German Greed and Trotsky Goofs. . . and the Allies

We've been reading here, of course, in the century old news that Germany and Russia. . . Soviet Russia that is, had arrived upon a peace taking Russia out of the war.

Of course, Russia was taking itself out of the war anyway.  The Civil War was on, lots of regions of Imperial Russia were saying Прощай, or Hyvästi, or do widzenia or до побачення, or hüvasti and so on, all on their own . . and not only to the war, but to Russia itself.  Russia was flying apart and the Russians had started tearing each other apart.  This in turn seemed to be inspiring German greed as they kept advancing when they should have been sending troops out of Russia as quickly as possible in anticipation of their upcoming presumed offensive in the Spring.

Which of course was just the perfect time for Trotsky to do something stupid.  And that was his declaration of neither war nor peace at the peace conference with Germany. The Russians were just going to pack up their bags and go home.  That delcaration came on February 10.  The Germans weren't impressed.

And so a Trotsky blunder encouraged German avarice.