100 years ago today

[Gary Symonds]

It was 100 years ago today that the Great War officially came to an end. June 28, 1919. The Treaty of Versailles was signed. It was 5 years to the day since the assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand. The Treaty set in motion many ominous future events. Germany was forced to take all blame for the war and starting it. This was not true. Germany was forced to give up all of her colonies around the world. Parts of Germany were ceded to other nations. Germany's military was reduced to 100,000 men. Germany was forced to pay massive reparations. The German people were subjected to mass poverty in the upcoming years. Anger was deep. Legend has it, that as the German delegation filed out of the rail car, a lowly Leutnant was the last to leave, as he closed the door he had a message for the allies. Not sure which language he spoke in, he told them, "We'll see you in 20 years!"

Thank you Wilhelm.

Alan Dershowitz has said that the Versailles Treaty was among the most disastrious documents of the 20th Century. He also included the Harrison Narcotic Act of 1914 as another mistake.

Without this Treaty there would never have been a Hitler or a second war.