Lessons for Estonia from the Georgia-Russia Five Days War
Abstract
The Georgia-Russia Five Days War has become a large-scale, high-profile test of the capability of the armed forces of Georgia and of the country as a whole. Likewise, the August war has become a test of the durability of international relations, and (in the author's opinion) has proven that small countries like Estonia and Georgia cannot fully rely on the assistance of a "great friend." Could the same scenario be repeated in Estonia? Does Estonia have enough of a security warranty from NATO and the European Union? The author sees the potential for problems very similar to this arising in the future. To avoid such problems, Estonia must identify lessons learned from the Georgia-Russia war. This study will do the following: briefly review the Georgian geopolitical situation and identify any similarities with Estonia; help explain the geopolitical situation in the post-Soviet era by describing the growing interest of Russia in becoming a great power; examine and compare the defense forces of each country; and analyze how Estonian membership in NATO and the European Union can influence relations with Russia. Finally, the study will try to answer the following question: Does Estonia have a sufficient security warranty?
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Mar 24, 2011
- Accession Number
- ADA553140
Entities
People
- Artur Tiganik
Organizations
- United States Army War College