FOREIGN POLICY OF LENIN’S RUSSIA

Michael Han

Maura Brown

Conor Doyle

Katie Farnsworth

TREATY OF BREST-L ITOVSK

Bolsheviks claimed they wanted peace and to end the war. They promised to deliver “peace, bread and land” to Russian.

However, Lenin really wanted to transform WWI into an international civil war.

Central Powers agreed to an armistice on Eastern Front while making a treaty.

A peace treaty was negotiated by Lenin’s lieutenant, Trotsky, with Imperial Germany and her allies in Polish town Brest Litovsk on Dec. 3, 1917.

TREATY OF BREST-LITOVSK

Trotsky had the task to try to end

Russian participation in WWI without

having to grant territory to the Central

Powers .

He delayed as long as he could in hopes

that the socialist revolutions would

spread from Russia to Germany and

Austria-Hungary before he had to sign.

After 9 weeks of disagreement,

Germany was told to resume its advance

and attack on Eastern Front of Russia.

Lenin was forced to order Trotsky to

sign because of the German invasion.

EFFECTS OF THE TREATY

Treaty resulted in Russia surrendering Ukraine, Finland,

the Baltic provinces, the Caucasus and Poland to the Central

Powers, giving up 1/3 of Russian population, 1/3 of

agricultural land, and 3/4 of its industries.

Anti-Bolshevik Russians were enraged that the Bolsheviks

signed the treaty, giving up so much of their country.

They took up arms against Bolsheviks, with allied forces.

They hoped to rebuild Eastern Front.

CIVIL WAR

Following October revolution in

1917, Lenin’s Bolsheviks soon

found themselves in civil war

with the conservative White

Guard, who supported the Allies

Russians withdrew from World

War I (Treaty of Brest-Litovsk)

As a result, the Allies lost an

ally against Germany

Liberty, Equality, and Fraternity

ALLIED INTERVENTION

Allies were focused on the war against Germany, not

about fighting communism

Joined the White Guard in 1917 to re-establish the

Eastern Front and weaken Germany

Japan sent a large amount of forces, as retribution of the

Russo-Japanese War of 1904-5

This would only last for 1 year; the Allies withdrew from

Russia in 1918

WHY?

Only committed a few thousand

troops total

Unmotivated and half-hearted

Minimal levels of financial support

Their withdrawal paved the way

for the Bolsheviks to handily win

the war.

Country # of Battle Deaths

Russia 500,000

UK 350

France 50

US 275

Japan 1500

Finland 50

COMINTERN

Comintern –

Communist

International; Third

International

Lenin was a major

influence in the creation("With

Friendship" )

COMINTERN CONT.

President of the Comintern:

Grigory Zinoviev

Lenin was the person

pulling the strings though.

Main goal of the Comintern:

to establish Communist

parties across the world to

aid in the world revolution. ("True Knowledge" )

COMINTERN CONT.

Held seven Congresses between 1919 and 1935

Had diversified membership from all over the

world

Had twenty-one conditions that needed to be

followed to be a part of the Comintern

PEOPLE IN POWER

Lenin

Lev Mikhailovich

Karakhan

Lev Trotsky

Vi Kyuin Wellington Koo

RELATIONS WITH CHINA

TO THE MINISTRY OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS OF

THE CHINESE REPUBLIC(September 27, 1920)

AGREEMENT ON GENERAL PRINCIPLES FOR

THE SETTLEMENT OF QUESTIONS BETWEEN THE

REPUBLIC OF CHINA AND THE UNION OF SOVIET

SOCIALIST REPUBLICS

MORE PEOPLE IN POWER

Woodrow Wilson

Lenin

Provisional

Government

RELATIONS WITH AMERICA

Yury Lomonosov• Railways

Woodrow Wilson• Secretly funding

enemies• Refusal to

cooperate with Lomonosov

WORKS CITEDSmele, Dr. Jonathan. “War and Revolution in Russia 1914-1921.” bbc.co.uk. Retrieved November 17, 2011, from http://

www.bbc.co.uk/history/worldwars/wwone/eastern_front_01.shtml#four

Simkin, John. “Brest-Litovsk Treaty.” spartacus.schoolnet.co.uk. Retrieved November 17, 2011, from http://

www.spartacus.schoolnet.co.uk/FWWbrest.htm

The National Archives. "Allied intervention in Russia, 1918-19." Accessed November 25, 2011.

http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/pathways/firstworldwar/spotlights/allies.htm.

Smele, Dr. Jonathan. "War and Revolution in Russia 1914 - 1921 ." BBC. Accessed November 25, 2011. http

://www.bbc.co.uk/history/worldwars/wwone/eastern_front_01.shtml.

George Mason University. "Much Ado About Nothing: Allied Intervention in the Russian Civil War ." Accessed November

25, 2011. http://econfaculty.gmu.edu/bcaplan/museum/muchado.htm.

"True Knowledge." Accessed November 23, 2011. http://www.trueknowledge.com/q/facts_about__grigory_zinoviev.

"With Friendship." Accessed November 23, 2011. http://withfriendship.com/user/levis/comintern.php.

True Knowledge. http://www.trueknowledge.com/q/facts_about__lev_karakhan.

"1919, Karakhan - Soviet Russia." China's External Relations - A History. http://www.chinaforeignrelations.net/node/243

(accessed November 25, 2011)

"Other Soviet Union Trains for Sale." Dave's Trains, Inc.. www.davestrains.com/sovother.html (accessed November 25,

2011).