Treaty of Brest-Litovsk 1918

a peace treaty between Russia, on the one hand, and Germany, Austria-Hungary, Bulgaria and Turkey, on the other, concluded in Brest-Litovsk (now Brest) on March 3, 1918, ratified by the Extraordinary 4th All-Russian Congress of Soviets on March 15, approved by the German Reichstag March 22 and ratified on March 26, 1918 by German Emperor Wilhelm II. On the Soviet side, the agreement was signed by G. Ya. Sokolnikov (chairman of the delegation), G. V. Chicherin, G. I. Petrovsky and secretary of the delegation L. M. Karakhan; on the other hand, the agreement was signed by delegations headed by: from Germany - State Secretary of the Department of Foreign Affairs R. Kühlmann, Chief of the General Staff, Supreme Commander-in-Chief on the Eastern Front M. Hoffmann; from Austria-Hungary - Foreign Minister O. Chernin; from Bulgaria - envoy and minister plenipotentiary in Vienna A. Toshev; from Turkey - Ambassador in Berlin I. Hakki Pasha.

On October 26 (November 8), 1917, the Second All-Russian Congress of Soviets adopted a Decree on Peace, in which the Soviet government invited all warring states to immediately conclude a truce and begin peace negotiations. The Entente countries’ refusal of this proposal forced the Soviet government on November 20 (December 3) to enter into separate peace negotiations with Germany.

Internal and external position Soviet Russia demanded the signing of peace. The country was in a state of extreme economic ruin, the old army had collapsed, and the new one was combat-ready workers' and peasants' army has not yet been created. The people demanded peace. On December 2 (15), an armistice agreement was signed in Brest-Litovsk, and peace negotiations began on December 9 (22). The Soviet delegation put forward the principle of a democratic peace without annexations and indemnities as the basis for negotiations. On December 12 (25), Kühlmann, on behalf of the German-Austrian bloc, demagogically announced adherence to the main provisions of the Soviet declaration of peace without annexations and indemnities, subject to the accession of the governments of the Entente countries to the Soviet peace formula. The Soviet government again addressed the Entente countries with an invitation to take part in peace negotiations. On December 27, 1917 (January 9, 1918), after a 10-day break in meetings, Kühlmann stated that because. The Entente did not join the peace negotiations, then the German bloc considers itself free from the Soviet peace formula. The German imperialists considered the difficult situation created in Russia convenient for achieving their aggressive goals. On January 5 (18), the German delegation demanded the separation of over 150 thousand territories from Russia. km

2, including Poland, Lithuania, parts of Estonia and Latvia, as well as large areas inhabited by Ukrainians and Belarusians. At the suggestion of the Soviet government, negotiations were temporarily interrupted. Despite the severity of the conditions of the German bloc, V.I. Lenin considered it necessary to accept them and conclude peace in order to give the country a break: to preserve the gains October revolution

, strengthen Soviet power, create the Red Army. The need to sign the B.M. caused acute disagreements within the party. At this time, a significant part of the party workers, regardless of the objective factors of development, counted (in connection with the growing revolutionary crisis in the warring countries) on a pan-European socialist revolution and therefore did not understand the severe need to sign peace with Germany. A group of “left communists” was formed in the party, led by N.I. Bukharin, whose main assertion was that without an immediate Western European revolution, the socialist revolution in Russia would perish. They did not allow any agreements with the imperialist states and demanded that a revolutionary war be declared against international imperialism. “Left communists” were even ready to “accept the possibility of losing Soviet power” supposedly in the name of “the interests of the international revolution.” It was a demagogic adventurist policy. No less adventuristic and demagogic was the position of L. D. Trotsky (at that time the People's Commissar for Foreign Affairs of the RSFSR), who proposed: declaring the war ended, demobilizing the army, but not signing peace.

The stubborn struggle against the adventurist policies of the “left communists” and Trotsky was led by V.I. Lenin, proving to the party the necessity and inevitability of signing peace.

On January 17 (30), negotiations in Brest resumed. When the head of the Soviet delegation, Trotsky, left for Brest, it was agreed between him and the chairman of the Council of People's Commissars of the RSFSR, Lenin: to delay negotiations in every possible way until Germany presented an ultimatum, after which they would immediately sign peace. The situation at the peace negotiations was heating up.

Germany rejected the proposal to admit the delegation of Soviet Ukraine to negotiations and on January 27 (February 9) signed a separate agreement with representatives of the nationalist Ukrainian Central Rada (See Central Rada), according to which the latter undertook to provide Germany with military assistance to the Rada in the fight against Soviet power a large number of bread and livestock. This agreement made it possible for German troops to occupy Ukraine.

On January 27-28 (February 9-10), the German side negotiated in an ultimatum tone. However, no official ultimatum has yet been presented. Therefore, the opportunity to carry out, in accordance with the decision [of January 11 (24), 1918] of the Central Committee of the Party, the tactics of delaying negotiations had not yet been exhausted. Nevertheless, on January 28, Trotsky made an adventurist declaration that Soviet Russia was ending the war, demobilizing the army, but not signing peace. Kühlmann, in response to this, stated that “failure by Russia to sign a peace treaty automatically entails the termination of the truce.” Trotsky refused further negotiations, and the Soviet delegation left Brest-Litovsk.

Taking advantage of the breakdown in negotiations, the Austro-German troops on February 18 at 12 h Days began an offensive along the entire Eastern Front. On the evening of February 18, at a meeting of the Party Central Committee, after a sharp struggle with the “left communists,” the majority (7 for, 5 against, 1 abstained) spoke in favor of signing peace. On the morning of February 19, the Chairman of the Council of People's Commissars, V.I. Lenin, sent a telegram to the German government in Berlin, expressing protest against the treacherous offensive and the agreement of the Soviet government to sign the German conditions. However, German troops continued their offensive. On February 21, the Council of People's Commissars of the RSFSR adopted a decree - “The Socialist Fatherland is in Danger!” The active formation of the Red Army began, which blocked the enemy’s path to Petrograd. Only on February 23, a response was received from the German government, which contained even more difficult peace conditions. 48 days were given to accept the ultimatum. h. On February 23, a meeting of the Central Committee of the RSDLP (b) was held, at which 7 members of the Central Committee voted for the immediate signing of the German peace conditions, 4 were against, 4 abstained. Anticipating that the capitalist states would try to attack the Soviet Republic, the Central Committee unanimously decided on immediate preparations for the defense of the socialist fatherland. On the same day, Lenin spoke at a joint meeting of the Bolshevik and Left Socialist Revolutionary factions (See Left Socialist Revolutionaries) All-Russian Central Executive Committee, at the Bolshevik faction, and then at a meeting of the All-Russian Central Executive Committee. In a fierce struggle against the left Socialist Revolutionaries (on February 23, 1918, at a meeting of the All-Russian Central Executive Committee, they voted against the B.M.), Mensheviks, right Socialist Revolutionaries, and “left communists,” he achieved the approval of the All-Russian Central Executive Committee of the decision of the Central Committee of the party.

