has been the scene for several
historic events, not the least
of which was the signing, on 28 June 1919 within the Hall of Mirrors,
of the Peace Treaty between defeated Germany and the Allies that brought
the First World War officially to an end. The signing of the treaty at
Versailles, of course, mirrored the proclamation, in 1871 within the same
long hall, of the establishment of the German Empire under the Prussian king, subsequently
the Kaiser. Originally, the palace started out as simply a hunting lodge built by Louis XIII.
However, after that Louis XIV decided he wanted to build the palace that we know today at that exact location.
In 1789 the palace lost its seat in power, but today hosts the Museum of France's history.