Transcaucasian Democratic Federative Republic

Transcaucasian Democratic Federative Republic was a state union in Transcaucasia in April-May 1918.

It was created on April 22, 1918 by the resolution of the Transcaucasian Seim. After negotiations with the Ottomans failed in Trabzon (see Trebizond Peace Conference 1918), the Transcaucasian Seim, which lacked the means of defense, declared the independence of Transcaucasia and created a federal government chaired by the social democrat A. Chkhenkeli.

The government of the Transcaucasian Democratic Federative Republic continued the policy of the Transcaucasian Commissariat. Renewed negotiations in Batumi, which was occupied by the Ottoman Empire, on May 11, 1918 revealed its internal crisis.

On May 26, 1918, the Transcaucasian Democratic Federative Republic was divided into the republics of Georgia, Azerbaijan and Armenia.

Literature: საქართველოს ისტორიის ნარკვევები, ტ. 6, თბ., 1972; ს უ რ გ უ ლ ა ძ ე  ა., ბრძოლა სოციალისტური რევოლუციის გამარჯვებისათვის ამიერკავკასიაში (1917–1918), თბ., 1957.

A. Surguladze