Giorgi Karkarashvili
Georgian SSR, Soviet Union | |
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Allegiance | Soviet Union 1991–1992 South Ossetia War War in Abkhazia (1992–1993) |
Giorgi (Gia) Karkarashvili (
Early career
Born in
In December 1991, Karkarashvili joined the
Commander in Abkhazia
In August 1992, the rising tensions in Abkhazia escalated into armed conflict. Karkarashvili was put in command of the Georgian troops in the regional capital
Karkarashvili commanded the Georgian forces throughout the war in Abkhazia. He suffered the first major setback at Gagra in October 1992, when the Abkhaz forces and the allied North Caucasian militants under Shamil Basayev’s command took that town in a surprise attack, repulsing Karkarashvili's hastily organized counterattack. The battle took life of Karkarashvili's younger brother Gocha. Karkarashvili was able to defend Sukhumi until September 1993, when the beleaguered Georgian troops – now suffering in-fighting between rivaling factions – retreated from much of Abkhazia.
Minister of Defense
During the war in Abkhazia, the young general gained reputation of an energetic and dynamic commander, for which he was popular with the military. He was frequently critical of Shevardnadze's policies and displayed a tendency to independent decision-making. Nevertheless, in May 1993, Shevardnadze made him Minister of Defense, partly for his desire to sideline Tengiz Kitovani, the self-minded field commander and Karkarashvili's predecessor as minister. Karkarashvili attempted to make the Georgian military more integrated and disciplined. He named the Russian and Israeli armies to be models on which to build the Georgian military.[1]
From October to November 1993, Karkarashvili took command of the government forces in a brief civil war reincited by Gamsakhurdia's attempt to regain power. In February 1994, he resigned his position in the government, citing Shevardnadze's decision to bring Georgia into the Commonwealth of Independent States, legalize the Russian military bases in Georgia, and to appoint Igor Giorgadze to state security ministry. He was later implicated in an embezzlement scandal and accused of supplying classified military information to the Abkhaz and Russian commanders during the war.[4]
Assassination attempt and return to politics
In September 1994, Karkarashvili went to Moscow and enrolled into the Russian
Returning to Georgia, Karkarashvili kept a lower profile and worked for the
Opposition
Karkarashvili came again to public attention after the
In May 2009, Karkarashvili's name was implicated by the retired officer Gia Ghvaladze, arrested in connection with the
References
- ^ a b The Georgian Chronicle, May 1993 Archived July 18, 2011, at the Wayback Machine. Caucasian Institute for Peace, Democracy and Development
- ^ [infringing link?][1](in Russian), 2:53—3:01: я могу сразу заверить этим сепаратистам, что е... численности погибнут сто тысяч грузинов, то из ваших погибнут все девяносто семь; [2](in Russian), 0:14—0:25: я могу сразу заверить этим сепаратистам, что если из наших численности погибнут сто тысяч грузинов, то из ваших погибнут все девяносто семь тясячи, которые будут поддерживать...
- ^ a b Abkhaz War-Time Commander Joins Alasania Team. Civil Georgia. February 19, 2009
- ^ Transition: Events and Issues in the Former Soviet Union and East-Central and South Eastern Europe, v. 1, nos. 1–4: 64. Open Media Research Institute, 1995
- ^ The Georgian Chronicle, January 1995 Archived July 18, 2011, at the Wayback Machine. Caucasian Institute for Peace, Democracy and Development
- ^ (in Georgian) Giorgi Karkarashvili’s profile. Parliament of Georgia. May 6, 2009
- ^ Gia Karkarashvili: if we had fought well, our tanks would be at the Roki Tunnel, we would not have seen Russian tanks at Igoeti Archived September 4, 2008, at the Wayback Machine. The Georgian Times. August 26, 2008
- ^ Georgia's Alleged Anti-NATO Mutiny. ISN-ETH Zurich. May 6, 2009
- ^ On the Failed Military Mutiny. Ministry of Internal Affairs of Georgia. May 5, 2009