Tensions wur acceleratit wi the collapse o the Roushie Empire. The region fell unner the authority o the Special Transcaucasie Committee o the Roushie Proveesional Govrenment an subsequently the short-livit Transcaucasie Democratic Federative Republic. When the TDFR wis dissolvit in Mey 1918, Zangezur, Nakhchivan, an Nagorno-Karabakh became hivily contestit atween the newly formit an short-livit states o the Democratic Republic o Armenie (DRA) an the Azerbaijan Democratic Republic (ADR). At the time, Syunik haed an Armenie majority o 350,000 an a Muslim population o 180,000. Accordin tae Thomas de Waal, the dispute ower Syunik resultit in the ethnic cleansin o region's local Azeri minority throu direct militar action bi Armenie guerilla commanders Andranik Ozanian, Rouben Ter Minassian an later Garegin Nzhdeh.