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Media Relations
Kansas State University
9 Anderson Hall
Manhattan, KS 66506
785-532-6415
media@k-state.edu

Information provided by K-State Media Relations, K-State's news service, may be reproduced without permission. The marks and names of Kansas State University are protected trademarks and may not be used in any commercial or private endeavor without the approval of the university.

Source: Dale Herspring, 785-532-6839, 785-431-3057, falka@k-state.edu
http://www.k-state.edu/media/mediaguide/bios/herspringbio.html
Media advisory prepared by: Erinn Barcomb-Peterson, 785-532-6415, ebarcomb@k-state.edu

Tuesday, August 12, 2008

MEDIA ADVISORY: K-STATE EXPERT ON RUSSIAN MILITARY, FOREIGN RELATIONS SAYS GEORGIAN PRESIDENT UNDERESTIMATED RUSSIAN MILITARY, U.S. SUPPORT

MANHATTAN -- A Kansas State University distinguished professor of political science thinks Georgia's president is primarily responsible for the conflict in that country.

K-State's Dale Herspring has an international reputation as one of America's leading experts on Russia, Germany and Eastern Europe. He spent more than 20 years in the U.S. State Department's Foreign Service and in the U.S. Navy, both in active and reserve duty. He is the author of 12 books, including "Putin's Russia: Past Imperfect, Future Uncertain" and "Russian Civil-Military Relations: Past and Present."

Herspring said that despite pleas from the U.S. ambassador not to invade South Ossetia, Mikheil Saakashvilli, Georgia's president, decided to invade the province, which has been more or less autonomous for the last 10 years. Herspring said Saakashvilli thought that Moscow's focus on the Olympics and changes in the upper ranks of the Russian military gave him an opportunity successfully to invade the breakaway province.

"He thought it would be back under full Georgian control before Moscow would know what was happening," Herspring said. "Saakashvilli grossly underestimated both the Russian military and the willingness of the U.S. to support him. The Russian military may have a lot of problems, but the naval infantry and airborne forces as well as segments of the 52nd Army were able to move quickly and in mass.

"Furthermore, he soon learned that U.S. support would be verbal, not military. The result has been the deaths of thousands of innocent civilians."

Herspring can be reached at 785-532-6839 or falka@k-state.edu.