Which treaty ended World War I and imposed harsh penalties on Germany, leading the United States to reject it due to concerns about entangling alliances?

• A. The Treaty of Paris
• B. The Treaty of Ghent
• C. The Treaty of Tordesillas
• D. Treaty of Versailles

Answer: (D)

The central idea here is the postwar settlement that ended World War I and shaped U.S. foreign policy, specifically the pushback against being drawn into European commitments. The treaty in question formally ended the war and imposed harsh penalties on Germany, including reparations, territorial losses, and military restrictions. It also established the League of Nations, which many Americans feared would commit the United States to foreign conflicts through collective security obligations. Because of concerns about entangling alliances and preserving congressional authority over American affairs, the United States did not ratify this treaty and thus did not join the League.

The other options come from earlier periods in history: one ended the American Revolution, another ended the War of 1812, and another was a long-ago division of non-European territories.