On this day in1 919, The Treaty of Versailles was signed, ending the state of war between Germany and the Allies of World War I.

It was signed in the Palace of Versailles, exactly five years after the assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand, which led to the war.

The most critical and controversial provision in the treaty was: “The Allied and Associated Governments affirm and Germany accepts the responsibility of Germany and her allies for causing all the loss and damage to which the Allied and Associated Governments and their nationals have been subjected as a consequence of the war imposed upon them by the aggression of Germany and her allies.”

The treaty required Germany to disarm, make ample territorial concessions, and pay reparations to the tune of US $31.4 billion roughly equivalent to US$442 billion in 2023).