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Hello all, I was wondering if anyone with more knowledge than myself on the topics of the Empire of Trebizond and the Kingdom of Georgia could shed some light on the likelihood of a united Empire of Trebizond-Georgia. I had three questions, if anyone wants to take a crack at it.

1) Is such a union even possible?

So, would such a state come into existence at all? On the one hand, they're both Orthodox nations surrounded by hostile Islamic powers. While it is true that there is a cultural divide between Georgians and Greeks, it isn't like that's caused undue distrust between the groups (an admittedly outdated example is the Armenian Zeno becoming Emperor). However, they are both at risk of invasion, and their survival can be threatened.

2) What would this nation look like, if it did come into being?

Would Greeks or Georgians be the dominant culture? Would Trebizond, Tblisi, or some other city be the capital? Would it be able to sustain trans-Caspian trade from the Silk Road as an alternative to Cape routes as the Age of Exploration began? Would it be seen as a European or Asian nation? Would it be influential in international politics? What territory would it control?

3) Could such a state survive?

Could a union of Trebizond and Georgia survive, and for how long? Assuming no other major butterflies, it would be stuck between the Ottomans, Russians, and Safavids as time went on, which could be both a threat - it is surrounded by larger powers - and security, as it would be a fairly neutral (at least to the Ottomans and Safavids) buffer state. The mountains of Georgia are defensibe, but this isn't enough to sustain a weak state. And would it fall under the influence of a Great Power later on in time?
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