The Treaty of Brest-Litovsk was what?

• A. A postwar cultural agreement between Russia and Germany
• B. The 1918 peace treaty between Russia and the Central Powers; Russia ceded large territories in Eastern Europe and the Baltic, and formally exited WWI.
• C. A treaty that established a joint economic zone in the Baltics
• D. An alliance pact guaranteeing mutual defense against the Allies

Answer: (B)

The question tests understanding of what Brest-Litovsk accomplished. It was the 1918 peace treaty between Soviet Russia and the Central Powers that ended Russia’s involvement in World War I. By the terms, Russia surrendered and ceded large territories in Eastern Europe and the Baltic to Germany and its allies, dramatically reshaping the map and allowing the German side to free troops for the Western Front. This wasn’t about culture, economics, or alliances; it was a peace agreement that halted Russia’s participation in the war, at a steep territorial cost.