The Treaty of Versailles was signed on 28th June 1919, exactly five years after the assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand, the event that sparked World War One. It was signed in the Palace of Versailles, specifically in the room known as the Hall of Mirrors. It was signed on French soil, a good indicator of who may have held the balance of power in the talks. The Germans were not allowed to negotiate the terms, they were simply forced to sign or risk having the war restart, something the devastated and broken nation of Germany could not afford.