| It has been called the August War, the Five-Day War, the start of a new Cold War, and even "Europe's First War of the 21st Century." Whichever title one chooses, the bottom line is that this short war, which saw Georgian, Russian, and South Ossetian forces clash for five days in August 2008, has significant implications not just for the parties directly involved in the fighting, but also the international community. This paper will assess the origins of the most recent conflict in South Ossetia as well as the response of the United States and the European Union. American social scientist Charles Tilly's book, Credit and Blame, provides a useful and interesting framework for this analysis. With as many times as the word "blame" was thrown around during and after this conflict, it will help us to explore the nature of blame and how it affects the underlying tensions between Georgia, South Ossetia, and Russia as well as the international community's interpretation of the conflict. |
