SO sum it up, they believed they have strength because

the West had supplied them with equipment and training. They have gain some experience in Iraq deployment. They think that the West will help them against Russia. So the president of Georgia gamble his country to challenge Russia by attacking the "peacekeeping" agreement all of them had upheld from 1992. Now that they have failed and the West hasn't backed them like they hoped, they starting to blame the West.

In the end, a pawn should realize itself as a pawn. You don't sacrifice yourself if the player don't want you to.