First World War

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.

Christmas greetings from the front line

Here we look at some of the Christmas cards sent by soldiers during the First World War, and how they helped ease the pressures of life on the front line.

A First World War Christmas

Soldiers throughout the First World War found ways to maintain morale and mark the festive season while separated from their loved ones.

Allied soldiers on the roof of a captured A7V tank, 1918

1918: Year of victory

The German Spring Offensive saw mobile warfare return to the Western Front. Despite early gains, the Germans exhausted themselves, setting the stage for a successful Allied counter-offensive.

Field Marshal Lord Allenby of Megiddo and Felixstowe, c1925

Edmund Allenby: The bull

General Sir Edmund Allenby led the British Empire to victory in the Middle East in 1918. He successfully pioneered the combined use of infantry, cavalry and aeroplanes at the Battle of Megiddo.

Hellfire Corner: A sign of the times

One of our most iconic First World War objects is the signboard used to mark the infamous ‘Hellfire Corner’, a busy and dangerous junction near Ypres.

9th Hodson's Horse in General Chauvel's march through Damascus, 1918

Battle of Megiddo

Fought in September 1918, this was the climactic battle of the Sinai and Palestine campaign of the First World War. Ottoman forces found themselves encircled by British Empire forces under General Edmund Allenby.

Battle of Loos

The Battle of Loos took place on the Western Front in September-October 1915. At the time, it was the largest British offensive of the First World War.

Mark I tank C19 in Chimpanzee Valley during the Battle of Flers Courcelette, 1916

Attack of the tanks

In September 1916, the face of battle changed forever. On an unsuspecting enemy, Britain unleashed its new secret weapon - the tank.

Battle of Passchendaele

In July 1917, the British and French launched a massive offensive near the Belgian city of Ypres. The bitter struggle that followed came to symbolize the horrors of trench warfare.

Stepping into line

As the entire nation mobilised for the First World War, women took up new challenges. Many of these opportunities had previously been off limits, including military service.

Weapons of the Western Front

During the First World War, armies were forced to adapt their tactics and pursue new technologies as a way of breaking the deadlock. Here, we explore some of the weapons used by the British Army on the Western Front.

Meet characters, both real and imagined, from the Army’s past and hear their amazing stories in our galleries.

Talk

16 May 2025 FREE

For King and Country: The Role of Patriotism in Mobilisation in the First World War

During the First World War, patriotism played a significant role on the British Home Front. Enlistment is a known outcome of patriotism, but patriotism also led to self-mobilisation into other efforts at home.

Talk

27 Jun 2025 FREE

First World War

Douglas Haig: The chief

Christmas greetings from the front line

A First World War Christmas

1918: Year of victory

Edmund Allenby: The bull

Hellfire Corner: A sign of the times

Battle of Megiddo

Battle of Loos

Attack of the tanks

Battle of Passchendaele

Stepping into line

Weapons of the Western Front

Explore First World War events

Poppies to remember?

Poppies to remember? (virtual)

Recruitment and conscription

Trench medicine: Illnesses, injuries and their treatment (virtual)

Your Country Needs You! Propaganda and recruitment

Trench medicine: Illnesses, injuries and their treatment

World at War: Soldiers of Empire

Mission accomplished? Examining First World War battles

Your Country Needs You! Propaganda and recruitment (virtual)

Soldier Stories: Walter Tull

For King and Country: The Role of Patriotism in Mobilisation in the First World War

It Worked: Innovation and Improvisation in the Royal Army Medical Corps

Operation Science: Body Armour

Make Your Own Gift Tin

Virtual Exhibition: The Unknown Warrior

How to Draw: Desert edition

How to Draw: Transport edition

The story of conscription

Easter Rising 1916

Commonwealth soldiers in Palestine

Commonwealth soldiers in East Africa

Commonwealth soldiers on the Western Front

Commonwealth soldiers at Gallipoli

Somme 1916