Legacy of World War I Presented at Lincoln Museum

World War I resulted in millions of deaths and ushered in a new age of warfare. It also gave the victors a chance to remake the world in ways that are still felt today, as the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum will explore in a special presentation June 27.

In “The Legacy of World War I,” historian Mark DePue will explain the Treaty of Versailles, the document that officially ended the war a century ago on June 28, 1919. Using maps, pictures and audio, the popular speaker will show how the victors in “The Great War” used their power.

President Woodrow Wilson had his Fourteen Points for international cooperation and a new League of Nations, but France and Britain had their own goals. European borders were redrawn, and colonies around the globe changed hands. Germany was punished, planting seeds of discontent.

DePue, head of the presidential library’s Oral History Program, frequently speaks on military topics from Gettysburg to D-Day. His popular presentations take familiar names from history books and bring them to life, explaining how events unfolded and why they matter.

The free event begins at 6:30 p.m. at the presidential museum’s Union Theater, 212 N. Sixth Street, Springfield. To reserve your seat, visit www.PresidentLincoln.Illinois.gov and click on “special event reservations.”