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Treaty of Versailles: Quick Facts

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Facts

Date June 28, 1919
Participants Bulgaria • France • Germany • Italy • Japan • Ottoman Empire • Portugal • Soviet Union • United Kingdom • Allied powers
Context World War I • Treaties of Paris

Did You Know?

  • The extreme effects of the Treaty on Germany led to the Dolchstosslegende (stab-in-the-back legend) which worked in favor of the Nazi Party.
  • The other treaties signed with the losing Central Powers were also harsh, ending their empires.
  • The French insisted on the Treaty being harsh out of fear of Germany instigating another war.
  • The Treaty's required reparations amplified the state of Europe's economy in Germany, causing hyperinflation.
  • After the Treaty was signed (reluctantly) by the German government, terrorists assassinated several government officials they held responsible for it.

Photos and Videos

“Big Four”
Large crowd fills the ornate Hall of Mirrors at Versailles during the signing of the Treaty of Versailles in 1919, with arched windows and mirrors lining both sides of the hall.
Large crowd of protesters holding signs in German opposing the Treaty of Versailles, gathered in front of a grand building in Germany, circa 1919-1934.
Large crowd of students, many holding flags and wearing hats, gathers on steps in front of columns at the Lustgarten in Berlin to protest the Treaty of Versailles, circa 1919-1929.
Gauge the moods of the European people and statesmen as Woodrow Wilson arrived to forge an end to World War I
Examine how the Allied powers dismembered the Central Powers of World War I by a treaty that failed to prevent World War II
What Were the Consequences of the Treaty of Versailles?
Birth of the Weimar Republic
See All Videos and Images →

Related Topics and References

Topics
Dig Deeper: More Articles That Discuss This Topic

Timeline

“Big Four”
Treaty of Versailles
June 28, 1919
default image
Treaty of Saint-Germain
September 10, 1919
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Treaty of Neuilly
November 27, 1919
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Treaty of Trianon
June 4, 1920
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Treaty of Sèvres
August 10, 1920

Key People

Woodrow Wilson
Woodrow Wilson
president of United States
Portrait of Georges Clemenceau wearing a suit and a wide-brimmed hat, looking to the left with a serious expression.
Georges Clemenceau
prime minister of France
Erzberger, Matthias
Matthias Erzberger
German politician
default image
Hermann Müller
chancellor of Germany
Hankey, Maurice Pascal Alers Hankey, 1st Baron
Maurice Pascal Alers Hankey, 1st Baron Hankey
British soldier and politician

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