What did the European powers hope to accomplish at the treaty if versailles?

The now conventional understanding of the Treaty of Versailles is that the three European powers of the "Big Four" (Great Britain, France and Italy [United States being the fourth]) aimed to target Germany as the main cause of WWI. The Treaty moved towards this in many ways, but the most obvious case was Article 231. This part of the Treaty demanded that Germany accept the entire responsibility for WWI--and all financial costs therein.