As the awe-inspiring opening ceremony of the Beijing Olympics exploded across Western TV screens, Georgia launched its army and air force into an invasion of South Ossetia. Moscow’s response was devastating. In a matter of days the Russian army crushed Georgia’s undersized forces, inflicting hundreds of casualties. According to Georgian sources, 230,000 civilians were put to flight. After a rapid advance, Russian tanks halted on the Gori-Tbilisi highway, an hour’s drive from the capital.
