On This Day: Treaty of Versailles

The Treaty of Versailles was the peace agreement signed after World War I on June 28th, 1919. The treaty was negotiated by the victors of World War I with little input from Germany. The final treaty redrew the boundaries of Europe and forced Germany to pay reparations. The decisions made at Versailles had a significant impact on the events leading up to World War II and led to Germany's resentment of other European powers. Aspects of this treaty set the stage for Hitler's rise to power in Germany and the start of World War II. Although U.S. President Woodrow Wilson helped draft the treaty and brought his Fourteen Points to the table, the U.S. Senate failed to ratify the treaty. Despite the treaty having many failings, it did create the League of Nations, a precursor to the United Nations. The failure of the Treaty of Versailles also provided lessons that the British and American governments used when negotiating peace after World War II.