Conflict in Europe gallery

Explore the Army’s role in maintaining the balance of power in Europe. And discover how fighting on the Continent has affected the British Isles.

About the gallery

The Conflict in Europe gallery charts the ebb and flow of Continental power from the 1700s to the present day.

From disputes over royal successions to the two World Wars and beyond, the gallery follows the Army's involvement in maintaining stability and helping secure Britain’s role as a major influencer in European affairs.

The gallery also draws on the personal experiences of those who served to show how new challenges and innovations have changed the face of warfare.

Duration: Around 60 minutes
Access: Via main lift
Location: Floor 3

Plan your visit

‘Young men of Britain! The Germans said you were not in earnest. We knew you’d come and give them the lie! Play the greater game on the field of honour.’

Army recruiting poster - 1915

c1812

Jingling Johnny

During the Peninsular War (1807-14), the Connaught Rangers captured this French battle standard at Salamanca (1812). They nicknamed it the 'Jingling Johnny'. It had originally been taken as a spoil of war by French troops fighting in Egypt.

Skeleton of Marengo, Napoleon’s horse, 1831

d1831

Skeleton of Napoleon’s horse

Marengo was a light grey Arab horse. He is said to have been ridden by Napoleon Bonaparte in several campaigns, before passing into British hands when the emperor was finally defeated at Waterloo in 1815.

1838

Captain Siborne’s model of Waterloo

Siborne spent eight years working on this scale model of the Battle of Waterloo. His research included an eight-month survey of the battlefield and information obtained from officers who had served there.

c1855

Florence Nightingale’s lamp

Florence used this lantern during her rounds at the Military Hospital at Scutari (now Üsküdar in Turkey) during the Crimean War (1854-56). Her work there set the standards for modern nursing and transformed its public image.

1906

18-pounder field gun

Widely used during the First World War (1914-18), this was one of the most effective light field guns of its day. It could fire shells up to six kilometres and had a remarkable firing rate of up to 30 rounds a minute.

c1986

Phoenix drone

The Phoenix unmanned aerial vehicle, or drone, provided real-time battlefield surveillance that could be examined from a safe distance. First deployed during the Kosovo conflict in 1999, it was used to identify targets for the Royal Artillery's guns.