On the night of February 24, the All-Russian Central Executive Committee and the Council of People's Commissars of the RSFSR accepted the German peace terms and immediately informed the German government about this and about the departure of the Soviet delegation to Brest-Litovsk. On March 3, the Soviet delegation signed the Brest-Litovsk Treaty. The 7th Congress of the Russian Communist Party (Bolsheviks), convened urgently on March 6-8, approved Lenin’s policy on the issue of peace.

The treaty consisted of 14 articles and various annexes. Article 1 established the end of the state of war between the Soviet Republic and the countries of the Quadruple Alliance. Significant territories were torn away from Russia (Poland, Lithuania, part of Belarus and Latvia). At the same time, Soviet Russia had to withdraw troops from Latvia and Estonia, where German troops were being sent. Germany retained the Gulf of Riga and the Moonsund Islands. Soviet troops had to leave Ukraine, Finland, the Aland Islands, as well as the districts of Ardahan, Kars and Batum, which were transferred to Turkey. In total, Soviet Russia lost about 1 million. On December 27, 1917 (January 9, 1918), after a 10-day break in meetings, Kühlmann stated that because. The Entente did not join the peace negotiations, then the German bloc considers itself free from the Soviet peace formula. The German imperialists considered the difficult situation created in Russia convenient for achieving their aggressive goals. On January 5 (18), the German delegation demanded the separation of over 150 thousand territories from Russia. 2 (including Ukraine). Under Article 5, Russia pledged to carry out the complete demobilization of the army and navy, including parts of the Red Army; under Article 6, it obliged to recognize the peace treaty of the Central Rada with Germany and its allies and, in turn, to conclude a peace treaty with the Rada and determine the border between Russia and Ukraine. The B.M. restored the customs tariffs of 1904, which were extremely unfavorable for Soviet Russia, in favor of Germany. On August 27, 1918, a Russian-German financial agreement was signed in Berlin, according to which Soviet Russia was obliged to pay Germany various forms indemnity in the amount of 6 billion marks.

B. m., which was a complex of political, economic, financial and legal conditions, was a heavy burden for Soviet republic. However, he did not touch upon the fundamental gains of the Great October Socialist Revolution. The Soviet Republic retained its independence, emerged from the imperialist war, receiving a peaceful respite necessary to restore the destroyed economy, create a regular Red Army, and strengthen Soviet state. The November Revolution of 1918 in Germany overthrew the power of Emperor Wilhelm II, and the Soviet government annulled the Brest-Litovsk Treaty on November 13, 1918.

Lit.: Lenin V.I., On the history of the question of an unhappy world, Complete. collection cit., 5th ed., vol. 35; his, On the revolutionary phrase, in the same place; his, The Socialist Fatherland is in danger!, ibid.; his, Peace or War?, ibid.; his own. Report at the meeting of the All-Russian Central Executive Committee on February 23, 1918, ibid.; his, Unhappy World, in the same place; his own. A hard but necessary lesson, ibid.; his, Seventh Emergency Congress of the RCP (b). March 6-8, 1918, ibid., t. 36; his, The main task of our days, in the same place; his, IV Extraordinary All-Russian Congress of Soviets, March 14-16, 1918, ibid.: Documents foreign policy USSR, vol. 1, M., 1957; History of diplomacy, 2nd ed., vol. 3, M., 1965, p. 74-106; Chubaryan A. O., Brest Peace, M., 1964; Nikolnikov G.L., An outstanding victory of Lenin’s strategy and tactics (Brest Peace: from conclusion to rupture), M., 1968; Magnes J. Z., Russia and Germany at Brest-Litovsk. A documentary history of the peace negotiations, N. - Y., 1919.

A. O. Chubaryan.

Treaty of Brest-Litovsk 1918

Big Soviet encyclopedia. - M.: Soviet Encyclopedia. 1969-1978 .

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Peace Treaty between the Soviets. Russia and the countries of the Quadruple Alliance (Germany, Austria-Hungary, Türkiye and Bulgaria). Signed in Brest Litovsk on March 3, 1918, ratified by the Extraordinary Fourth All-Russian Congress of Soviets on March 15, approved by the German... ... Soviet historical encyclopedia

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Treaty of Brest-Litovsk: Treaty of Brest-Litovsk is a separate peace treaty signed on March 3, 1918 in Brest Litovsk by representatives of Soviet Russia Peace Treaty of Brest-Litovsk is a separate peace treaty signed on February 9, 1918, between the Ukrainian People’s Republic and... ... Wikipedia

PEACE OF Brest-Litovsk, 3.3.1918, peace Treaty between Soviet Russia and Germany, Austria-Hungary, Bulgaria, Turkey. According to the Treaty of Brest-Litovsk, Germany, having annexed Poland, the Baltic states, parts of Belarus and Transcaucasia, was supposed to receive an indemnity of 6... ... Modern encyclopedia

PEACE OF Brest-Litovsk, 3.3.1918, a separate peace treaty between Soviet Russia and Germany, Austria-Hungary, Bulgaria, Turkey. Germany annexed Poland, the Baltic states, part of Belarus and Transcaucasia, and received an indemnity of 6 billion marks.... ... Russian history

3/3/1918, peace treaty between Soviet Russia and Germany, Austria-Hungary, Bulgaria, Turkey. Germany annexed Poland, the Baltic states, parts of Belarus and Transcaucasia, and received an indemnity of 6 billion marks. Soviet Russia went to... ... Big Encyclopedic Dictionary

Treaty of Brest-Litovsk- PEACE OF BREST, 3.3.1918, peace treaty between Soviet Russia and Germany, Austria-Hungary, Bulgaria, Turkey. According to the Treaty of Brest-Litovsk, Germany, having annexed Poland, the Baltic states, parts of Belarus and Transcaucasia, was supposed to receive an indemnity of 6... ... Illustrated Encyclopedic Dictionary

The peace treaty concluded on March 3, 1918 between Soviet Russia on the one hand and the states of the Quadruple Alliance (Germany, Austria-Hungary, Ottoman Empire and Bulgaria) on the other, ending Russia’s participation in the First World War.… … Political science. Dictionary.

