Treaty of Brest-Litovsk

Quick Facts: Who was Treaty of Brest-Litovsk?

Subject:

Treaty of Brest-Litovsk

Known for:

The 1918 treaty forcing Russia's withdrawal from WWI to Central Powers.

Verified Source:

2Day Chrono-Wiki & Primary Historical Archives

Origins & Early Life

The Treaty of Brest-Litovsk was a separate peace treaty signed on 3 March 1918 between Russia and the Central Powers (Germany, Austria-Hungary, the Ottoman Empire, and Bulgaria), by which Russia withdrew from World War I. The treaty, which followed months of negotiations after the armistice on the Eastern Front in December 1917, was signed at Brest-Litovsk (now Brest, Belarus). The Soviet delegation was initially headed by Adolph Joffe, and key figures from the Central Powers included Max Hoffmann and Richard von Kühlmann of Germany, Ottokar Czernin of Austria-Hungary, and Talaat Pasha of the Ottoman Empire. In January 1918, the Central Powers demanded secession of all occupied territories of the former Russian Empire. The Soviets sent a new peace delegation led by Leon Trotsky, which aimed to stall the negotiations while awaiting revolutions in Central Europe. A renewed Central Powers offensive launched on February 18 captured large territories in the Baltic region, Belarus, and Ukraine and forced the Soviet side to sue for peace.

Career & Major Achievements

Under the terms of the treaty, Russia lost control of Ukraine, Poland, Belarus, Lithuania, Latvia, Estonia, and its Caucasian province of Kars and Batum. The lands comprised 34% of the former empire's population, 54% of its industrial land, 89% of its coalfields, and 26% of its railways. The Soviet government also confirmed the independence of Finland, which it had recognized in January 1918, and pledged to end its war with the Ukrainian People's Republic, which the Central Powers had recognized under the prior Treaty of Brest-Litovsk (9 February 1918). A supplementary protocol signed in August 1918 required Russia to pay Germany war reparations of six billion marks. The treaty was controversial in Russia, giving a unifying cause to the White movement and opening a rift between the Bolsheviks and the Left Socialist-Revolutionaries, whose representatives withdrew from the Council of People's Commissars after its signing and later rebelled in the Left SR Uprising.

Enduring Legacy & Impact

The treaty was annulled by the Armistice of 11 November 1918, in which Germany surrendered to the western Allied Powers. Subsequent attempts by the Soviets to restore power in the lost territories during the Russian Civil War (1917–1922) had mixed results, with the Red Army losing the three Baltic countries but regaining Azerbaijan, Armenia, Belarus, Georgia, and Ukraine by 1921. The border with Turkey established by the treaty was largely affirmed by the Treaty of Kars (1921). Under the Treaty of Rapallo (1922), Russia and Germany renounced all territorial and financial claims against each other. The Russian borders established by the treaty are almost exactly the same as the post-1991 borders established after the fall of the Soviet Union.

Chronological Milestones & Life Events

1. 1917: 1917 Milestone — The treaty, which followed months of negotiations after the armistice on the Eastern Front in December 1917, was signed at Brest-Litovsk (now Brest, Belarus).
2. 1918: 1918 Milestone — The Treaty of Brest-Litovsk was a separate peace treaty signed on 3 March 1918 between Russia and the Central Powers (Germany, Austria-Hungary, the Ottoman Empire, and Bulgaria), by which Russia withdrew from World War I.
3. 1921: 1921 Milestone — The border with Turkey established by the treaty was largely affirmed by the Treaty of Kars (1921).
4. 1922: 1922 Milestone — Under the Treaty of Rapallo (1922), Russia and Germany renounced all territorial and financial claims against each other.
5. 1991: 1991 Milestone — The Russian borders established by the treaty are almost exactly the same as the post-1991 borders established after the fall of the Soviet Union.

Historical Fact-Check Quiz: Treaty of Brest-Litovsk

True or False: “The Treaty of Brest-Litovsk immediately ended all hostilities between the Bolshevik government and the Western Allied Powers.”

Answer (FALSE ❌): While it removed Russia from WWI with the Central Powers, subsequent conflicts and treaties, like those with the Allies, continued.

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Frequently Asked Questions about Treaty of Brest-Litovsk