The confusion led to the October revolution and the soviets took the power in Russia. The new regime declared its willingness to negotiate a peace with Germany. Under hard pressure from advancing German troupes the peace was finally declared at Brest-Litovsk on the 3 of March 1918.

In the peace treaty Soviet-Russia was forced to give up Poland and the Baltic's as well as accept the independence of Finland and Ukraine.

The war and the revolution in Russia had dramatic consequences for the border region and for the Finnish economy as a hole. The Finnish trade with Germany and England came to a complete stand still at the outbreak of the war. This was partly compensated by a growth in trade with Russia due to the war economy. As a consequence of this Russia became the single most important trading partner. In 1917 90 % of Finnish exports went to Russia.

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