Rose Revolution: Shevardnadze Ousted in Georgia
Sixty-seven protesters armed with roses walked straight into Georgia's parliament building. Eduard Shevardnadze — once the Soviet Union's foreign minister, the man who helped end the Cold War — stood down without a single shot fired. He'd survived assassination attempts, civil wars, entire collapsed governments. But he couldn't survive Mikheil Saakashvili handing him a flower. The Rose Revolution became the template. Ukraine, Kyrgyzstan, Lebanon — they all watched Georgia and took notes. The man who helped dismantle one empire got dismantled by bouquets.
November 23, 2003
23 years ago
Key Figures & Places
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