The conclusion of the Brest Peace took place on March 3, 1918. The parties to the agreement were: Russia - the first side, Germany, Austria-Hungary, Bulgaria and Turkey - the second. The effect of this peace treaty was short-lived. it lasted a little over nine months.
It all started with the first negotiations in Brest, where representatives from the Russian Bolsheviks were Kamenev L.B. and Ioffe A.A., as well as Mstislavsky S.D., Karakhan L.M. At the last minute before leaving for this border town, it was decided that the participation of representatives of the people was necessary. These were the soldiers, workers, sailors and peasants who were lured by large business travelers. Of course, the opinion of this group was not taken into account during the negotiations and was simply not heard.
During the negotiations, the fact was revealed that the German side, in addition to signing the peace, wishes to conclude it without indemnities and annexations, and also wants to secure the right of nations to self-determination from Russia, thus planning to gain Ukraine and the Baltic States under their own control. It became apparent that Russia could lose Lithuania, Latvia, Poland, as well as the territory of Transcaucasia.
The signing of the Brest Peace was only a temporary truce in hostilities. Lenin, Sverdlov and Trotsky were worried that if the conditions of the German side were fulfilled, they would be overthrown for treason, since the bulk of the Bolsheviks did not agree with the policy of Vladimir Ulyanov.
In January 1918, the second stage of negotiations was held in Brest. The delegation was led by Trotsky without the presence of representatives of the people. The main role during this round belonged to the Ukrainian delegation, the main requirement of which was the separation of the lands of Bukovina and Galicia from Austria-Hungary. At the same time, the Ukrainian side did not want to know the Russian delegation. Thus, Russia lost an ally in the person of Ukraine. For Germany, the latter was advantageous by placing on its territory a significant number of warehouses with weapons and military uniforms. The Brest Peace, due to the inability to reach common points of contact, ended with nothing and was not signed.
The third stage of negotiations began, during which the representative of the Russian delegation Trotsky L.D. refused to recognize representatives from Ukraine.
On March 3, 1918, the Brest Peace Treaty was signed. The result of this agreement was the secession from Russia of Poland, Finland, Latvia, Lithuania, Estonia, Crimea, Ukraine and the Caucasus. Among other things, the fleet disarmed and issued to Germany, an indemnity of six billion marks in gold was imposed, as well as one billion marks to compensate for the damage to German citizens that they suffered during the revolution. Austria-Hungary and Germany received warehouses with weapons and ammunition. The Brest peace also imposed on Russia the obligation to withdraw troops from these territories. Their place was taken by the armed forces of Germany. An additional agreement to the peace treaty stipulated the economic situation of Germany in Russia. Thus, German citizens were vested with the right to engage in entrepreneurial activity in Russia, despite the process of nationalization taking place in it.
The Brest peace restored customs tariffs with Germany, established in 1904. Due to the non-recognition by the Bolsheviks of tsarist debts, Russia, according to this agreement, was forced to confirm them to countries such as Austria-Hungary, Bulgaria, Turkey and Germany and begin to make payments on these debts.
The countries that were part of the Entente bloc did not approve of the Brest Peace and, in mid-March 1918, declared its non-recognition.
In November 1918, Germany refused the terms of the peace agreement. Two days later, his cancellation by the All-Russian Central Executive Committee followed. A little later, German troops began to leave the former territory of Russia.