The Treaty of Brest-Litovsk was a peace agreement after which Russia formally ended its participation in the . It was signed in Brest on March 3, 1918. The path to signing the Brest-Litovsk Peace was thorny and full of obstacles. received great popular support thanks to promises of peace. Having come to power, they found themselves under great public pressure and needed to act to quickly resolve this issue.

Despite this, the Brest-Litovsk Peace Treaty was signed five months after the peace decree and almost a year after the proclamation of Lenin’s “April Theses”. And although it was a peace treaty, it carried great damage for Russia, which was forced to lose its huge territories, including important food regions. The Treaty of Brest-Litovsk also created great political divisions both between the Bolsheviks and their Left Socialist Revolutionary allies, and within the Bolshevik Party itself. Thus, the signing of the peace treaty, although it allowed Lenin to fulfill his promise to the war-weary Russian people, it caused damage to the state in general and the Bolshevik party in particular

Prerequisites for concluding a contract

The peace process began with Lenin's famous decree on peace, presented at the Congress of Soviets the day after. With this decree, Lenin ordered the new government to “begin immediate negotiations for peace,” although he insisted on “a just and democratic peace, without annexations and without compensation.” In other words, a peace agreement with Germany should not have entailed concessions on the part of Russia. Compliance with this condition was problematic, since at the end of 1917 Germany occupied a significantly higher military position than Russia.

German troops occupied all of Poland and Lithuania, some of them had already advanced to the south of Ukraine, and the rest were ready to move deeper into the Baltic countries. St. Petersburg was far from the advancing German troops. The new Russian leaders were in no position to dictate terms to Germany and it was clear that any peace delegation from the Germans would require the surrender of a large area of ​​Russian lands.

Peace signing

In mid-December 1917, German and Russian delegates met in the Polish city of Brest-Litovsk and agreed to an indefinite ceasefire. Five days later, formal peace negotiations began. Members of the German delegation later admitted that they felt contempt for the Russian delegates. The Germans were perplexed that the negotiations were attended by criminals, former prison inmates, women and Jews, who were also completely inexperienced in conducting such negotiations.

But the German delegates carefully hid their true attitude to what was happening, showing friendliness and creating a relaxed, informal atmosphere. Chatting with the Bolsheviks over dinner, the Germans admired the revolution and praised the Russians for the overthrow and for working to bring peace for the Russian people. As the Russians became more relaxed, confident and drunk, they began to share with the Germans the state of affairs within the country, the state of the economy and the government. This gave the Germans a full understanding of how weak and vulnerable Russia is now.

This relaxed “friendly” communication was interrupted by the arrival of the magistrate, who ordered the cheerful conversations at dinner to stop and demanded that the negotiations begin to become formal. While Joffe was calm, Trotsky was indignant, defiant and self-confident. As he later noted, he behaved more like a winner than a loser.

Several times Trotsky lectured the Germans about the inevitability of a socialist revolution in their country. Once he even distributed leaflets promoting propaganda to German soldiers. Trotsky was confident that a socialist revolution would occur in Germany in 1918.

He also used stalemate tactics to prolong peace negotiations. Trotsky demanded peace from Germany without concessions, although he perfectly understood that the Germans would never agree to this. He asked for a delay several times in order to return to Russia for advice. The 1918 British cartoon Delivering the Goods depicted the Bolsheviks as secret agents of Germany.

This angered the Germans. They were impatient to quickly sign peace with Russia in order to be able to transfer their forces to Western Front. Germany's demands were initially quite modest and only wanted independence for Poland and Lithuania, but by the end of January 1918 the German delegates presented Trotsky with a list of new, much more stringent demands.

However, Trotsky continued to insist on peace without concessions. He began to deliberately slow down the negotiation process, while at the same time providing active support to socialist agitators within Germany itself.

They tried to provoke and accelerate the German revolution and thereby achieve peace. Trotsky was stubborn and belligerent during the negotiations.

The Germans could not believe the tone in which he spoke to them. One of the generals commented that he spoke as if Russia was not losing, but winning the war. When the Germans presented a new list of demands in January, Trotsky again refused to sign it and returned to Russia.

Signing the contract

The Bolshevik Party was divided in opinion. wanted to sign the treaty as quickly as possible; further delay of this decision could result in a German offensive and ultimately the loss of St. Petersburg and the entire Soviet state. Nikolai Bukharin rejected any possibility of peace between the Soviets and the capitalists; the war must continue, Bukharin argued, to inspire German workers to arm themselves against their government. Trotsky occupied a neutral position between them. He believed that the ultimatum of German terms should be refused, but did not believe that the Russian army was capable of withstanding another German offensive.

These disagreements lasted until mid-February 1918, when the German government, frustrated by the lack of progress in the negotiations, ordered the bombing of Petrograd and invaded the Baltic countries, Ukraine and Belarus. German troops continued to advance and reached the outskirts of St. Petersburg, forcing the Bolsheviks to move the capital to Moscow.

The German offensive forced the Bolsheviks to return to the negotiating table at the end of February. This time the Germans gave the Russians an ultimatum: they had five days to discuss and sign the treaty. Under the terms of this new treaty, Russia must give Germany Poland, Finland, the Baltic countries and most of Ukraine. Russia will lose more than two million square kilometers of strategically important territories, including grain processing regions in Ukraine. It will transfer 62 million people to the German government, almost a third of the country's total population. It would also lose 28% of its heavy industry and three-quarters of its iron and coal reserves. The Treaty of Brest-Litovsk put Russia in a humiliating position, making it defeated and the Germans victors, entitled to collect war booty.

The Treaty of Brest-Litovsk was signed on March 3, 1918. Lenin had his own opinion on this matter. He argued that any concessions to Germany were temporary, since she herself was on the verge of a socialist revolution. Any treaties and annexations will soon be null and void. He even threatened to resign as party leader if the agreement was not signed.

Trotsky fiercely resisted the signing of the treaty, he even refused to be present. At the Seventh Party Congress on March 7, Bukharin condemned the treaty and called for it to be rejected before it was too late and for the war to be resumed. However, the council voted to accept and approve the Treaty of Brest-Litovsk. But the harsh territorial and economic conditions imposed by Brest-Litovsk soon bore fruit, and Russia entered into a three-year struggle for survival.

100 years ago, on March 3, 1918, the “obscene” Treaty of Brest-Litovsk was signed. Russia was officially defeated and withdrew from the world war.

