The Treaty of Versailles was signed in 1919, on 28 June, formally ending the state of war between Germany and the Allied powers after World War I.
The signing took place in the Hall of Mirrors at the Palace of Versailles in France, exactly five years after the assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand. The treaty required Germany to accept responsibility for wartime damage, make reparations, reduce its armed forces, and surrender territory.
The agreement also created the League of Nations, an international organization intended to help prevent future wars. The United States Senate did not ratify the treaty, so the United States never became a member of the League under the Versailles settlement.
The treaty’s terms remained controversial. Critics in Germany called it a dictated peace, while some Allied leaders believed its provisions were not severe enough. Its legacy is often discussed in relation to the political instability that preceded World War II.