After a Century of Chaos, Totalitarianism, and War, Versailles Treaty Still Haunts the World 
 

A century ago, in July 1919, Germany began its journey to the lowest reaches of Hades ... The treaty signed on June 28 in the famous Hall of Mirrors at the Versailles palace, however, proved to be but a brief interlude of peace ... Variously the Big Three or Four (U.S., United Kingdom, France, and sometimes Italy) sought to remake the world. They battled each other over their respective shares of the plunder, such as dividing Germany's colonies and one-time Ottoman possessions, and concocting a system to hinder Berlin's recovery ... Most wars are stupid, unnecessary, and harmful to all sides. Some are the result of hubris ... The centennial of the Versailles Treaty should remind us of the necessity of ending any conflict with a good peace - and, more importantly, of not starting a bad war.
 
 
 
The Treaty of Versailles: Eleven Facts About the 20th Century's Most Controversial Peace Agreement   
 
 

It was June 28, 1919. Envoys, statesmen and diplomats from the world's leading powers had gathered in Versailles Palaces' famous Hall of Mirrors to ink the treaty that would formally end the First World War ... Millions were dead, ancient dynasties were in ruins and political upheaval was sweeping the continent. The treaty, which was the result of six months of peace talks in Paris, was intended to do more than just formally resolve hostilities between the Allies and Germany, it would lay the foundation for a more peaceful and just world ... The settlement ultimately failed to live up to its more noble ambitions and helped set the stage for a second even deadlier conflict 20 years later. To mark the 100th anniversary of the Treaty of Versailles, here are 11 key facts about the agreement and its impact on history.