The final shots of the First World War (“The War to End All Wars”) were fired on November 11, 1918. In France’s Forest of Compiègne, an armistice was concluded between German commanders and Marshal Foch, the Supreme Allied Commander. The war was over and the world breathed a sigh of relief.
In Russia, this event went largely unnoticed. The country had withdrawn from the war a year earlier, when the Bolsheviks issued a Peace Decree on November 8, 1917, before many Russians even knew that the Reds had seized power in Petrograd.
By the time of Russia’s withdrawal from the war, Europe was exhausted, and this call for peace was embraced by many and increased Lenin’s popularity. The governments of the warring countries, of course, took note that the decree was addressed to “peoples and their governments.” The message was clear: if governments did not want to end the war, the people should rise up and do it for them. Russia’s departure from the war was a great relief for Germany and its allies, who were in a critical situation. As a result, they managed to keep fighting for another year, until November 1918.
Did withdrawing from the war help Russia? It certainly helped the Bolsheviks. It secured the support of hundreds of thousands of soldiers. However, the revolution by no means marked the end of bloodshed. As the Germans were bringing their peace offer to Marshal Foch’s railway car, Russia was embroiled in Civil War; multiple governments were competing for authority; thousands were trying to flee the country; famine, typhus, and Spanish flu were taking countless lives; the royal family had been executed; and even many apolitical people were losing their lives to the Red Terror.
Diese Geschichte stammt aus der November/December 2019-Ausgabe von Russian Life.
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Diese Geschichte stammt aus der November/December 2019-Ausgabe von Russian Life.
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Sidewalk Art
The lamentable state of Russia’s roads and sidewalks has long been fertile ground for memes and jokes. Irkutsk artist Ivan Kravchenko decided to turn the problem into an art project. For over two years he has been patching ruts in city sidewalks with colorful ceramic tiles.
Sputnik V: First Place or Long Shot?
The Russian vaccine seems top-notch, but low public trust and a botched rollout remain formidable barriers to returning to normalcy.
the Valley of the Dead
On the Trail of a Russian Movie Star
Food & Drink
Food & Drink
POLAR YOUTH
Misha Smirnov has the day off. There are the traditional eggs for breakfast and the usual darkness out the window.
Russian Chronicles
Russian Chronicles
A People on the Brink
Over the past century, the ancient people known as the Votes has been exiled twice, has seen its language banned, and has faced the threat of having its villages razed. Today, although teetering on the verge of extinction, it holds fast to one of the last rights it enjoys – the right to bear and to say its own name.
Tenders of the Vine
Visiting Russia’s Nascent Wine Region
Restoring the Future
A Small Town Gets a Makeover
Ascending Anik
Here I stand, on the summit of Anik Mountain, drenched to the bone amid zero visibility, driving rain, and a fierce wind.