Sometime back in the 1970s or 1980s I saw a wonderful docudrama on PBS that has stayed with me ever since. It was a reenactment of the negotiations and signing of the Treaty of Versailles. Actually, “negotiations” may be too generous a term, since the Allied representatives essentially imposed their harsh and shaming peace terms on the Germans, accepting little or no compromise.
The poor German delegates – a small band of obscure, washed-up military officers and lightweight, hapless politicians – who were sent to sign the document soon realized that they were sacrificial lambs. Since Germany had been rendered powerless they were in no position to refuse to sign the treaty, but doing so would make them pariahs back home. In fact, IIRC, according to the film, some, if not all, of them would eventually be killed “under mysterious circumstances” as Hitler rose to power. (In truth, I have no idea how historically accurate the program actually was, but it certainly seemed to be striving to be faithful to the facts.)
So, does anyone out there in Doperland remember this television program? Do you know the title? Is it available on VHS/DVD?