The subject of this week’s talk to Largs Probus Club was ‘The Treaty of Versailles’, the final act of World War One, signed on June 28th 1919 in the magnificent Hall of Mirrors in the Palace of Versailles – we’ll come to the reason why it was held there.
Any doubts that this might be a rather limited subject for a 45-minute talk were soon dispelled as our speaker, Bill Fitzpatrick, captivated his audience with a clear explanatory narrative of the background to the Treaty and its far reaching consequences.
In early 1918, having sorted out the Russians, Germany’s military supremo, First Quartermaster General Erich Ludendorff, reckoned that it was time wrap things up on the Western Front, and with his Spring ‘Michael Offensive’, launched a series of attacks on the British forces.

Each attack saw the British drawing back, but not defeated, and following a disastrous attack on the French at Rheims, a heavy toll had been taken on the German forces. Morale was low, looting was a serious problem, and the advantage had swung to the allied forces.
The Battle of Amiens in early August saw the start of the downfall of the German army, leading to the abdication of the Kaiser, and Ludendorff seeking an armistice.

Assault tank overtaking the Canadian 8th Field Ambulance, Hangard. Battle of Amiens, August 1918.
Hostilities ceased on 11th November 1918, but it was to be nearly seven months before a peace conference was convened. The French were rather keen to use the Hall of Mirrors in the Palace of Versailles, really just to rub salt in the German wounds, as that was where Wilhelm was crowned Kaiser of a unified Germany in 1871, following Germany’s defeat of France in the Franco-Prussian war.

Clemenceau from France, Lloyd George from Britain and Woodrow Wilson from America (and Orlando from Italy, but he didn’t really count) were the delegates. Germany was not invited.
To punish Germany, Wilson erred towards leniency, Lloyd George was a bit tougher, but Clemenceau was all for throwing the book at them, and the rest.
In the end a series of fairly punitive conditions were imposed on Germany and reparations demanded, including a pretty hefty fine of 132 billion gold marks (which they didn’t have).
However, although Germany had been humiliated, colonies and territory taken from them and their economy in tatters, their army had not been defeated and in less than two decades the country was once again a force to be reckoned with, with devastating consequences.
So much for “the war to end wars”.
Footnote:
This brief, and somewhat flippant summary of such a significant event in 20th century history, does not in any way seek to diminish the absolute horror of World War One and the senseless loss of the millions of young lives that it caused.
