The Russian Revolution had seen the Caucasus region establish an independent state on 22 April 1918, the Transcaucasian Democratic Federative Republic (TDFR), a union of Armenia, Azerbaijan, and Georgia.

With the Armenians fighting the Ottoman forces and the Azerbaijanis having their own issues with Bolsheviks controlling Baku, the Georgians concluded that they had no future in the TDFR.

[1] Zhordania and Zurab Avalishvili drafted a declaration of independence on 22 May, before Jordania left again for Batumi to meet Otto von Lossow.

[3] On 24 May Von Lossow replied that he was only authorized to work with the TDFR as a whole; as it was becoming apparent that it would not last long, he would have to leave Trabzon and consult with his government on how to proceed further.

In the first, he explained that the TDFR was unable to continue as there was a lack of unity among the people and that ethnic strife led to a division of action in regards to the Ottoman invasion.