When Did the First World War End for Russia? Marking the Centenary of the Treaty of Brest-Litovsk
... of August 27, 1918, Soviet Russia agreed to pay a war indemnity of 6 billion marks (officially for the upkeep of prisoners of war). The Germans ended up in possession of major Ukrainian reserves of iron ore and manganese, which were very important to Germany in the context of the continuing war of attrition. But what was the peace of Brest-Litovsk, and did it mark the conclusion of Russia’s involvement in this war? This is where we encounter two key historical narratives based primarily on differing attitudes to the events of the First World War, the 1917 Revolution, and the subsequent Civil War. It is not so much a matter of academic discourse as of historical memory, constructed on the values and emotions sparked by different attitudes toward historical events. One tradition is linked to the question ...