The First Armistice by Fortunino Matania, showing Russian emissaries presenting their credentials to German officers. The first step towards peace negotiations was taken by the Russian parliamentaires who, in the first days of December 1917 were chosen to discuss matters at the headquarters of the German Commander-in-Chief. they left the Russian lines with a white flag and a bugler, and after walking 300 yards across No Man's Land met German officers close to the latter's barbed-wire entanglements. Their eyes were bandaged and they were taken to headquarters, where they presented their credentials from Krylenko, the Russian Commander-in-Chief, to two specially deputed officers of the German divisional staff.