ɪn ˈɔːɡəst nˈaɪntiːnhˈʌndɹɪd fˈoːɹtiːn, fˈɑːloʊɪŋ dʒˈɜːməniz dˌɛklɚɹˈeɪʃən ʌv wˈɔːɹ ɐɡˈɛnst ɹˈʌʃə, kˈaʊnt ɪlˈɑːɹɹiən vˈoːɹɔntsˌɑːvdˈæʃkɑːv, ðə ɹˈʌʃən kˈɔːkæsəs vˈaɪsɹɔɪ ɐpɹˈoʊtʃt ɑːɹmˈiːniən lˈiːdɚz ɪnðə ɹˈʌʃən sˈɪɾi ʌv tˈɪfliz tə bɹˈoʊtʃ ðɪ aɪdˈiə əvə fɔːɹmˈeɪʃən əvə sˈɛpɹət fˈaɪɾɪŋ kˈɔːɹ ɪnsˈaɪd ðə ɹˈʌʃən ˈɑːɹmi, mˌeɪd ˌʌp ʌvðə ɹˈʌʃən ˈɛmpaɪɚz ɑːɹmˈiːniən sˈʌbdʒɛkts.
In August 1914, following Germany's declaration of war against Russia, Count Illarion Vorontsov-Dashkov, the Russian Caucasus Viceroy approached Armenian leaders in the Russian city of Tiflis to broach the idea of a formation of a separate fighting corps inside the Russian Army, made up of the Russian Empire's Armenian subjects.