Explore the Great War: online resources

Aside from the extensive collections and vast subject matter, it has a portfolio entirely devoted to the First World War.
The Great War (in french) collection takes visitors into the First World War with a selection of 24 star pieces from the museum's collections.
It presents the many facets of the Great War in France and to a certain extent, Europe and the world: the terrible technical innovations in weaponry, the suffering of millions of mobilised soldiers, the involvement of the general public, the internationalisation of the battle and its toll on human life.

In addition to The Great War portfolio, item descriptions enable you to explore and see different sides to the subject:

• Représenter la guerre provides a 3 page description of how the battle was depicted at the time including aerial reconnaissance photography (the village of Ornes in Meuse in 1917, in french), photographs taken by a soldier (artillery fire at night on September 14th 1914 during the Battle of the Marne, in french) and paintings of the Battle of Verdun by famous artist Félix Vallotton.
• Les Grands personnages aux Invalides (English: Great characters at the Invalides) takes you on a journey through the Musée de l'Armée's collections in the footsteps of key World War figures, Marshal Lyautey and Georges Clémenceau and the French President at the time, Raymond Poincaré.
• Enfances princières, enfances guerrières (English: Princely childhoods, warrior childhoods) sheds light on the war away from the battlefield with a photo of a little boy dressed as a soldier, a practice school batallion fusil gras gun and a Journée de Paris poster for the war effort at the Town Hall on July 14th 1916.
• Propagande et médias (English: Propaganda and media) focuses on the weapon of propaganda which was extensively used at the time to influence the course of events with an image entitled Mon village. Ceux qui n'oublient pas made and written by Oncle Hansi who produced numerous works to show his dislike for the Germans.
• Les femmes à travers les collections du musée de l'Armée (English: Women in the Musée de l'Armée collections) presents the active role women took during the war. Several items and posters depict the role of women in the Great War including a notice from the occupying German forces in 1915 about female spies and nurses in the war. It also presents famous women at the time such as Marthe Chenal singing the Marseillaise, Anne Morgan who founded the CARD (American Committee for Devastated Regions) and anonymous women such as the war widows. Last but not least, the relationship between soldiers and prostitutes is portrayed with the French poster La Patrie compte sur toi, garde lui toutes tes forces.

• General presentation leaflet for the First World War halls (available in English).
• 11 item descriptions (in french) covering 1914 and the start of the war, weapons, uniforms, posters and exceptional items such as the Marne taxi.
• The online playbook (in french) La Première Guerre mondiale au musée de l'Armée is a light-hearted introduction to the Great War halls for children (8+).

Several documents published by the museum provide you with a deeper insight into the Great War

• Les Cahiers d'etudes et de recherche du musée de l'Armée (in french) (CERMA) provides lines of enquiry with the n°1 Peindre la Grande Guerre, 1914-1918 (English: Painting the Great War, 1914-1918) and n°5 1904-1914 de la guerre pensée à la guerre sur le terrain - Techniques, tactiques, pratiques (English: 1904-1914 the imagined war to war in the field - Techniques, tactics, practices)
• Books from the Musée de l'Armée (in french) relating to the Great War's collections such as Photographies de Poilus : soldats photographes au cœur de la Grande Guerre and L'Armée française dans la Première Guerre mondiale : uniformes, équipements, armements