Conflict in Europe

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Conflict in Europe

This gallery explores the Army’s role in maintaining stability in Europe from the 1700s to the present day. It charts the ebb and flow of power and influence, and also demonstrates how fighting on the Continent has impacted the fate of the British Isles.

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Crimean War

The Crimean War was fought by Britain, France, Turkey and Sardinia against Russia. For the British, the campaign was symbolised by military and logistical incompetence alongside the bravery and endurance of its soldiers.

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Warrington Road in the Ypres Salient, 1917

1917: Year of stalemate

In 1917, Germany adopted a defensive strategy on the Western Front to counter the growing strength of the Allies. Despite launching several offensives, and suffering heavy casualties, the Allies achieved mixed results.

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Samovar taken from Napoleon’s baggage after the Battle of Waterloo, 1815

The Emperor’s samovars

Two samovars that belonged to French Emperor Napoleon Bonaparte shed light on his disastrous invasion of Russia in 1812. They also show how practices like tea drinking spread through different cultures.

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A six-inch howitzer of 127th Siege Battery, Royal Artillery, Salonika, 1917

Salonika campaign

From 1915 to 1918, British troops were part of a multi-national Allied force fighting the Bulgarians and their allies in the Balkans. Despite harsh conditions, they eventually brought the campaign to a successful conclusion.

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Gallipoli campaign

Gallipoli was the first major amphibious operation in modern warfare. In 1915, British Empire and French troops landed on the Ottoman-held peninsula in the Dardanelles Straits with disastrous consequences for the Allies.

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1915: Early trench battles

During 1915, the British and French undertook a series of unsuccessful attacks against the Germans on the Western Front. For both sides it was a tough learning experience.

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1914: Mons to Christmas

In August 1914, the British Expeditionary Force was sent to France. Although small when compared with the German and French armies, it was to play a role out of all proportion to its numbers. But the cost was huge, and by December 1914 it had been almost wiped out.

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The Duke of Marlborough: Corporal John

Marlborough’s long career as a soldier and statesmen spanned the reigns of five monarchs. His triumphs were not only due to his outstanding military talents, they were also a result of politics and patronage.

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King George II at the Battle of Dettingen, 1743

War of the Austrian Succession

This 18th-century conflict was caused by the question of Maria Theresa’s succession to the Austrian crown. During the war, British troops proved their worth as soldiers. But the armies in which they served enjoyed mixed fortunes on the battlefield.

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Sergeant Herbert Chambers with fellow Special Boat Service soldiers in Athens, 1944

Origins of the Special Forces

During the Second World War, Britain created a range of special units who undertook a variety of daring operations against the Axis Powers. The bravery and commitment of these forces has become the stuff of legend.

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Bagnold sun compass used by the LRDG, c1942

Desert innovator: Bagnold's sun-compass

The Long Range Desert Group were masters of navigation. They owed much of their success to the scientific talents of Major Ralph Bagnold, whose sun-compass invention revolutionised desert travel.

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Douglas Haig: The chief

Field Marshal Sir Douglas Haig commanded the British Army when it achieved arguably its greatest victories, those over the Germans on the Western Front. But for many his leadership was marked by unacceptable losses.

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Leading Aircraftwoman Pearl Bradburn recording details of casualties before take-off from Bazenville, Normandy, 1944

Talk At Museum / Online

20 September 2024, 12.00pm

FREE

Getting Them Home: The Flying Nightingales

Dr Emily Mayhew tells the remarkable story of the Flying Nightingales, a group of nurses who flew across the Channel to help evacuate injured soldiers from the beaches of Normandy.

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Talk At Museum / Online

27 September 2024, 12.00pm

FREE

The Brutal Fight for Hill 107

Join Robert Kershaw at this year’s Chelsea History Festival as he sheds light on the Battle of Crete and the pivotal action at Hill 107 during the Second World War.

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Radiation testing after the Christmas Island atomic test, 1957

Talk At Museum / Online

11 October 2024, 12.00pm

FREE

The Forgotten History of British Nuclear Test Veterans

Hear from Dr Christopher Hill and Dr Virginia Crompton as they discuss the British nuclear testing programme and its legacy today.

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Talk At Museum / Online

18 October 2024, 12.00pm

FREE

From Knights to Nukes

Drawing analogies from the game of chess, Brigadier James Cook OBE helps us understand the evolution of war from pre-history to the present, and beyond.

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Talk At Museum / Online

25 October 2024, 12.00pm

FREE

The Forgotten General: Sir Alan Cunningham

Join Colonel Dennis Vincent as he explores the career of General Sir Alan Cunningham, one of Britain’s most celebrated military commanders in 1941, but virtually unknown by the end of the Second World War.

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Talk At Museum

14 November 2024, 6.30pm

£10.00

SAS Daggers Drawn

Bestselling author Damien Lewis introduces his new book, which tells the story of the SAS mission to confront Hitler's armoured legions deep behind enemy lines in the summer of 1944.

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Talk At Museum / Online

15 November 2024, 12.00pm

FREE

The Minden Cannonball and Its Impact on History

John Rubinstein traces the interconnected histories of a French revolutionary and a disgraced British general through the firing of a cannonball at the Battle of Minden.

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New

Talk At Museum

20 November 2024, 6.30pm

£15.00

Cassino ’44

Join James Holland as he revisits the Second World War battles at Monte Cassino, bringing their dramatic scenes to life through the words of those who were there.

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Tank C51 ‘Chaperon’, south of Cambrai, 1917

Talk At Museum / Online

22 November 2024, 12.00pm

FREE

Cambrai: The Making of the Tank Corps

Join David Willey of the Tank Museum as he highlights how the Battle of Cambrai became the defining moment for the newly formed Tank Corps during the First World War.

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A convoy of Jewish Brigade trucks, Italy, 1945

Talk At Museum / Online

29 November 2024, 12.00pm

FREE

Soldiers, Angels and Avengers: The Jewish Brigade in Italy

Join Dr Gianluca Fantoni as he chronicles the formation, deployment and field conduct of the Jewish Brigade Infantry Group during the Second World War.

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