At the end of the devastating First World War, European nations had no interest in fighting another war; however, lingering feelings of animosity and aspirations for revenge against Germany would result in one of the deadliest wars in history. On January 18, 1919, delegates from thirty-two countries met at the Palace of Versailles, France, to negotiate peace and determine the fate of Germany. After a year of heated debate, a series of tough sanctions were agreed. Germany lost all of its colonies as well as large amounts of valuable land that would be used to create new nations. War material was banned and very restrictive rules were imposed on the military. The treaty's most humiliating article, known as the War Guilt Clause, blamed Germany for the war and forced the Germans to pay a crushing $35 billion for damages caused by the war. Although the Allies wanted to weaken Germany so that it could never wage war again, many world leaders feared that an overly punitive treaty could provoke a sense of revenge in Germany and consequently plunge Europe into a new bloody war. (Beck 425-426) While German outrage was expected, the horrors resulting from the signing of the treaty had consequences that left a legacy on the world. Although the Treaty of Versailles was intended to bring lasting peace after World War I, in Germany it led to a lack of trust in government, an economic crisis and the loss of considerable areas of land, which directly led to the increase in the number of countries. of the Nazi fascist party. Adolf Hitler was able to rise to power in Germany because he exploited the anger and distrust that Germans felt toward their new government to sign the Treaty of Versailles. The German people we...... middle of paper ...... models of interaction. Evanston, IL: McDougal Littell, 2005. Print. Boden, Michael A. and Robert T. Foley. "Treaty of Versailles: Was the Treaty of Versailles responsible for the rise of Hitler and Nazism in Germany?" History in dispute. Ed. Denis Showalter. Flight. 4: World War II, 1939-1943. Detroit: St. James Press, 2000. 266-274. World history in context. Internet. March 23, 2014. Dudley, William, ed. The Nazis. San Diego, CA: Greenhaven, 2002. Print. Grimshaw, Ashley. “The Treaty of Versailles.” Lemoyne.edu. Le Moyne College, April 17, 2008. Web. March 10, 2014Lace, William W. The Nazis. San Diego, CA: Lucent, 1998. Print. The Holocaust Library. Nardo, Don, ed. The rise of Nazi Germany. San Diego, CA: Greenhaven, 1999. Print. Stewart, Gail B. Hitler's Reich. San Diego: Lucent, 1994. Print “The Treaty of Versailles.” Colby.edu. Colby College, nd Web. March 11. 2014.