After February, Russia lost the ability to wage war with the Central Powers. As the military operations of the summer of 1917 showed, the Russian army was disorganized, disintegrated and could not conduct offensive operations. The further degradation of Russia led to the fact that the army lost the ability to even defend itself. The policies of the Provisional Government and the Westernizers-Februaryists led to the destruction of Russian statehood. The Troubles began, caused by fundamental contradictions that had accumulated over centuries in Romanov Russia.

It was a disaster. Russia was writhing in agony. The national outskirts began to seethe. The policy of the national separatists became one of the reasons for the large-scale civil war. Even before October, peasant Russia exploded - it began Peasants' War. The peasants divided the landowners' lands, burned estates, taking out the hatred that had accumulated throughout the era on social injustice. A criminal revolution has begun - the eternal companion of unrest. Gangs were formed that terrorized entire settlements and terrain. The Cossacks remembered their liberties. Industry and the transport system were collapsing, cities and the army were left without supplies. The village did not want to feed a city that did not supply them with industrial goods. Hunger began.

Russia could not fight. The generals were mired in intrigue; many senior military leaders supported the February-March coup in order to occupy high positions in the “new Russia”. Then part of the generals spoke out against the Provisional Government in order to restore order, but the rebellion failed. Another part of the generals took the path of supporting the formation of various national “armies.” Through its actions, the Provisional Government achieved order, unity of command, and discipline in the troops. The rear collapsed, the transport system, industry could not supply the army and cities. That is Russia has lost the ability to wage a regular war- supply millions of soldiers with everything they need. The soldiers themselves (yesterday's peasants) and the Cossacks did not want to fight anymore, they wanted peace and to return home, to take part in the redistribution of the land. And the Provisional Government was so hated or completely indifferent to it that when the Bolsheviks went to take power, no one defended the temporary workers.

The old monarchical Russia is dead. “She also died with her.” new Russia"- pro-Western democratic-bourgeois persuasion. But socialist, Soviet Russia - statehood, army, economy, etc. - still had to be created. Under these conditions, other powers were preparing to share the “skin” of the Russian bear. Our enemies - Germany, Austria-Hungary and Türkiye, were preparing to occupy the western regions of Russia. Our Western “partners” - England, France and the USA, divided Russian soil into spheres of influence and were also preparing to capture strategic ports, cities and points. The masters of the West needed Russia's resources to build their “new world order.”

Under these conditions, the Soviet government was forced to conclude a truce and begin peace negotiations. The negotiations dragged on. The Bolsheviks knew about the difficulties of the German bloc. Germany itself could barely hold on. The blockade completely devastated the country. The army still had powerful potential and was ready to fight. And the population was tired of the war, the economy was bursting at the seams. There were practically no resources to continue the war. The only hope was to force Russia to peace and seize its resources, with the withdrawal of some troops from the Russian Front to the Western Front. The condition of Austria-Hungary and Turkey was even worse, they were on the verge of complete collapse (following the example of Russia). Therefore, the Bolsheviks hoped that while negotiations were ongoing, a revolution would occur in Germany and the Central Powers would lose the war. This will allow Russia to maintain the current situation.

However, the Germans also understood the complexity of their situation and their allies; they were not going to delay the peace agreement. The Ukrainian factor also helped them - Ukrainian nationalists concluded a separate, separate agreement with Germany. This made it possible to launch an invasion of Ukraine on “legal” grounds, where Soviet troops They were already able to occupy Kyiv and most of Little Russia, freeing it from the Ukronazis. In addition, Trotsky, who was an agent of influence of the US masters, provoked the Germans in every possible way in order to resume hostilities and, in a crisis, strengthen his position in the Bolshevik elite. On January 28 (February 10), 1918, Trotsky made a provocative declaration that Soviet Russia was ending the war, demobilizing the army, and not signing peace. In response, the Germans stated that Russia’s failure to sign a peace treaty would automatically entail the termination of the truce.

On February 18, 1918, German troops launched an offensive along the entire front. A few days later they were supported by Austro-Hungarian troops. The Turkish army launched an offensive in the Caucasus even earlier. On February 19, the Chairman of the Council of People's Commissars, Lenin, sent to the German government the consent of the Soviet government to sign the German conditions. The German side demanded official written notification, and continued the offensive of troops in the north in two directions: to Revel - Narva - Petrograd and to Pskov. Within a week they occupied a number of cities and created a threat to Petrograd.

On February 22, Trotsky, recognizing the failure of his negotiations with the German delegation, resigned from the post of People's Commissar for Foreign Affairs. G.V. Chicherin becomes the new People's Commissariat (he headed the department until 1930). At the same time, Trotsky rose even more for his support of Lenin during the discussion in the party leadership. Lenin already on March 4 appointed Trotsky chairman of the Supreme Military Council, and on March 13 - People's Commissar for Military Affairs. That is, Trotsky became the military leader of Soviet Russia, concentrating enormous power in his hands.

On February 23, the German side sent a response that contained even more difficult conditions. The Council of People's Commissars was given 48 hours to accept the ultimatum. The first two points of the document repeated the ultimatum of January 27 (February 9), that is, they confirmed the territorial claims of the Central Powers. In addition, it was proposed to immediately clear Livonia and Estland of Russian troops. German police forces were introduced into both areas. Germany demanded: immediately make peace with the Ukrainian Central Rada, withdraw troops from Ukraine and Finland, return the Anatolian provinces to Turkey, immediately demobilize the army, withdraw its fleet in the Black and Baltic Seas and the Arctic Ocean to Russian ports and disarm it, etc. d.

On February 23, 1918, a historic meeting of the Central Committee of the RSDLP(b) was held. Lenin demanded peace on German terms, threatening otherwise to resign, which actually meant a split in the party. Trotsky, despite his negative attitude towards the peace treaty, refused to participate in the discussion and supported Lenin. Lenin ultimately received the majority of the votes. During the voting, Trotsky, Dzerzhinsky, Ioffe and Krestinsky abstained, which allowed a majority of 7 votes to 4 with 4 abstentions to make the historic decision to sign peace. The “left communists” led by Bukharin came against the world.

At the same time, the Central Committee unanimously decided to “prepare an immediate revolutionary war.” Soviet Russia began to take extraordinary measures to recreate the army, first on a volunteer basis, and then on traditional conscription. On February 23, the Council of People's Commissars dated February 21, “The Socialist Fatherland is in Danger!”, as well as the “Appeal of the Military Commander-in-Chief” by N.V. Krylenko, which ended with the words: “... All to . Everything is in defense of the revolution." Mass enrollment of volunteers into the Red Army detachments began, created in accordance with the decree of the Council of People's Commissars of the RSFSR “On the Workers' and Peasants' Red Army” of January 15 (28), 1918.

