The Treaty of Versailles after the end of World War I has been criticized as a contributing cause of World War II. It humiliated the German state and fueled the "stab in the back" myth later wielded as propaganda by factions such as the Nazi Party. Even before it came into effect, the treaty was criticized by people like Supreme Allied Commander Ferdinand Foch, who is quoted as saying, "This is not peace. It is an armistice for 20 years".

There must have been some debate at the time about the possible effects of the treaty, exemplified by Foch's prophetic remark. How do we explain that it still came into effect in its final, disastrous form?