Georgia: The Commentariat Goes to War

The Georgian War of 2008 has prompted a flurry of comparisons with other
European crises that have occurred in years ending with the number eight. The
Munich Crisis of 1938 is an obvious point of reference since it involved a major
authoritarian power invoking ethnic solidarity and humanitarian aid as a pretext
for dismembering a smaller neighbour, Czechoslovakia. The invasion of the same
country by the Soviet Union in 1968 provides an even more tempting comparison
because the Kremlin ordered it to bring a rebellious satellite into line and reassert
control within its ‘sphere of influence.’

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