With their overthrow of the old regime, the Bolsheviks offered a war-weary Russian populace the prospect of an immediate end to hostilities. As early as November 8, 1917, the second Congress of Soviets exhorted all belligerent powers to embrace a peace without annexations. On December 3, 1917, Soviet Russian representatives under the direction of Adolf Joffe (1883-1927) began separate negotiations with the Central Powers. Two days later, a ceasefire was concluded. The first round of peace negotiations from December 22-28, 1917, however, ended in failure. These two photographs taken in the winter of 1917/18 shows Russian and German soldiers meeting after the ceasefire.