The Great War, Vol. 5: The Triumph of Democracy
Page 124
On December 5, 1917, the Russian delegates met representatives of Germany, Austria-Hungary, Bulgaria, and Turkey for a preliminary conference at the headquarters of Prince Leopold of Bavaria at Brest-Litovsk, under the presidency of the German commander’s Chief of Staff, General Hoffmann. It was characteristic of the complete social upheaval in Russia that the Russian delegates at this time were a peasant, a private soldier, a sailor, and one or two Bolshevist politicians, accompanied by several minor staff officers. An armistice agreement, signed on December 15th, provided for a truce of twenty-eight days on the Eastern front, effective from noon on the 17th. Germany agreed to transfer no troops from the Eastern to the Western front during the truce, but did not strictly observe this promise. Trotsky invited the Allied governments to define their attitude towards the peace negotiations, reminding them that in case of refusal to negotiate they would bear the responsibility for the further bloodshed. The sessions for the discussion of peace were formally opened at Brest-Litovsk on December 22nd.
The negotiations for the Treaty of Brest-Litovsk.
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Map showing the territory lost by Russia according to the terms of the Treaty of Brest-Litovsk.
Map showing territorial loses of Russia to Germany and Austria-Hungary.
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The Russians proposed seven principles as a basis of peace: (1) no forcible appropriation of territory taken in the course of the campaigns; (2) the immediate withdrawal of the armies from occupied territory; (3) the restoration of complete political independence to all peoples who had lost it during the war; (4) the right of self-determination for all nations; (5) no indemnities; (6) the return of the war requisitions and compensation for sufferers from the war by a special fund to be levied on all belligerents according to their resources ; (7) the same treatment for colonies as for the parent countries and no economic boycott after the war.
Most of the conditions for the Treaty of Brest-Litovsk