List of Georgian Wars

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List of Georgian Wars

The article is about the military history of the country of Georgia.

Mid-8th cent. B.C. - The oldest Georgian state of Diaokhi destroyed by the Urartians.

The 720s B.C - Western Georgian power of Colchis fell under Cimmerian incursions.

The end of the 4th cent. B.C. - War of liberation of the eastern Georgian tribes under Prince Parnavaz. Creation of the first Georgian kingdom of Kartli (Iberia).

65 BC - The Roman expedition in Kartli and Colchis under Pompey.

134 AD - King Parsman of Iberia organizes the Alans’ raids against the Roman and Parthian vassal states (Albania, Midia, Armenia, Cappadocia).

270s AD - Anti-Roman uprising in Colchis.

482-484 - King Vakhtang I Gorgasali’s war of resistance to the Persian invaders in Kartli.

542-562 - Persian-Byzantine wars in Colchis (Egrisi).

572 - Persians expelled as a result of national uprising in Kartli.

627 - Fall of Tbilisi under Byzantine and Khakhan attack.

640s-1068 - Arab invasions in Georgia; Georgian resistance to Arab invaders.

1080 - Turk-Seljuk invasions in Georgia (the so-called Great Turkish Conquests: "Didi Turkoba" in Georgian).

1099-1125 - Wars of King David the Builder. Turks and Arabs expelled from Georgia; reunification of the Kingdom of Georgia; conquest of the neighbouring lands in Caucasus; a strong feudal state established; several Muslim attacks repelled.

12 August 1121 - Battle of Didgori: the greatest victory in Georgian military history.

1122 - Liberation of Arab-held Tbilisi by David the Builder.

1195 - Battle of Shamkor (see Tamar of Georgia).

1203 - Battle of Basiani (see Tamar of Georgia).

1210 - Expedition of Georgian army in Iran.

1225-1231- Khorasm invasion in Georgia; Georgians defeated at Garnisi (1225); the fall of Tbilisi (1226).

1235-1236 - Mongol conquests of Georgia.

1259-1260, 1297 - Unsuccessful uprisings against Mongols.

1330s - King Giorgi the Brilliant expelled Mongols and restored the strength and integrity of the Kingdom of Georgia.

1386-1403 - Tamerlane’s (Timur) invasions in Georgia. The peace treaty signed in 1403.

XV-XVIII centuries - Wars of resistance to the Persian and Ottoman invaders.

September 1795 - The last Persian invasion; battle of Krtsanisi: 4.500 Georgians under King Erekle II defeated by 38.000 Persians; Tiflis fell after heroic resistance.

1810 - War of independence in the western Georgian Kingdom of Imereti; Russia occupies and annexes Imereti. King Solomon II (the last Georgian monarch of Bagrationi dynasty) forced to flee after being defeated by overwhelming Russian troops. Georgia served as a battlefield in all Russian-Turkish and Russian-Persian wars in the 19th cent.

1857 - A large anti-Russian rebellion in Samegrelo (Principality of Mengrelia).

1914-1918 - World War I; collapse of Russian Empire; declaration of the Democratic Republic of Georgia (May 26, 1918).

April-June, 1918 - Turkish-Georgian war; Turkish temporary occupation of Batumi and Akhalkhalaki.

December 1918 - Georgian-Armenian war 1918.

1918-1919 - Unsuccessful Russian-backed pro-Bolshevik revolts in various regions of Georgia.

October 1919-April 1920 - The first Soviet aggression; Peace Treaty of Moscow signed on May 7, 1920; Soviet Russia recognized Georgian independence.

February 11-March 19, 1921 - The Bolshevik Russia's Red Army attacks and occupies the whole territory of Georgia. The legal government of Georgia is forced to leave the country.

March 12, 1921 - Turkish troops occupied Batumi as Soviet armies invaded Georgia. Troops of the ousted Menshevik government under General Giorgi Kvinitadze and General Giorgi Mazniashvili, remaining in western parts of the country, expelled the Turks on March 18 and ceded Batumi to the Soviets to avoid the loss of Ajara region.

1922 -1924 - Guerrilla resistance to the Soviet occupation.

August 1924 - Unsuccessful popular uprising against the Soviet occupation; repressions and terror in Georgia.

1939 -1945 - WW2. Georgia contributed 700.000 soldiers to the Red army and more than 400.000 fell in the war. A few thousands Georgian émigrés (e.g., the Georgian Committee, the political organization of Tetri Giorgi and the Georgian Legion of Wehrmacht under major-general Shalva Maglakelidze) collaborated with the Nazis hoping to liberate their Motherland with the help of Germany. Many Georgians were involved in resistance movements against the Nazi occupants in France, Italy, etc. Georgian guerrilla fighter Phore Mosulishvili became a national hero of Italy. Georgian émigré, colonel of the French Foreign Legion Dimitri Amilakhvari was prominent military officer of the French Resistance. See also Georgian Uprising of Texel.

January 5, 1991 - July 14, 1992 - Armed conflict in former “South Ossetia” autonomy; escalated again in July-August 2004; still unresolved.

December 22, 1991- January 6, 1992 - Violent military Coup d’etat in Tbilisi. First President of the Republic of Georgia, Dr. Zviad Gamsakhurdia overthrown. He was forced to leave Georgia.

August 14, 1992-May 15, 1994 - War in Abkhazia; ethnic conflict and Russian intervention. The conflict escalated again in May 1998 and October 2001; remains unresolved.

October-November 1993- Civil war in western Georgia; President Gamsakhurdia’s forces defeated. Gamsakhurdia’s death (December 31, 1993).

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