Analyzes security challenges facing Georgia since a more democratic government took over in 2003, including secessionist crises within its borders and regional instability in the Caucasus.

In November of 2003, a stolen election in the former Soviet republic of Georgia led to protests and the eventual resignation of President Eduard Shevardnadze. Shevardnadze was replaced by a democratically elected government led by President Mikheil Saakashvili, who pledged to rebuild Georgia, orient it toward the West, and develop a European-style democracy. Known as the Rose Revolution, this early twenty-first-century democratic movement was only one of the so-called color revolutions (Orange in Ukraine, Tulip in Kyrgyzstan, and Cedar in Lebanon). What made democratic revolution in Georgia thrive when so many similar movements in the early part of the decade dissolved? Lincoln A. Mitchell witnessed the Rose Revolution firsthand, even playing a role in its manifestation by working closely with key Georgian actors who brought about change. In Uncertain Democracy, Mitchell recounts the events that led to the overthrow of Shevardnadze and analyzes the factors that contributed to the staying power of the new regime. The book also explores the modest but indispensable role of the United States in contributing to the Rose Revolution and Georgia's failure to live up to its democratic promise. Uncertain Democracy is the first scholarly examination of Georgia's recent political past. Drawing upon primary sources, secondary documents, and his own NGO experience, Mitchell presents a compelling case study of the effect of U.S. policy of promoting democracy abroad.

Examines in depth three waves of democratic change that took place in eleven different former Communist nations.

After more than a decade of turmoil and decline, Georgia has emerged as one of the world's most dynamic laboratories of democracy. The major event in this new chapter of its history is the 'Rose Revolution'. A three week period of political intrigue and public demonstrations in November 2003 led to Eduard Shevardnadze's resignation, and the result was that a demoralised and lethargic society suddenly seemed to turn into an energetic experiment in democracy. Events subsequent to the Rose Revolution suggest that this may be just the beginning of a larger transition, but regardless of where the future leads, this bloodless rebellion will remain a fascinating chapter in its own right. It has left a powerful impression not only on Georgians, but on people throughout the world. Admired by some and deplored by others, it has been observed closely everywhere in the former Soviet states and beyond. This new book presents a first historical snapshot of the Rose Revolution and events leading up to it. The editors have included interviews with major players who were at the center of this historical episode as well as chapters by analysts who have tried to make sense of it from various perspectives. The result is a multifaceted picture of an exciting, as well as perilous time... From the Introduction. CONTENTS: From the Editors; The Rose Revolution -- A Chronicle and Images; Interviews; Articles; The Meaning of Georgia's Latest Revolution; The End of the Age of the Nomenklatura in Georgia; Contextualizing the Rose Revolution; The Georgians -- Esthetics above All; Georgia's Revolution of Roses -- A View from Baku; Forces Behind the Rose Revolution; Index.

Setting the text within a comparative framework, Jonathan Wheatley examines the tortuous process of regime change in Georgia from the first pro-independence protests of 1988 to the aftermath of the so-called Rose Revolution in 2004.

How have discourses of Euro-Atlanticism been used in domestic and international affairs by the political elite in Georgia? Addressing a gap in the existing literature Euro-Atlantic Discourse in Georgia examines a large volume of data extracted from news items from 20 different Georgian and International media channels over a ten-year period. Throug

For many the Russian Revolution of 1917 was a symbol of hope. In the eyes of its critics, however, Soviet authoritarianism and the horrors of the gulags have led to the revolution becoming synonymous with oppression, threatening to forever taint the very idea of socialism. The experience of Georgia, which declared its independence from Russia in 1918, tells a different story. In this riveting history, Eric Lee explores the little-known saga of the country’s experiment in democratic socialism, detailing the epic, turbulent events of this forgotten chapter in revolutionary history. Along the way, we are introduced to a remarkable cast of characters – among them the men and women who strove for a more inclusive vision of socialism that featured multi-party elections, freedom of speech and assembly, a free press and a civil society grounded in trade unions and cooperatives. Though the Georgian Democratic Republic lasted for just three years before it was brutally crushed on the orders of Stalin, it was able to offer, however briefly, a glimpse of a more humane alternative to the Soviet reality that was to come.