On the same day, February 23, late in the evening, a joint meeting of the Bolshevik and Left Socialist Revolutionary factions of the All-Russian Central Executive Committee took place. The Left Social Revolutionaries decided to vote against peace. After the joint meeting, a separate meeting of the Bolshevik faction alone began. During the voting, Lenin collected 72 votes against 25 votes for the “left communists”. On February 24, Lenin, with great difficulty, by 126 votes against 85 with 26 abstentions, managed to push his decision through the All-Russian Central Executive Committee. The Left SRs called for the organization of a massive guerrilla war against German troops, even if such a war ended with the loss of Petrograd and significant territories of Russia.

The Soviet delegation returned to Brest-Litovsk on March 1. On March 3, the agreement was signed. On March 6-8, 1918, at the VII emergency congress of the RSDLP(b), Lenin also managed to push through the ratification of the Brest-Litovsk Treaty. During the voting, the votes were distributed as follows: 30 for ratification, 12 against, 4 abstained. March 14 - 16, 1918 IV Extraordinary All-Russian Congress The Soviets finally ratified the peace treaty by a majority of 784 votes to 261, with 115 abstentions. The congress also decided to move the capital from Petrograd to Moscow due to the danger of a German offensive.

According to the terms of the Brest-Litovsk Treaty, Russia had to carry out a complete demobilization of the army (the old tsarist army, as well as the Red Army) and complete demining of its part of the Black and Baltic Seas. The Baltic Fleet was withdrawn from its bases in Finland and the Baltic states. Russia ceded to Germany the areas lying west of the line Brest-Litovsk - Kamenets - Litovsk - Pruzhany - Zelva - Mosty - Orel - Dokudova - Dzevenishki - west of Slobodka - Gervyaty - Mikhalishki - east of Sventsyany - Malengyany - Drisvyaty - Druya ​​and further along the Western Dvina to Oger, and, leaving Riga to the west, the border line went to the Gulf of Riga, passing along it in a northern direction between the mainland and the Moonsund archipelago and to the exit from Gulf of Finland, remaining entirely east of the boundary line. Russia ceded the districts of Ardahan, Kars and Batum to Turkey and recalled troops from all parts of Eastern Anatolia.

Soviet Russia had to immediately make peace with the Ukrainian People's Republic and recognize its peace treaty with Germany and its allies. Russia recalled troops from the territory of Ukraine. The same applied to the Baltic provinces, where the border ran along the Narva River, Lake Peipus and Lake Pskov. Finland and the Åland Islands were also cleared of Russian troops.

Russia also paid 6 billion marks of reparations plus payment of losses incurred by Germany during the Russian revolution - 500 million gold rubles. The annex to the treaty guaranteed the special economic status of Germany in Soviet Russia. Citizens and firms of the Central Powers were removed from the Soviet nationalization decrees, and those who had already lost property were restored to their rights. That is, German citizens were allowed to engage in private entrepreneurship in Russia. The Brest-Litovsk Treaty restored the customs tariffs of 1904 with Germany, which were extremely unfavorable for Russia. In addition, Russia was forced to confirm all debts to the Central Powers (which were abandoned in January 1918), and resume payments on them.

Thus, the Vistula provinces (Kingdom of Poland), Little Russia, Belarus, Estland, Courland and Livonia provinces, and the Grand Duchy of Finland were transferred to the German sphere of influence. Moreover, the boundaries of the new territorial entities (under German rule) were not clearly defined. A territory with an area of ​​780 thousand square meters was torn away from Russia. km. with a population of 56 million people (a third of the population Russian Empire) and on which before the revolution there were: 27% of cultivated agricultural land, 26% of the entire railway network, 73% of iron and steel were smelted, 89% of coal was mined and 90% of sugar was produced, 40% of industrial workers lived, etc.

Results

Despite the peace agreement, German troops continued their offensive. On March 1, German troops in Kyiv restored the power of the Central Rada. On April 5, German troops entered Kharkov, at the end of April - beginning of May they entered Crimea and the southern part of the Don region, capturing Simferopol on April 22, Taganrog on May 1, and Rostov-on-Don on May 8, causing the fall of Soviet power in the Don. . On the Don, the Germans helped establish Ataman P.N. Krasnov in power. A puppet government was created in Crimea. In June the Germans entered Georgia. Using the absence of a border agreement between Soviet Russia and Ukraine as a formal pretext, the Germans captured a number of key points on Russian territory. In Finland, the Germans helped suppress the Reds. A nationalist regime has established itself in Finland, planning to build a “Greater Finland” at the expense of Russian lands. In the Caucasus, Türkiye continued its offensive with the goal of capturing Baku, Dagestan and areas of the North Caucasus with a Muslim population.

Thus, the Austro-German and Turkish intervention made it possible to tear away vast areas from Russia and support the creation of anti-Soviet state entities. This led to a new round Civil War and increasing its scale. With the help of the interventionists (they were then joined by the British, French, Americans and Japanese), various anti-Soviet forces grew stronger and launched a counter-offensive.

The Treaty of Brest-Litovsk allowed the Austro-German High Command to concentrate all its main forces against the Entente troops in France and Italy, and organize the last decisive strategic offensive on the Western Front. Thus, the German command transferred about half a million soldiers and officers from the Eastern Front to the Western Front and on March 23 began offensive operation. Türkiye had the opportunity to strengthen its position in Mesopotamia and Palestine. However, significant military forces of Germany, Austria-Hungary and Turkey were diverted to continue the intervention, guarding and plundering the occupied territory of western Russia.

The Entente received the Brest-Litovsk Treaty with extreme hostility. England and France have already divided Russia into spheres of influence and begun intervention. On March 6, the British landed in Murmansk, on April 5 - the Japanese landing in Vladivostok, on August 2 - the British in Arkhangelsk, etc.

By the fall of 1918, it became obvious that the Entente would win and Germany would ultimately capitulate. In Berlin, they decided, in the context of the growing Civil War in Russia and the beginning of the Entente intervention, to conclude additional agreements to the Brest-Litovsk Peace Treaty. On August 27, 1918, in Berlin, in the strictest secrecy, a Russian-German additional treaty to the Brest-Litovsk Treaty and a financial agreement were concluded. It was signed on behalf of the government of the RSFSR by plenipotentiary Adolf Joffe, and on behalf of Germany by Paul von Hinze.

