WW1 and ToBL

• Origins of the ToBL

  • 23 Oct 1917: the Bolsheviks issued a Decree on Peace
  • 16 Nov: Russian negotiators sent to Brest-Litovsk to discuss possible armistice with the Germans, but talks stalled
  • German leadership became tired of the Bolsheviks’ slowness in brokering their deal - they signed a separate treaty with Ukraine on the 9 Feb 1918
  • 23 Feb: Germany advanced to Petrograd and demanded stringent peace conditions - the Central Committee called another meeting to discuss the terms of the Treaty
  • 3rd March: the Treaty was signed
• Terms of ToBL

  Russia lost the following:

  • Poland, Estonia, Latia, Lithuania, Ukraine, Georgia, Finland (all of these territories initially gained a form of independence under Germany)

  • 1/3 of its agricultural land, 1/3 of its railways, 1/3 of the population of the Soviet Republic, 2/3 of the coal mines, 1/2 heavy industry, and nearly all available oil & cotton textile production

  Lenin recognised how harsh these terms were - he hoped that when the war ended, Germany would be defeated & Russia could reclaim its land
• Consequences of ToBL

  • The departure of Bukharin & the left SRs meant that the Bolsheviks had total control
  • Once the burden of war was gone, the Bolsheviks started to implement their policies using repression (the Cheka!)
  • The Treaty exacerbated the issue of food shortages (Ukraine was no longer Russian territory) - Opponents of the Bolsheviks used this crisis to gain support, as well as attacks on senior party members
  • Overall: the Treaty added to the problems faced by the Bolsheviks - it did not work as Lenin intended