Germany, determined to compel Russia to accept her terms, renewed her military operations on February 18.  The result was that Lenine and Trotzky, the Bolshevik leaders, were forced to agree to the conditions which had been laid down by the Central Powers at Brest-Litovsk.  Nevertheless the Germans continued their advance, with practically no opposition, to within seventy miles of Petrograd.

THE SEPARATION OF UKRAINIA AND FINLAND.—­Ukrainia, the southwestern corner of Russia, is the home of a Slavic people—­the Little Russians—­closely akin to the Russians proper.  The people of Finland, in the extreme northwest, are of a distinctly different race.  In both these regions there were set up independent governments which resisted the rule of the Bolsheviki.  With the aid of German troops the power of the Bolsheviki in the new states was soon destroyed.  Through the setting up of these states, particularly Ukrainia, Germany hoped to secure grain supplies, and to control large iron and coal deposits.  Dissatisfaction of the people with German control, however, interfered seriously with the realizing of such hopes.

[Illustration:  TREATY OF BREST-LITOVSK States and Provinces taken from Russia]

THE PEACE OF BREST-LITOVSK.—­On March 3 peace between Russia and the Central Powers was finally signed at Brest-Litovsk.  By the terms of the treaties Russia was compelled (1) to surrender her western provinces of Poland, Lithuania, Livonia, Esthonia, and Courland; (2) to recognize the independence of Ukrainia and Finland; (3) to cede to Turkey certain important districts south of the Caucasus Mountains;[5] and (4) to pay a tremendous indemnity.  The falsity of the German talk of “no annexations and no indemnities” was now evident.  Few more disastrous treaties have ever been forced upon a vanquished nation.  It has been estimated that the treaties of Brest-Litovsk took from Russia 4 per cent of her total area, 26 per cent of her population, 37 per cent of her food stuffs production, 26 per cent of her railways, 33 per cent of her manufacturing industries, 75 per cent of her coal, and 73 per cent of her iron.

ROUMANIA MAKES PEACE.—­Roumania, deserted by Russia, was forced to make peace in the spring of 1918, by ceding to her enemies the whole of the Dobrudja and also about 3000 square miles of territory on her western frontier.  The Central Powers, moreover, were given control of the vast petroleum fields and the rich wheat lands of the defeated nation.

A little later, however, the Russian province of Bessarabia decided to unite itself to Roumania, as most of its people are of the Roumanian race.

THE RUSSIAN SITUATION IN 1918.—­In spite of the Brest-Litovsk treaties, the Allies continued to regard Russia as a friendly nation.  President Wilson took the lead in this attitude.  It was felt that the Russian people were sadly in need of assistance, but just how this should be given was a serious problem.