Brest-Litovsk (Brest)

The Treaty of Brest-Litovsk was a peace agreement signed in March 1918 between Soviet Russia and the Central Powers (Germany, Austria-Hungary, Ottoman Empire, and Bulgaria), ending Russia’s involvement in World War I. It required Russia to cede territory, including parts of Ukraine, Belarus, Poland, and the Baltic states, to the Central Powers. The treaty allowed Russia to withdraw from the war but resulted in significant territorial losses and reshaped Eastern Europe. It was a strategic move by the Bolsheviks to focus on internal issues and consolidate power after the October Revolution.