What was the Treaty of Versailles?

• A. A trade agreement between allies
• B. A military alliance to enforce postwar borders
• C. A peace treaty with terms that were put into place to restore peace and end the war.
• D. A treaty that started new conflicts

Answer: (C)

The main idea being tested is recognizing that the Treaty of Versailles was the formal peace settlement that ended World War I. It was signed in 1919 at Versailles by the Allies and Germany, and its purpose was to lay out terms to restore peace and conclude the war. The treaty imposed a set of conditions on Germany—territorial losses, limits on the military, reparations, and the acceptance of responsibility for the war—with the goal of preventing another large-scale war. It also established the League of Nations as a framework for collective security and ongoing dispute resolution. While the aim was to secure lasting peace, many see the terms as punitive and destabilizing for Germany, fueling economic hardship and political resentment that contributed to later conflicts. The other options don’t fit because this treaty was not simply about trade between allies, nor was it a military alliance to enforce postwar borders; and although it helped sow future tensions, its primary purpose was to end the war, not start new conflicts.