Which treaty officially ended Russia's participation in World War I?

• A. Treaty of Versailles
• B. Treaty of Brest-Litovsk
• C. Treaty of Saint-Germain
• D. Treaty of Paris

Answer: (B)

This question tests how Russia exited World War I. Russia left the war by signing the Treaty of Brest-Litovsk in March 1918. After the 1917 Bolshevik Revolution, the new government sought peace with Germany and negotiated a separate peace that officially ended Russia’s participation in the conflict. In exchange for exit, Russia ceded substantial territory—areas that became parts of Poland, Ukraine, the Baltic states, and other lands—and provided resources to the Central Powers. This freed German forces to concentrate on the Western Front, reshaping the balance of the war even though fighting continued elsewhere until November 1918. The other treaties listed address peace terms with Germany or with Austria-Hungary, not Russia’s exit, so Brest-Litovsk is the one that directly ended Russia’s involvement.