The Treaty of Brestlitovsk and the Russian Civil War

The soviet government of the russian communists now installed in moscow. The theory under the treaty of breslitovsk was that russia's former minority nationalities would have the right to independence, autonomy and self determination. So who do we listen to? Who gets to make that claim? Embedded in the answer to these questions is the explanation for why wars of independence are always civil wars at the same time.