The topic of the February History Discussion Group will be the Treaty of Versailles, drafted at the Paris Peace Conference of 1919.  Though nearly thirty nations participated in the conference, the representatives of Great Britain, France, the United States, and Italy dominated the proceedings that ultimately led to the formulation of the treaty, marking the formal end the First World War. 
 
Discussion topics will include the impact of the treaty on Germany (including requiring the country to pay financial reparations, reduce the size of its army, and surrender 10% of its pre-war territory, in addition to giving up all its overseas colonies); the U. S. Senate’s opposition to the treaty; how the treaty led to the formation of the League of Nations; and how (or how not) the treaty contributed to the rise of far right parties in Germany, including the Nazi Party under Adolf Hitler.