Treaty of Brest-Litovsk

So, you've found yourself in the middle of the bloodiest conflict the world has ever seen. Would you like to end your participation? Well, you can, for a price that is. You're going to have to pay your way out. Not with money, however, but with land.

Humiliating, isn't it? Well, if you're Russia in March of 1918 and you've just experienced a monumental change in leadership you don't have much choice. But at what cost? Let's find out.

Treaty of Brest-Litovsk Date

Treaty of Brest-Litovsk WW1

Cause of Russia and Germany Signing the Treaty of Brest-Litovsk

The First World War began on 28 July 1914, when Austria-Hungary declared war on Serbia. Russia, being Serbia's primary ally joined the conflict the very day war was declared. Soon, in August 1914, Germany joined its ally Austria-Hungary. Germany began the invasion of France through Belgium, forcing France and the United Kingdom to declare war on Germany and Austria-Hungary. So began the Great War.

As the 'war to end all wars' raged on, several new international actors came into play. These included the Ottoman Empire, which took the side of the Central Powers and sought to reclaim territories it had lost over the centuries to Russia and other neighbours.

The war went on to devastate Europe and its population. But for Russia, a new challenge appeared; an internal challenge; a socialist challenge.

In 1917 the Russian Revolution began. By 1918, the Monarchy had been deposed and the head of the now-new Russian Soviet Federative Socialist Republic was none other than Vladimir Lenin. Lenin saw that Russia was in dire need of peace. Peace would give Lenin time to establish Russia as the headquarters of the world socialist movement. With this, Lenin's Russia could export the idea of socialist revolution to the rest of the world and unite the workers of the world under the banner of socialism overthrowing all capitalist regimes.

Fig. 1: In red territories lost to Germany by the terms of the treaty

The year was 1918. Lenin, aware of Russian casualties and losses on the Eastern Front, decided to cut all Russian losses and sue for peace. Peace however would not come cheap. Russia had to give up large parts of its eastern European territories which comprised Ukraine, Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia, of which the last three went into German hands. And the Southern Caucasus provinces of Batum, Ardahan and Kars went to the Ottoman Empire.

The treaty was signed at the Belorussian town of Brest-Litovsk, which is where the peace treaty gets its name. The treaty was a humiliation even for Lenin but in his eyes a necessary one to save Russia.

Fig. 2: The signing of the Treaty of Brest-Litovsk, Central Powers on the left, Russian party on the right

Terms of the Treaty of Brest-Litovsk

The terms of the Treaty of Brest-Litovsk were humiliating for Russia. By signing this peace treaty, Russia effectively gave up valuable territories that were conquered during the country's tenure as an Empire.

Ultimately, Russia had to buy its way out. The only question was the price. The price, however, would not be monetary, but territorial. Russia would have to cede some of its territories as compensation for leaving the war. Some of Russia's most contentious territories were in Eastern Europe and the Caucasus.

Territories became a currency that the terms of the Treaty of Brest-Litovsk required Russia to pay. But which territories would go to which power? In short:

• Central Powers would get Latvia Lithuania and Estonia;
• The Ottoman Empire, also a Central Power, would get the Southern Caucasus provinces of Batum, Ardahan and Kars.

Consequently, weakened by internal turmoil and the subsequent peace treaty of Brest-Litovsk, Russia lost Ukraine, Georgia, Armenia and Azerbaijan after they declared independence. In addition, Russia renounced any claims it previously had regarding Finland (which Russia sought to reconquer), and lost over 50 million of its population and the vast majority of its coal and iron mines as most of them were located in Ukraine.

Fig. 3: A caricature mocking the Ottoman Empire as it receives a mere three small regions in Southern Caucasus, compared to the German Empire feasting on former Russian territory in Europe

Lenin and the Treaty of Brest-Litovsk

Lenin had a hard decision to make. After all, not all of his accomplices were on board with his decision to pull Russia out of the war. Lenin had one goal, however, to establish a socialist government in Russia and then to "free the proletariat of the world", which he believed could only be achieved by a world revolution.

One of Lenin's most loyal accomplices, Leon Trotsky, initially stood against the signing of the Treaty of Brest-Litovsk on the account that it was too humiliating for Russia to sue for peace. But Lenin thought ahead. Lenin believed that if Russia had not initiated a peace plan with the Central Powers, what was to come would effectively ruin Russia and with it Lenin's hope to set up a socialist state in Russia. In the end, Trotsky did not oppose Lenin, but simply abstained from making a decision.