According to its terms, the demarcation commission was to determine in detail and immediately establish the eastern border of Estonia and Livonia. German troops east of the demarcation line were immediately withdrawn. Russia recognized the independence of Ukraine and Georgia, renounced Estland and Livonia, and bargained for the right of access to the Baltic ports (Revel, Riga and Windau). Also, to facilitate Russian trade through Estland, Livonia, Courland and Lithuania, free transit of goods through them in both directions was established; low railway and freight tariffs; free navigation on the Western Dvina. The Soviet side bargained for control over Baku, giving Germany a quarter of the products produced there.

Germany also agreed to withdraw its troops from Belarus, from the Black Sea coast, Crimea, from Rostov and part of the Don basin, and also not to occupy any more Russian territory. Germany pledged not to interfere in the relations of the Russian state with national regions and encourage them to secede from Russia or to form independent state entities. Germany guaranteed that Finland would not attack Russian territory, especially Petrograd. The secret agreement (the so-called “Hinze note”) recorded the mutual agreement of the parties to make mutual efforts to fight inside Russia against the Entente interventionists, the Volunteer Army and the uprising of the Czechoslovak Corps.

Thus, the Brest-Litovsk Treaty and the Additional Treaty, with which Russian liberals and Westerners love to reproach Lenin and the Bolsheviks, and which were signed by Soviet Russia, which actually did not have an army, under the threat of a German invasion and seizure of the capital, were much more profitable than Gorbachev’s shameful surrender – Yeltsin in 1991. In addition, Russia already in the same 1918 had the opportunity to refuse the conditions of the “obscene peace”.

Lenin showed great foresight. He made huge concessions to Germany and its allies not only because of the lack of an army, but also because of the inevitable defeat and fall of the German bloc. Lenin repeatedly said that the Treaty of Brest-Litovsk would not last even a few months and that revolution in Germany was inevitable. On November 3, 1918, sailors in Germany rebelled in Kiel and were joined by thousands of soldiers. Soon the uprising spread to Hamburg, Lübeck, Bremen and other cities. A Soviet republic was proclaimed in Bavaria. On November 5, the Soviet government suspended diplomatic relations with Germany. On November 9, the revolution in Germany was victorious. On November 11, Germany signed an armistice with the Entente powers. On November 13, the Treaty of Brest-Litovsk was annulled.

As the American historian Richard Pipes noted: “By shrewdly accepting a humiliating peace that gave him the necessary time and then collapsed under its own weight, Lenin earned the widespread trust of the Bolsheviks. When they tore up the Treaty of Brest-Litovsk on November 13, 1918, following which Germany capitulated to the Western allies, Lenin’s authority was elevated to unprecedented heights in the Bolshevik movement.”

Negotiations with Germany on an armistice began in Brest-Litovsk on November 20 (December 3), 1917. On the same day, N.V. Krylenko arrived at the headquarters of the Supreme Commander-in-Chief of the Russian Army in Mogilev, and assumed the post of Commander-in-Chief. November 21 (December 4), 1917 Soviet The delegation outlined its conditions:

the truce is concluded for 6 months;

military operations are suspended on all fronts;

German troops are withdrawn from Riga and the Moonsund Islands;

any transfer of German troops to the Western Front is prohibited.

As a result of the negotiations, a temporary agreement was reached:

troops remain in their positions;

All troop transfers are stopped, except those that have already begun.

December 2 (15), 1917 new stage negotiations ended with the conclusion of a truce for 28 days, while, in the event of a break, the parties undertook to warn the enemy 7 days in advance; An agreement was also reached that new troop transfers to the Western Front would not be allowed.

First stage

Peace negotiations began on December 9 (22), 1917. The delegations of the states of the Quadruple Alliance were headed by: from Germany - State Secretary of the Foreign Office R. von Kühlmann; from Austria-Hungary - Minister of Foreign Affairs Count O. Chernin; from Bulgaria - Popov; from Turkey - Talaat Bey.

The Soviet delegation proposed to adopt the following program as the basis for negotiations:

1) No forcible annexation of territories captured during the war is allowed; the troops occupying these territories are withdrawn as soon as possible.

2) The full political independence of peoples who were deprived of this independence during the war is restored.

3) National groups that did not have political independence before the war are guaranteed the opportunity to freely decide the issue of belonging to any state or their state independence through a free referendum.

4) Cultural-national and, under certain conditions, administrative autonomy of national minorities is ensured.

5) Refusal of indemnities.

6) Resolving colonial issues based on the above principles.

7) Preventing indirect restrictions on the freedom of weaker nations by stronger nations.

After a three-day discussion by the countries of the German bloc of Soviet proposals, on the evening of December 12 (25), 1917, R. von Kühlmann made a statement that Germany and its allies accepted these proposals. At the same time, a reservation was made that nullified Germany’s consent to peace without annexations and indemnities: “It is necessary, however, to clearly indicate that the proposals of the Russian delegation could be implemented only if all the powers involved in the war , without exception and without reservation, within a certain period of time, pledged to strictly observe the conditions common to all peoples.”

Having noted the adherence of the German bloc to the Soviet peace formula “without annexations and indemnities,” the Soviet delegation proposed declaring a ten-day break, during which they could try to bring the Entente countries to the negotiating table.

During a break in the conference, the NKID again addressed the Entente governments with an invitation to take part in peace negotiations and again received no response.

Second phase

At the second stage of the negotiations, the Soviet side was represented by L. D. Trotsky, A. A. Ioffe, L. M. Karakhan, K. B. Radek, M. N. Pokrovsky, A. A. Bitsenko, V. A. Karelin, E G. Medvedev, V. M. Shakhrai, St. Bobinsky, V. Mitskevich-Kapsukas, V. Terian, V. M. Altfater, A. A. Samoilo, V. V. Lipsky.

Opening the conference, R. von Kühlmann stated that since during the break in the peace negotiations no application had been received from any of the main participants in the war to join them, the delegations of the countries of the Quadruple Alliance were abandoning their previously expressed intention to join the Soviet peace formula “ without annexations and indemnities." Both von Kühlmann and the head of the Austro-Hungarian delegation, Chernin, spoke out against moving the negotiations to Stockholm. In addition, since Russia’s allies did not respond to the offer to take part in the negotiations, the conversation now, in the opinion of the German bloc, will have to be not about universal peace, but about a separate peace between Russia and the powers of the Quadruple Alliance.

