What was one key outcome of the Treaty of Versailles?

The Treaty of Versailles concluded World War I, and one of its most significant outcomes was the imposition of reparations on Germany. The treaty held Germany responsible for the war and mandated that the nation pay substantial reparations to the Allied countries. This was intended to address the damages caused during the conflict and to weaken Germany economically to prevent future aggression.

The reparations were a point of contention and contributed to economic hardship in Germany, fostering resentment and instability that would later be exploited by extremist political movements. The impact of these reparations played a critical role in shaping the political landscape of Europe in the interwar period and contributed to the conditions leading to World War II.

The other options listed relate to different historical events. The United Nations was established after World War II as a response to the failures of the League of Nations, which itself was formed in part from the efforts of the Treaty of Versailles but was not a direct outcome of it. The end of the Cold War occurred much later and was related to the geopolitical conflicts between the Soviet Union and the Western powers. NATO was also founded after World War II as a military alliance aimed at collective defense in response to the perceived threat of Soviet expansion, again not a direct result of the Treaty of Versailles.