Treaty of Versailles
The signing of the Treaty of Versailles, marking the formal end of World War I, takes place in the Hall of Mirrors. The German delegation, under protest, signs the treaty which imposes harsh reparatio
Setting
The Hall of Mirrors in the Palace of Versailles, France. The grand hall is adorned with seventeen arched mirrors reflecting the opposite windows overlooking the palace gardens. The space is filled with dignitaries, diplomats, and military officials from various nations.
Characters
Woodrow Wilson
primary
A tall, lean man in his early 60s with a gaunt face, high forehead, and piercing gray eyes. His posture is erect but slightly stiff, with a noticeable weariness around his shoulders. His thin lips are often pressed together, and his clean-shaven face bears the marks of stress and exhaustion.
Georges Clemenceau
primary
A wiry, middle-aged man with a sharp, angular face framed by a neatly trimmed white beard and mustache. His piercing dark eyes convey both intelligence and intensity. Despite his age, he carries himself with the vigor of a much younger man, his posture upright and commanding.
David Lloyd George
secondary
A wiry, energetic man in his mid-50s with sharp features, a neatly trimmed mustache, and piercing blue eyes that convey both shrewdness and weariness. His posture suggests a man accustomed to quick movements and decisive action.
German Delegate
secondary
A middle-aged man with a gaunt, weary face, his sharp features accentuated by deep shadows under his eyes. His posture is rigid, betraying both exhaustion and suppressed anger. His dark hair is streaked with gray, combed back neatly but with a few strands falling loose, as if he has run his hands through it repeatedly in frustration.
French Official
background
A middle-aged man with a lean, upright posture, clean-shaven face, and sharp features. His dark hair is neatly combed back, with streaks of gray at the temples. His piercing blue eyes scan the proceedings with quiet efficiency.
Dialog
Georges Clemenceau
Germany must pay—not in promises, but in blood and iron. Forty years ago, they marched through this very hall. Let them remember it.
Woodrow Wilson
With all due respect, Prime Minister, an equitable peace requires conciliation, not vengeance. The League's arbitration would prevent such humiliations in future.
David Lloyd George
See here—we can't have another '71 nor another '14. The Boche must be hobbled, but leave them standing enough to work your reparations, eh?
Georges Clemenceau
You speak of hobbles while their artillery still smokes our countryside? Non. The Rhineland stays occupied until every sou is repaid.
Woodrow Wilson
Then we risk sowing the very seeds of resentment that may sprout into—
David Lloyd George
Gentlemen, gentlemen—the mirrors reflect more than our faces today. Let history see we tempered justice with wisdom.
Georges Clemenceau
History remembers winners. And today, France wins.