On December 28, 1917 (January 10, 1918), von Kühlmann turned to Leon Trotsky, who headed the Soviet delegation at the second stage of negotiations, with the question of whether the Ukrainian delegation should be considered part of the Russian delegation or whether it represented an independent state. Trotsky actually followed the lead of the German bloc, recognizing the Ukrainian delegation as independent, which made it possible for Germany and Austria-Hungary to continue contacts with Ukraine, while negotiations with Russia were marking time.

On January 30, 1918, negotiations in Brest resumed. When the head of Trotsky’s delegation left for Brest, there was a personal agreement between him and Lenin: to delay negotiations until Germany presented an ultimatum, and then immediately sign peace. The situation at the negotiations was very difficult. On February 9-10, the German side negotiated in an ultimatum tone. However, no official ultimatum was presented. On the evening of February 10, Trotsky, on behalf of the Soviet delegation, announced a declaration of withdrawal from the war and refusal to sign the annexation treaty. The calm at the front was short-lived. On February 16, Germany announced the start of hostilities. On February 19, the Germans occupied Dvinsk and Polotsk and moved towards Petrograd. The few detachments of the young Red Army fought heroically, but retreated under the onslaught of the 500,000-strong German army. Pskov and Narva were abandoned. The enemy came close to Petrograd, advancing on Minsk and Kyiv. On February 23, a new German ultimatum was delivered to Petrograd, containing even stricter territorial, economic and military-political conditions under which the Germans agreed to sign a peace treaty. Not only Poland, Lithuania, Courland and part of Belarus were torn away from Russia, but also Estland and Livonia. Russia had to immediately withdraw its troops from the territory of Ukraine and Finland. In total, the country of the Soviets lost about 1 million square meters. km (including Ukraine). 48 hours were given to accept the ultimatum.

On February 3, a meeting of the Central Committee of the RSDLP(b) was held. Lenin demanded the immediate signing of the German peace terms, saying that otherwise he would resign. As a result, Lenin's proposal was accepted (7 for, 4 against, 4 abstained). On February 24, the German peace terms were accepted by the All-Russian Central Executive Committee and the Council of People's Commissars. On March 3, 1918, a peace treaty was signed.

Terms of the Treaty of Brest-Litovsk

Consisted of 14 articles, various annexes, 2 final protocols and 4 According to the terms of the Brest-Litovsk Treaty:

The Vistula provinces, Ukraine, provinces with a predominant Belarusian population, the Estland, Courland and Livonia provinces, and the Grand Duchy of Finland were torn away from Russia. In the Caucasus: Kars region and Batumi region

The Soviet government stopped the war with the Ukrainian Central Council (Rada) of the Ukrainian People's Republic and made peace with it.

The army and navy were demobilized.

The Baltic Fleet was withdrawn from its bases in Finland and the Baltic states.

The Black Sea Fleet with its entire infrastructure was transferred to the Central Powers. Additional agreements (between Russia and each of the states of the Quadruple Alliance).

Russia paid 6 billion marks of reparations plus payment of losses incurred by Germany during the Russian revolution - 500 million gold rubles.

The Soviet government pledged to stop revolutionary propaganda in the Central Powers and their allied states formed on the territory of the Russian Empire.

The victory of the Entente in World War I and the signing of the Compiegne Armistice on November 11, 1918, according to which all treaties previously concluded with Germany were declared invalid, allowed Soviet Russia to annul the Treaty of Brest-Litovsk on November 13, 1918 and return most of the territories. German troops left the territory of Ukraine, the Baltic states, and Belarus.

Consequences

The Treaty of Brest-Litovsk, as a result of which vast territories were torn away from Russia, cementing the loss of a significant part of the country's agricultural and industrial base, aroused opposition to the Bolsheviks from almost all political forces, both on the right and on the left. The treaty for the betrayal of Russia’s national interests almost immediately received the name “obscene peace.” The Left Socialist Revolutionaries, who were allied with the Bolsheviks and were part of the “Red” government, as well as the formed faction of “Left Communists” within the RCP (b), spoke of “betrayal of the world revolution,” since the conclusion of peace on the Eastern Front objectively strengthened the conservative Kaiser’s regime in Germany .

The Treaty of Brest-Litovsk not only allowed the Central Powers, who were on the verge of defeat in 1917, to continue the war, but also gave them a chance to win, allowing them to concentrate all their forces against the Entente troops in France and Italy, and the liquidation of the Caucasian Front freed Turkey’s hands to act against the British in Middle East and Mesopotamia.

The Treaty of Brest-Litovsk served as a catalyst for the formation of the “democratic counter-revolution,” which was expressed in the proclamation of the Socialist Revolutionary and Menshevik governments in Siberia and the Volga region, and the uprising of the left Socialist Revolutionaries in July 1918 in Moscow. The suppression of these protests, in turn, led to the formation of a one-party Bolshevik dictatorship and a full-scale civil war.

On July 28, 1914, the First World War. On the one hand, the states that were part of the Entente participated in it; on the other hand, they were opposed by the Quadruple Alliance led by Germany. Fighting, accompanied by significant destruction, led to the impoverishment of the masses. In many warring countries, a crisis of the political system was brewing. In Russia, this resulted in the October Revolution, which occurred on October 25, 1917 (old style). The Soviet Republic emerged from the war by signing the Treaty of Brest-Litovsk with Germany and its allies Austria-Hungary, Bulgaria and Turkey.

In contact with

Peace Decree

The war was the reason that the Russian economy was in a deplorable state. The army, exhausted by trench warfare, gradually degenerated . Thousands of losses did not lift the spirits of the Russian people. Tired of trench life, the soldiers of the Russian army threatened to go to the rear and use their own methods to end the war. Russia needed peace.

The Entente countries, on whose side Russia fought, expressed strong protest against the actions of the Bolsheviks. Vice versa , countries of the Quadruple Alliance, interested in the liquidation of the Eastern Front, quickly responded to the proposal of the Council of People's Commissars. On November 21, 1917, armistice negotiations began in Brest-Litovsk. In accordance with the agreements reached, the parties obliged:

• not to conduct hostilities against each other for 28 days;
• leave military formations in their positions;
• do not transfer troops to other sectors of the front.

Peace negotiations

First stage

On December 22, 1917, delegations from Russia and the countries of the Quadruple Alliance began work on developing the provisions of the future peace treaty. The Russian side was led by A.A., a member of the All-Russian Central Executive Committee. Ioffe, who immediately suggested rough plan document based on the provisions of the Peace Decree. The main points were as follows:

For three days the German side considered the Russian proposals. After this, the head of the German delegation, R. von Kühlmann stated that this plan would be accepted subject to the renunciation of indemnities and annexations by all warring parties. Russian representatives proposed taking a break from work so that countries that had not yet joined the negotiations could familiarize themselves with this project.

