of the turmoil in South Ossetia and Abkhazia from its outbreak in the 1990s. The Hidden War goes back in time to look at how these regions became part of Georgia and why nationalist movements gained momentum after the collapse of the USSR. RTD talks to war witnesses, South Ossetian and Abkhaz officials, as well as to former Georgian President Eduard Shevardnadze.
The Hidden War takes an in-depth look at the causes of ethnic discord and fighting in South Ossetia and Abkhazia.