Russia Bows and Huns Stop -- March 3, 2018

Daily Missoulian, 04-March-1918

100 years ago today, the Central Powers, Germany and her allies, signed the Treaty of Brest-Litovsk with the new Bolshevik government of Russia.  German and Austrian armies had been advancing through Russian territory, and the Bolsheviks decided they had to make a separate peace to save their hides. I liked "Lenine and Trotzky."  "Bolsheviki" was a common plural for "Bolshevik."  

RUSSIA BOWS AND HUNS STOP

TEUTON TROOPS CEASE DRIVE ON EASTERN FRONT

Sign Treaty Without Taking Time for Discussion of Any Contents.

NEW DEMANDS MORE SEVERE THAN OTHERS

Germans Order Detachment of Large Territory on Doubtful Pretext.

BULLETIN.

Berlin, via London, March 3— "By reason of the signing of the peace treaty with Russia," says the official communication from headquarters tonight, "military movements in great Russia have ceased."

Russia Signs Treaty.

Russia has bowed to the Teutonic allies. The Bolsheviki commissioners sent to Brest-Litovsk have signed the treaty of peace presented by the Germans, according to an official statement from Berlin, which adds that military movements in great Russia have ceased.

It was reported on Saturday by the Bolshevik commissioners that they were about to sign the treaty, this report was telegraphed to Lenine and Trotzky after the delegates sent to Brest-Litovsk had met the German emissaries. There is little information available as to the details of the meeting between the peace delegations, but the Bolshevik said they realized that any further delay would mean more onerous conditions and they would sign the treaty without further discussions.

Demand Increased.

Petrograd, Saturday, March 3—-In the fear that argument would result in even more onerous terms, the Russian delegation at Brest-Litovsk has accepted all the German peace condition« and is about to sign an agreement, according to n telegram from the delegates received today at the Smolny Institute. The demands already have been Increased, they reported.

The message, which was addressed to Premier Lenine and Foreign Minister Trotzky follows:.

"As we anticipated deliberations on a treaty of peace are absolutely useless and could only make things worse in comparison with the ultimatum of February 21. They might even assume the character of leading to the presentation of another ultimatum.

Disregard Discussion.

"In view of this fact and in consequence of the Germans' refusal to cease military action until peace is signed, we have resolved to sign the treaty without discussing its contents and leave after we have attached our signatures. We, therefore have requested a train, expected to sign today and leave afterwards.

"The most serious feature of the new demands with those of February 21 is the following:

Detach Territory.

The territorial claims upon Russia are apparently advanced in the interest of Turkey. Batoum, a strongly fortified seaport on the Black seacoast in Trans-Caucasia, about 20 miles north of the border of Turkish Armenia, was one of the cities ceded by Turkey to Russia after the Russo-Turkish war of 1877-78. Kars, also in Trans-Caucasia, 105 miles northeast of Erzeroum in Turkish Armenia, has been in dispute between the Turks and Russians for nearly a century and finally was ceded to Russia at the same time as was Batoum. The other region mentioned probably is that of Karabagh, Trans-Caucasia, lying to the east of the Kars region and north of the Persian border.