In 1917 , as the Russian war effort collapsed , the February Revolution broke out in Saint Petersburg . The new Provisional Government established a branch to rule Transcaucasia called Ozakom ( Extraordinary Committee for Transcaucasia ) . There was tension in Tbilisi since the mainly Russian soldiers in the city favoured the Bolsheviks , but as 1917 went on , the soldiers began to desert and head northwards , leaving Georgia virtually free from the Russian army and in the hands of the Mensheviks , who rejected the October Revolution that brought the Bolsheviks to power in the Russian capital . Transcaucasia was left to fend for itself and , as the Turkish army began to encroach across the border in February 1918 , the question of separation from Russia was brought to the fore . On 22 April 1918 , the parliament of Transcaucasia voted for independence , declaring itself to be the Transcaucasian Democratic Federative Republic . It was to last for only a month . The new republic was made up of Georgia , Armenia and Azerbaijan , each with their different histories , cultures and aspirations . The Armenians were well aware of the Armenian Genocide in Turkey , so for them defence against the invading army was paramount , while the Muslim Azeris were sympathetic to the Turks . The Georgians felt that their interests could best be guaranteed by coming to a deal with the Germans rather than the Turks . On 26 May 1918 , Georgia declared its independence and a new state was born , the Democratic Republic of Georgia , which would enjoy a brief period of freedom before the Bolsheviks invaded in 1921
Armenian Genocide
Armenian Genocide
Georgia within the Russian Empire