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Beginning of separate peace negotiations between the Soviet Russia and Germany during the World War I
October 26 (November 8), 1917 the Second All-Russian Congress of Soviets adopted the Decree on peace, which the Soviet government proposed to all the belligerent states to conclude an immediate armistice and begin peace talks. Entente states regarded the Decree as a threat to violate the Agreement and Declaration of 1914 and 1915 about the non-conclusion of a separate peace, the more that already November 6 (19), 1917 the commander-in-chief of the Russian army, General N. N. Dukhonin received from the Bolshevik government an order to immediately offer a truce to all the states participating in the World War. Almost simultaneously, 9 (22) November, a note with suggestions of similar content was presented to the ambassadors of the Entente in Russia.
After Dukhonin’s refusal to obey orders he was dismissed, and the Soviet government began negotiations with Germany on its own, relying on the support of the soldiers, who, at the call of the Bolsheviks, started to take power in the areas of deployment. November 14 (27), 1917 Germany agreed to enter into peace negotiations. On the same day, the CPC re-sent its proposals to Entente to participate in the peace conference. There was no response to this appeal, neither to the previous and or next ones. In these circumstances, the Soviet government on November 20 (December 3), 1917 decided to begin separate peace talks with Germany.
The venue for the peace talks was elected Brest-Litovsk that housed command of the German troops on the Eastern Front. The Soviet delegation was headed by A. Ioffe, at the head of the German delegation was General M. Hoffman. December 2 (15), 1917 the talks ended, provisional agreement was reached to cease hostilities for a period of 28 days, while in case of rupture, the parties undertook to prevent the enemy 7 days in advance. An agreement was also reached that there would be no new transfer of troops to the Western Front.
The truce allowed to start peace negotiations December 9 (22), 1917. March 3, 1918 representatives of Soviet Russia on the one hand, and Germany, Austria-Hungary, Bulgaria and Turkey - on the other, signed the Brest peace treaty. The treaty remained in force for 3 months. After the revolution in Germany in 1918-1919, the Soviet government unilaterally abrogated it November 13, 1918.
Lit.: Брестский мир 1918 // Большая советская энциклопедия. М., 1971. Т. 4; Уткин А. И. Первая Мировая война. М., 2001; То же [Электронный ресурс]. URL: http://militera.lib.ru/h/utkin2/; Фельштинский Ю. Крушение мировой революции. Брестский мир: Октябрь 1917 — ноябрь 1918. М.,1992.
Based on the Presidential Library’s materials: