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Witness History: Georgia’s political crisis

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GEORGIA CRISIS BLOCKS.jpg

03/07/2024 GMT

Georgia’s political crisis

BBC World Service - Witness History, Georgia’s political crisis

In 1991, the newly independent country found itself on the verge of a civil war

After the breakup of the Soviet Union in 1991, Georgia was gripped by a political and economic crisis.

Following the collapse of the Soviet Union in December 1991, the newly independent state Georgia found itself on the verge of a civil war. 

Rebel groups in Tbilisi came together to overthrow the newly elected President Zviad Gamsakhurdia, who was forced into hiding.
 
Gunmen took to the streets and hospitals were overwhelmed.

In 2010, Tom Esslemont spoke to Lamara Vashakidze, a survivor of Georgia’s crisis.	

(Photo: Two Georgian soldiers stand among bomb-damaged buildings in Tbilisi. Credit: Patrick Robert/Sygma/CORBIS/Sygma via Getty Images)

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