Napoleon the Strategist

The Musée de l’Armée celebrates one of the most fascinating aspects of the history of Napoleon: his skills as a military commander.

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Over 200 artworks and objects from national and European collections (paintings, maps, uniforms, personal objects, manuscripts, etc.) testify to his stunning career.

The exhibition explores his education, the historical context, and the challenges and progress of his campaigns, showing the man at the heart of the action by analysing his most famous battles (the Pyramids, Austerlitz, Wagram, Borodino, Waterloo…). Specially designed multimedia tools offer an immersive approach to the Napoleonic art of war.

An unrivalled strategist, it was paradoxically on the battlefield that the defeated Emperor lost the Empire that he had built, after his European adversaries caught up with him. Nonetheless, two-hundred years later, the name of Napoleon is still a byword for military success.

At the end of the exhibition, explore the museum's permanent collection areas dedicated to the Revolution and Empire, and discover the Dome Church, which has contained the Emperor's monumental tomb since 1861.

This exhibition is organised with the support of the Fondation Napoléon and the CIC, a loyal partner of the Musée de l'Armée. It benefits from the exceptional participation of the Service Historique de la Défense and the kind support of the Palace of Versailles.

 

 

Exhibition open every day, except 27 and 28 April and 1 May, from 10am to 6pm (7pm on Saturdays and Sundays). Late opening every Tuesday until 9pm and exceptionally on 21 and 22 July.