ABSTRACT
The Soviet Russian republic that came into existence after the Bolshevik seizure of power of October 1917, and that would become the Soviet Union in 1924, was born into a hostile international environment. In late 1917 the Bolsheviks had to deal with the German threat that had played a crucial role in both bringing down the Tsarist regime and weakening the Provisional Government. Peace with Germany with the Treaty of Brest-Litovsk in March 1918 came at the temporary price of vast swathes of Russian imperial territory, including the Ukraine, and marked the longer-term separation of the Baltic Republics and Finland from the former Empire. The peace also brought the Bolsheviks into direct confrontation with the Entente, determined to preserve an Eastern Front in the war against the Central Powers. British and French input into the Civil War undoubtedly prolonged the fighting, and would not be forgotten quickly by Soviet leaders.
