The treaty that ended World War I and fueled World War II was signed 96 years ago today

Britannica

Dignitaries gather in the Hall of Mirrors at the Palace of Versailles, to sign the Treaty of Versailles on June 28, 1919.

With little German involvement, the principal architects - Britain's David Lloyd George, Italy's Vittorio Orlando, France's Georges Clemenceau of France, and America's Woodrow Wilson - reassigned Germany's borders and issued steep war reparations.

That treaty, known as the "unhappy compromise," had harsh terms laid out in 15 parts and 440 articles. Those harsh terms spurred German nationalism, which in turn gave Nazi leader Adolf Hitler a political platform.

Germany finally paid its World War I debt over a period of 92 years.

Britannica

Spectators watch as the Treaty of Versailles is signed.