Russian-German peace talks begin at Brest-Litovsk
A week after the armistice was signed between Russia and Germany and nearly three weeks after a ceasefire was declared on the Eastern Front representatives of the two countries begin peace negotiations at Brest-Litovsk near the Polish border in what is now the city of Brest in Belarus.The leader of the Russian delegation was Leon Trotsky the Bolshevik Peoples Commissar for Foreign Relations.Max Hoffmann the commander of German forces on the Eastern Front served as one of the chief negotiators on the German side.
The main difference of opinion in Brest-Litovsk was over cessation of Russian land to the Germansthe Russians demanded a peace without annexations or indemnities and the Germans were unwilling to concede on this point.In February 1918 Trotsky announced he was withdrawing the Russians from the peace talks and the war was on again.Unfortunately for Russia with the renewal of fighting the Central Powers quickly took the upper hand seizing control of most of Ukraine and Belarus.The Bolshevik hope that the workers of Germany and Austria offended by their governments naked territorial ambition would rise up in rebellion in the name of the international proletariat soon vanished.
On March 3 1918 Russia accepted peace terms even harsher than those originally suggested losing Poland Lithuania and the Baltic states of Estonia Livonia and Courland to Germany.Meanwhile Finland and the Ukraine saw Russias weakness as an opportunity to declare their independence.In all Brest-Litovsk deprived Lenins new state of one million square miles of territory and one-third of its population or 55 million people.
