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.
Fought in southern Germany on 27 June 1743, Dettingen saw British forces stand in alliance with those of Hanover and Austria against the French. It was the last time a reigning British monarch personally led his troops in battle.
In the spring of 1945, Allied armies began their final advance into the heart of Nazi Germany. After weeks of intense fighting, they secured victory, ending the most destructive war in Europe's history.
As the British Army advanced into the heart of Nazi Germany in the spring of 1945, its soldiers were confronted with the full horrors of the Holocaust at the notorious Bergen-Belsen concentration camp.
From 1808 to 1814, the British Army, aided by its Spanish and Portuguese allies, held off superior numbers of French troops before driving them out of Iberia. They then carried the war into France, playing an important part in Napoleon's first overthrow.
Between 1689 and 1697, British soldiers joined a European alliance against French expansionism. At the same time, extensive fighting took place in Scotland and Ireland between the supporters of King William III and the deposed James II.
Nato has been the cornerstone of British defence planning for 70 years. Originally formed as a bulwark against communism, more recently it has been involved in peacekeeping roles and the ‘war on terror’.
In 1999, British soldiers deployed to Kosovo as a peacekeeping force. Today, troops still serve in the disputed country as part of a multi-national force helping to ensure security and stability.
British soldiers first deployed to Bosnia in 1992 during the country's vicious civil war. Initially tasked with protecting aid convoys, they have remained there on peacekeeping duties ever since.
From 1943 to 1945, the Allies fought an attritional campaign in Italy against a resolute and skilful enemy. Far from being the ‘soft underbelly of Europe’, Italy became one of the Second World War’s most exhausting campaigns.
In the First World War, the cavalry could no longer deliver the decisive charges it had performed in the past. But it continued to carry out a variety of useful roles that contributed to British success.
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.
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.
Eighty years after D-Day, military charity Blind Veterans UK has captured the portraits and stories of veterans who served in Normandy and now receive their life-changing support.
Hear from Major General Peter Williams as he reveals what it was like to command the Coldstream Guards armoured infantry battalion during the civil war in Bosnia.
Dr Glyn Prysor discusses the Battle for Normandy with Professor Jonathan Fennell, examining the Allied advance that followed on from the historic D-Day landings.
Join us for the annual Siborne Lecture, hosted by the Royal United Services Institute (RUSI), to explore the history and culture of the Napoleonic Wars.
Professor Nigel Pollard uses the little-known story of the bombing of Pompeii during the Second World War to reflect on the risk that conflict poses to cultural heritage sites.
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