The Treaty of Versailles

The Versailles Treaty, signed on June 28, 1919 in the Hall of Mirrors in the Palace of Versailles in Paris, was the peace settlement between Germany and the Allied Powers that officially ended World War I. However, the conditions in the treaty were so punitive upon Germany that many believe the Versailles Treaty laid the groundwork for the eventual rise of Nazis in Germany and the eruption of World War II.

THE TREATY, WHICH PARTLY RESPONSIBLE FOR STARTING WWII

DEBATED AT THE PARIS PEACE CONFERENCE
On January 18, 1919 - just over two months after the fighting on World War I's Western Front ended - the Paris Peace Conference opened, beginning the five months of debates and discussions that surrounded the drawing up of the Versailles Treaty.
Although many diplomats from the Allied Powers participated, the "big three" (Prime Minister David Lloyd George of the United Kingdom, Prime Minister Georges Clemenceau of France, and President Woodrow Wilson of the United States) were the most influential. Germany was not invited.
British Prime Minister David Lloyd George (left), French Prime Minister Georges Clemenceau (center), and American President Woodrow Wilson (right) on their way to the Versailles Peace Conference.

British Prime Minister David Lloyd George
French Prime Minister
Georges Clemenceau
American President
Woodrow Wilson

On May 7, 1919, the Versailles Treaty was handed over to Germany, who was told they had only three weeks in which to accept the Treaty. Considering that in many ways the Versailles Treaty was meant to punish Germany, Germany of course found much fault with the Versailles Treaty.
Germany did send back a list of complaints over the Treaty; however, the Allied Powers ignored most of them.

THE VERSAILLES TREATY: A VERY LONG DOCUMENT
The document consists of 440 articles, have been divided into 15 parts.

VERSAILLES TREATY TERMS SPARK CONTROVERSY