Hello, from January 18, to June 28, 1919, the fate of the world seemed as if it would be decided in Paris. There leaders of the victorious powers met to determine the nature of the peace it would imposed upon Germany, and its allies, following the armistice of November 11, 1918. The results were complex and contentious even before the German government signed the final peace treaty—and there were many more treaties yet to be signed, by Austria, Bulgaria, Hungary, and Turkey, a process that went on for over another year.

With me to discuss the Treaty of Versailles, its complexities, controversy, and legacy, is Michael S. Neiberg, inaugural chair in War Studies at the Army War College in Carlisle, Pennsylvania. He is the author of many books—most recently, The Path to War: How the First World War Created Modern America, and The Treaty of Versailles: A Concise History, both published by Oxford University Press.