Witness History19 Jun 2025

The signing of the Treaty of Versailles

On 28 June 1919, in the Palace of Versailles in Paris the signing of the Treaty of Versailles took place.

It was a peace agreement that marked the end of World War One.

The terms of the treaty punished Germany for their involvement in starting the war.

British journalist, William Norman Ewer attended the signing. He told his story to the BBC World Service in 1967.

He recalls the moment of the signing and the treatment of the German delegates in this fascinating account.

Produced and presented by Gill Kearsley.

Eye-witness accounts brought to life by archive. Witness History is for those fascinated by the past. We take you to the events that have shaped our world through the eyes of the people who were there. For nine minutes every day, we take you back in time and all over the world, to examine wars, coups, scientific discoveries, cultural moments and much more.

Recent episodes explore everything from football in Brazil, the history of the ‘Indian Titanic’ and the invention of air fryers, to Public Enemy’s Fight The Power, subway art and the political crisis in Georgia. We look at the lives of some of the most famous leaders, artists, scientists and personalities in history, including: visionary architect Antoni Gaudi and the design of the Sagrada Familia; Michael Jordan and his bespoke Nike trainers; Princess Diana at the Taj Mahal; and Görel Hanser, manager of legendary Swedish pop band Abba on the influence they’ve had on the music industry. You can learn all about fascinating and surprising stories, such as the time an Iraqi journalist hurled his shoes at the President of the United States in protest of America’s occupation of Iraq; the creation of the Hollywood commercial that changed advertising forever; and the ascent of the first Aboriginal MP.

(Photo: Treaty of Versailles is signed by Prime Minister Clemenceau. Credit: Photo12/Universal Images Group via Getty Images)

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