Second phase

Negotiations resumed only on January 9, 1918. Now the Bolshevik delegation was headed by L.D. Trotsky, whose main goal was to delay negotiations in every possible way. In his opinion, in the near future Central Europe there must be a revolution that will change the balance of political forces, so the war should be stopped without signing peace. Arriving in Brest-Litovsk, he organizes propaganda activities among the military personnel of the German garrison. Here he is actively helped by K.B. Radek, who organized the publication of the newspaper “Fakel” in German.

When the negotiators met, von Kühlmann announced that Germany did not accept the Russian version of the treaty, since none of the participants in the war expressed a desire to join the negotiations. Having rejected Russian initiatives, the German delegation puts forward its own conditions. Refusing to free the lands, occupied by the armies of the Quadruple Alliance, Germany demanded large territorial concessions from Russia. General Hoffman presented a map with new state borders. According to this map, more than 150 thousand square kilometers were torn away from the territory of the former Russian Empire. Soviet representatives demanded a break to analyze the current situation and consult with the government.

A division is taking place in the ranks of the Bolshevik leadership. A group of “left communists” proposed to wage the war to a victorious end, rejecting German proposals. The “revolutionary war” should, as Bukharin believed, provoke world revolution, without which the Soviet government has no chance of surviving for long. Few people believed that Lenin was right, who considered the treaty a peaceful respite and proposed agreeing to German conditions.

While the issue of signing a peace treaty was being discussed in Moscow, Germany and Austria-Hungary were concluding a separate treaty with the Ukrainian People's Republic. The central states recognized Ukraine as a sovereign state, and she, in turn, pledged to supply food and raw materials so necessary to the countries of the military bloc.

Growing discontent of the masses , famine in the country, strikes at enterprises force Kaiser Wilhelm to demand that the generals begin military action. On February 9, Russia is presented with an ultimatum. The next day, Trotsky makes a statement in which he announces that the Soviet Republic is withdrawing from the war, disbanding the army, and will not sign the treaty. The Bolsheviks demonstratively left the meeting.

Having announced their withdrawal from the truce, German troops begin an offensive throughout the country on February 18. eastern front. Without encountering any resistance, Wehrmacht units quickly advance into the interior of the country. On February 23, when a real threat of capture loomed over Petrograd, Germany presented an even tougher ultimatum, which was given two days to accept. The city constantly hosts meetings of the Central Committee of the Bolshevik Party, whose members cannot come to a consensus. Only Lenin's threat to resign, which could lead to the collapse of the party, forces a decision in favor of signing a peace treaty.

Third stage

On March 1, the work of the negotiating group resumed. The Soviet delegation was led by G. Ya. Sokolnikov, who replaced Trotsky in this position. In fact, no negotiations were held anymore. On March 3, the Treaty of Brest-Litovsk was concluded without any reservations. On behalf of the Soviet Republic, the document was signed by Sokolnikov . On behalf of Germany signed by Richard von Kühlmann. Foreign Minister Hudenitz signed for Austria-Hungary. The agreement also bears the signatures of the Bulgarian Envoy Extraordinary A. Toshev and the Turkish Ambassador Ibrahim Hakki.

Terms of the peace treaty

14 articles defined the specific terms of the peace treaty.

According to a secret agreement, Russia had to pay 6 billion marks in indemnity and 500 million rubles in gold for damage caused to Germany as a result of the October Revolution . Extremely unfavorable customs tariffs were also restored 1904. Russia lost a territory of 780 thousand square meters. km. The country's population decreased by a third. Under the terms of the Brest Peace Treaty, 27% of cultivated land, almost all coal and steel production, and numerous industrial enterprises were lost. The number of workers decreased by 40%.

Consequences of the Treaty of Brest-Litovsk

After signing peace with Russia, the German army continued to advance east, leaving behind the demarcation line determined by the treaty. Odessa, Nikolaev, Kherson, Rostov-on-Don were occupied, which contributed to the formation of puppet regimes in Crimea and southern Russia . Germany's actions provoked the formation of Socialist Revolutionary and Menshevik governments in the Volga region and the Urals. In response to the Brest-Litovsk Treaty, the Entente states landed troops in Murmansk, Arkhangelsk and Vladivostok.

There was no one to resist foreign intervention. In the fall of 1917, even before negotiations began in Brest-Litovsk, the Council of People's Commissars issued a decree on the gradual reduction of the army. After the promulgation of the “Decree on Land,” the soldiers, the backbone of the army being peasants, began to leave their units without permission. The widespread desertion and removal of officers from command and control leads to complete demoralization of the Russian army. In March 1918, by resolutions of the Soviet government, the Headquarters of the Supreme High Command and the position of Supreme Commander-in-Chief were abolished, headquarters at all levels and all military departments were disbanded. Russian army ceased to exist.

The peace treaty with Germany caused a violent reaction from all political forces in Russia itself. In the Bolshevik camp there is a division into separate groups. “Left communists” consider the agreement a betrayal of the ideas of the international revolutionary movement. leave the Council of People's Commissars. N.V. Krylenko, N.I. Podvoisky and K.I. Shutko, who considered the treaty illegal, left their military posts. Bourgeois specialists in the field international law assessed the work of Bolshevik diplomats as mediocre and barbaric. Patriarch Tikhon sharply condemned the agreement, which placed millions of Orthodox Christians under the yoke of infidels. Consequences of the Brest-Litovsk Peace affected all spheres of life of Russian society.

Significance of the Treaty of Brest-Litovsk

It is difficult to overestimate the significance of the Brest peace. Having carried out the October coup, the Bolsheviks found chaos in the ruins of the Russian Empire. To overcome the crisis and stay in power, they needed the support of the population, which could only be secured by ending the war. By signing the treaty, Russia was leaving the war. In fact, it was capitulation. According to the terms of the agreement the country suffered colossal territorial and economic losses.

The Bolsheviks sought the defeat of Russia in the imperialist war, and they achieved it. They also achieved a Civil War, which was the result of a split in society into two hostile camps. According to modern historians, Lenin showed foresight, considering this agreement short-lived. The Entente countries have defeated the Quadruple Alliance, and now Germany must sign capitulation. On November 13, 1918, the resolution of the All-Russian Central Executive Committee annuls the Treaty of Brest-Litovsk.