BREST-LITOVSK, TREATY OF, the agreement that ended the war be tween Russia and the Central Powers, March 3, 1918. The event had been foreshadowed by the complete mili tary collapse of Russia, -ind the com ing into power of the Bolshevist regime. Plenipotentiaries of both Powers met in the town from which the treaty takes its name Dec. 22, 1917. Previous to that time an armistice had been signed that was to last from Dec. 17, 1917, to Jan. 14, 1918. The terms of peace sug gested by the Russian delegates had as their fundamental principle no annexa tions nor indemnities and free self-de termination of peoples. They also de manded that all the issues of the war, such as Alsace-Lorraine and others be embraced in the settlement. The Ger mans countered with a demand for the severance of Poland and large por tions of the Baltic states from Rus sian control, and a series of humiliat ing commercial conditions, that would make Russia a field for German ex ploitation. A time limit of ten days was allowed for the Entente to join in the negotiations, should they so desire. No such wish being expressed by them within that time, the conference pro ceeded solely on the questions at issue between Russia and the Central Powers. The terms laid down by the latter were declared entirely unacceptable by the Russians. They asserted that the whole of Russia, as it then existed, must be evacuated by the German armies before peace could be concluded. This proposi tion was declined, and the proceedings reached an impasse. Several adjourn ments were taken from time to time, but the discussions still proved fruitless. On February 9 the representatives from the Ukraine signed a separate peace with the Central Powers. On February 10 Trotzky issued a statement on behalf of the Russian delegates, in which, while still refusing to accept the enemy's terms, he declared that they regarded the war as ended without a treaty. He added that an order had been issued for the en tire demobilization of Russian troops, and that as far as Russia was concerned there would be no more fighting. The German Foreign Minister, Von Kuehl mann, threatened to renew military oper ations if the treaty were not signed. This threat was made good as soon as the armistice expired on February 18. The whole German line advanced, and the Soviet authorities were thrown into a panic. On February 19 it was voted to accept the terms unconditionally as a matter of force majeure. But Germany
was not now willing to limit herself to the original proposals, and, on February 23, announced more drastic terms, which must be accepted by Russia within forty eight hours and signed within three days, ratification to follow within two weeks. The Soviet authorities, now thoroughly cowed, agreed, and a new delegation was sent to Brest-Litovsk, where the treaty was signed March 3, 1918.
The terms of the treaty were sweep ing and practically dismembered Russia, taking from her a fourth of her Euro pean territory and a third of her popu lation. The provinces she lost were the richest, most fertile, and • most progres sive. Poland, Lithuania, Finland, Cour land, Esthonia, and Livonia, though they were recognized nominally as independ ent and self-determining, passed virtually under German control. Russia's terri torial and economic losses embraced 301, 000 square miles of land, 56,000,000 in habitants, more than 13,000 miles of rail way, 89 per cent. of her coal production and 73 per cent. of the iron output. The lost territory had formerly yielded an an nual revenue of nearly $425,000,000.
The Entente denounced the treaty as shameful and iniquitous and refused to recognize it. The self-determination ac corded nominally to the severed prov inces of Russia was denounced as a sham. "Why waste time," asked the Premiers of Great Britain, France, and Italy, in a joint statement issued March 18, 1918, "over Germany's pledges, when we see that at no period in her history of conquest—not when she overran Silesia nor when she partitioned Po land—has she exhibited herself so cynic ally as a destroyer of national inde pendence, the implacable enemy of the rights of man, and the dignity of civ ilized nations.
"Peace treaties such as these we do not and cannot acknowledge. Our own ends are very different. We are fight ing and mean to continue fighting, in order to finish once for all with this policy of plunder and to establish in its place the peaceful reign of organized justice." Denunciation quite as strong was ut tered by President Wilson on behalf of the United States. The pledges of the Allies were kept, and one of the condi tions of the peace treaty, signed on June 28, 1919, was that the treaty of Brest-Litovsk stood annulled.