When was the Treaty of Versailles signed?

The Treaty of Versailles was signed in the Hall of Mirrors at the Palace of Versailles on 28 June 1919 and it officially ended WWI. Representatives for the Allies attending the conference were David Lloyd George of Great Britain, Georges Clemenceau of France, Woodrow Wilson of the United States, and Vittorio Orlando of Italy. Although the Treaty was with Germany, the Germans had not been allowed to send any delegates and had to accept whatever was decided.

Largely influenced by Clemenceau, Cl. 231 gave the peacemakers the right to punish Germany by weakening the Germans so they would never be able to go to war again. The Treaty left the aggrieved parties feeling like Germany was being duly punished for its crimes but it was bitterly criticized by the Germans, who complained that it had been “dictated” to them. In the years after it was ratified, the Treaty of Versailles was revised and altered and numerous concessions were made to Germany. Hitler remilitarized the Rhineland in 1936 (a violation of the treaty), the Allies did nothing to stop him, thus, unwillingly encouraging German aggression.

The Treaty had five main points: Germany had to accept the blame for starting the war; had to pay £6,600 million in ‘reparations’ for damage done; had to reduce its military power and lost approximately 10% of its land, which was given to other countries. Finally, Germany’s colonies were given to France or Britain and Germany was not allowed to join the League of Nations.