Trebizond Peace Conference agreed that a state of war exists. By June 4, 1918, the Ottoman 3rd Army had advanced to within 7 km of Yerevan and 10 km of Echmiadzin which led to the Treaty of Batum but was subsequently repelled by the Armenians. The Ottoman's 3rd Army had secured the Ottoman Empire's pre war borders. During late spring 1918, Bolsheviks in Moscow sent oil from Baku over the Caspian Sea and up the lower Volga to Austrian-German forces in Ukraine in return for German financial support and German help to stop the Ottoman 3rd Army's advances through Armenian territory and into the Caucasus. The 3rd Army's objective was to take and occupy the railroad and pipeline which ran from Batumi through Tiflis to Baku. Later, the Bolsheviks through the May 28th Treaty of Poti recognized Georgia's independence under German control and allowed Germany to have 25% of the oil from Baku. The Bolsheviks wanted Germany to prevent the 3rd Ottoman Army from taking the railroad and pipeline. Subsequently, Erich Ludendorff in the German High Command sent forces to Georgia under Kress After several skirmishes between the Ottoman 3rd Army and the German forces near Vorontsovka, the German High Command objected and informed its Ottoman ally that Germany would withdraw its troops and support from the Ottoman Empire. Erich Ludendorff sent Hans von Seeckt to Batumi to confer with Enver Pasha about the situation. This led to Vehip Pasha being sacked from the head of the Ottoman 3rd Army. The Ottoman Empire's objective shifted from taking the railroad and pipeline to taking and occupying Baku and its nearby oilfields. The purpose of the Caucasus Army of Islam was to mobilize Muslim supporters in Transcaspian and Caucasian regions. Nuri Pasha came to Yelizavetpol (present day: Ganja) on May 25, 1918 and began to organize the Army of Islam. Order of Battle, 1918 Islamic Army of the Caucasus Headquarters (Yelizavetpol, Baku) Commander: Mirliva and Fahri (honorary) Ferik Nuri Pasha Chief of Staff: Kaymakam Edip Bey Staff: First Lieutenant Asaf Efendi (Kılıç Ali) Staff: First Lieutenant Muzaffer Efendi Chief of the division of operations: Binbaşı Tevfik Bey Staff: Binbaşı Naim Bey Officer at HQ: Yüzbaşı Sami Bey Artillery officer: Binbaşı Kemal Bey Inspector: Kaymakam Şefik Bey Adviser: Ağaoğlu Ahmet 5th Caucasian Infantry Division (commanded by Miralay Mürsel Bey, as reinforcement from II Corps of Third Army) 9th Caucasian Infantry Regiment 10th Caucasian