Georgia from National Awakening to Rose Revolution: Delayed Transition in the Former Soviet Union

Examining 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, this book is set within a comparative framework that includes other transition countries, first and foremost those in the former Soviet Union. It will appeal to many different audiences but in particular those interested in democratization and regime change, specialists in Georgian politics and scholars and students interested in the former Soviet Union more generally. Contents: Actors and structures: The anatomy and evolution of regimes; The Soviet legacy: implications for regime change; Nationalist mobilization in Georgia; Shevardnadze's return and its aftermath; Profile of a corrupt regime: The Georgian state; Pressure from below: the influence of society on the Georgian state; The "Rose Revolution:" a second transition?; Conclusion; Appendix; Bibliography; Index.