Treaty of Brest-Litovsk

The Treaty of Brest-Litovsk was a peace agreement signed on 3 March 1918 between Soviet Russia and the Central Powers, which included Germany, Austria-Hungary, the Ottoman Empire, and Bulgaria. This treaty allowed Russia to leave World War I. The talks started after fighting stopped on the Eastern Front in December 1917 and happened in Brest-Litovsk, a place that is now called Brest in Belarus.

At first, Russia was led by a group of negotiators, but later Leon Trotsky took over. He tried to delay the talks, hoping for changes in Europe. However, when the Central Powers started attacking again in February 1918, Russia had to agree to harsh terms. Russia lost many lands, including Ukraine, Poland, Belarus, and parts of the Caucasus. This meant giving up a lot of people, factories, coal mines, and railways.

The treaty also recognized the independence of Finland and ended the war with the Ukrainian People's Republic. Russia had to promise to pay Germany a large amount of money. Many people in Russia were angry about the treaty. It united some groups that opposed the Bolshevik government and caused disagreements among them.

The treaty did not last long. When Germany surrendered to the western Allied Powers in November 1918, the treaty was cancelled. Later, during the Russian Civil War, Russia tried to take back some of the lost lands, with mixed success. The borders set by this treaty are very similar to the ones that existed after the fall of the Soviet Union in 1991.

Background

Main articles: Eastern Front (World War I) and Russian Revolution

By 1917, Germany, Austria-Hungary, and Russia were stuck in a difficult situation on the Eastern Front of World War I. Russia's economy was struggling because of the war, and people were unhappy because of food shortages and many soldiers being hurt or lost in battle. This led to big changes in Russia, called the February Revolution, which forced Tsar Nicholas II to stop being in charge. A new group, the Russian Provisional Government, took over but decided to keep fighting in the war.

Many people in Russia, especially a group called the Bolsheviks, wanted Russia to leave the war. In April 1917, Germany helped Bolshevik leader Vladimir Lenin travel back to Russia. Lenin spoke up, saying that Russia should stop fighting and give power to workers and soldiers. Later in 1917, during what is called the October Revolution, the Bolsheviks took control of the government.

One of the first things the new Soviet government did was try to end the war. They sent out a message asking all countries to start peace talks and called for Russia to leave World War I. Leon Trotsky, a leader in the new government, prepared for peace talks with Germany and other countries involved in the war. He chose a friend, Adolph Joffe, to represent Russia in these talks.

Peace negotiations

On 15 December 1917, an armistice was made between Soviet Russia and the Central Powers. Peace talks started soon after in Brest-Litovsk.

The talks were led by General Max Hoffmann for the Central Powers and by Joffe for the Soviets. Both sides met in a fortress in Brest-Litovsk. They shared meals together and got along well at first.

When talks began, the Soviets asked for peace without taking land or demanding money. The Central Powers agreed only if all countries in the war did the same. They wanted to keep some lands they had taken, like parts of Poland and the Baltic areas. This upset the Soviets, who hoped to delay talks until their allies could join or workers in Europe would rebel. Trotsky took over from Joffe to try to delay the talks further.

The Central Powers made a peace treaty with Ukraine, which wanted land and food in return. This changed things, as Austria-Hungary no longer needed Russia as much. When talks restarted, Trotsky stopped sharing meals with the Central Powers. Hoffmann focused on drawing new borders, taking over large parts of the old Russian Empire.

Trotsky was given time to decide whether to sign. In Petrograd, Lenin wanted to sign to avoid worse terms later, while others thought Germany might soon fall apart. Lenin won, and the Soviets agreed to sign to avoid more fighting. Trotsky stepped down, and new terms were set.

The treaty was signed on 3 March 1918. The talks ended with portraits made by an artist for the participants.

Terms

The Treaty of Brest-Litovsk was signed on 3 March 1918. It was signed by Soviet Russia on one side and Germany, Austria-Hungary, Bulgaria, and the Ottoman Empire on the other.

The treaty made Russia leave World War I, but the terms were very hard. Russia lost a lot of land, which had a quarter of its people and many of its factories and coal mines. Russia gave up areas such as Finland, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, parts of Belarus, and Ukraine. These areas were mostly taken by Germany, which planned to control them.

Russia also had to give up parts of the Caucasus region, like Ardahan, Kars, and Batumi, which the Ottoman Empire wanted back. Armenia, Azerbaijan, and Georgia did not agree to this and declared independence instead.

Russia lost a lot of its land, industry, and railways. It also had to pay a large amount of money to Germany.

Lasting effects

The Treaty of Brest-Litovsk had important effects. It let Germany move soldiers from the east to fight on the western front. It also gave Germany control of much of Russia’s food, factories, fuel, and ways to communicate with Europe. Some leaders from the countries that fought with Germany felt the treaty was a big problem. They thought it might lead to Germany controlling too much of Europe.

The treaty caused Russia to lose a lot of land. This made it hard for the leaders of Russia to keep control. Some people in Russia were very angry about the treaty and fought against the leaders. New countries became independent in the lands that Russia lost. After the treaty was signed, Russia’s leaders moved their government to a new city for safety. The treaty also caused problems between Russia and the countries that had fought with Germany. These problems continued for many years.