The reign of Kaiser Wilhelm II as King of Prussia and Emperor of Germany (1888-1918) witnessed the meteoric rise of Germany as an economic and military power. It also saw the fragmentation of Europe into opposed camps of mutually-mistrusting alliances, a...
Collections in Context
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In 1938 and 1939, nearly 10,000 children fleeing the persecution of Jews in Greater Germany (Germany, Austria, Czechoslovakia, and the Protectorate of Bohemia and Moravia), were brought to Britain on the Kindertransporte (children’s transports). Despite...
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At the end of the Second World War Korea, which had formerly been occupied by the Japanese, was divided along the 38th Parallel. The North soon fell under the influence of the Soviet Union whilst the South relied on the support of the Americans. On 25...
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The First World War was fought on a vast scale and raised unprecedented challenges for the leaders of the combatant nations. The political leaders were responsible for the decision to go to war, and for deciding what war aims to pursue. The horrific...
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Entertainment during the Second World War provided civilians with a form of escape from the hardships of wartime life. It was equally important to those serving in the forces, both in Britain and overseas. Radio was the chief form of news and...
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As the Allies advanced across Europe at the end of the war, they came across concentration camps filled with starving, degraded and diseased prisoners. The first major camp to be liberated was Majdanek near Lublin, Poland, in July 1944. Surprised by the...
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Throughout the history of warfare there have been many recorded instances of opposing armies tacitly agreeing to breaks from the intensity of continuous fighting. Even in the wars of the modern industrial era the natural human tendency to abstain from...
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The British government knew that Germany would target London in their bombing raids. If the capital was put out of action, it would severely affect the war effort and have a devastating impact on the nation’s morale. The Blitz on London from September...
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A state of emergency was declared in Malaya after the murder of three rubber planters by the MRLA (Malayan Races’ Liberation Army) in June 1948. Under the leadership of Chin Peng, and mainly Chinese in composition, the MRLA had its origins in the Malayan...
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Between 1940 and 1942 the British colony of Malta in the central Mediterranean faced relentless aerial attacks by the Luftwaffe and Italian Air Force. The Royal Navy and Royal Air Force fought to defend the island and keep it supplied. Malta was...
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The Second World War saw significant medical developments and refinements. These ranged from the use of penicillin to the widespread availability of blood transfusions and the first use of aircraft for evacuation. The last 70 years have seen further...
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Medical care throughout the First World War was largely the responsibility of the Royal Army Medical Corps (RAMC). The RAMC’s job was both to maintain the health and fighting strength of the forces in the field and ensure that in the event of sickness or...
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The experience of a battle casualty in the Second World War was not radically different to that of the First World War. The most common injuries were caused by shells and bullets, and a casualty would be evacuated through a similarly organised chain of...
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In wartime, Britain depended on civilian cargo ships to import food and raw materials, as well as transport soldiers overseas, and keep them supplied. The title 'Merchant Navy' was granted by King George V after the First World War to recognise the...
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Britain intended to use its powerful navy to starve Germany and Austria-Hungary into submission. By maintaining a blockade of enemy ports it hoped to cut off supplies from the outside world. The consequences of this strategy were complex. The Royal Navy...
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Between 1900 and 1914 Germany became identified by British people as the chief foreign threat to their Empire, a position formerly occupied by France or Russia. This was, to a large extent, the outcome of the policies pursued by Kaiser Wilhelm II – most...
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On 6 June 1944, Allied troops landed on the coast of Normandy. D-Day was the start of the campaign to liberate Europe and defeat Germany. The Battle of Normandy was a hard-fought campaign. British divisions bore the brunt of German resistance on the...
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Poorly armed, neutral Norway became the first victim of Germany’s Blitzkrieg in the West in April 1940. Both the Allies and Germany ignored Norwegian neutrality. During the winter, Germany imported Swedish iron ore through the Norwegian port of Narvik....
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The Channel Islands were the only part of the British Isles to be occupied by German forces during the Second World War. The British government considered the islands to be of little strategic importance and were reluctant to spend money on their defence...
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During the Second World War millions were forced to live under foreign occupation. They faced hard choices between resistance, acquiescence or collaboration. Germany’s early victories subjected much of Europe to Nazi occupation. The experience of...
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Operation 'Market Garden' was one of the most famous failures of the Second World War. After victory in France, British commander Bernard Montgomery planned to use three airborne divisions to capture a series of bridges in the German-occupied Netherlands...
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The Nazi regime restricted people’s rights and tried to silence all criticism. Arrests and disappearances were frequent, and law courts - when they operated - imposed severe penalties on those who spoke out of turn. As the Nazis’ persecution of Jews and...
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On 5 March 1917, the War Cabinet approved a proposal by Sir Alfred Mond, the Commissioner of Works, that a museum be founded to record the events of the First World War. For the first time in Britain, a national museum would be dedicated to a specific...
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Within weeks of the outbreak of war it became clear that the manpower of a small professional British Army was insufficient for a major global conflict. In a wave of patriotic fervour, thousands of men volunteered for service in Kitchener’s New Armies....
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On 11 November 1918, an armistice came into effect, ending the war in Western Europe – but this did not mean the return of peace. The armistice was effectively a German surrender, as its conditions ended any possibility of Germany continuing the war....
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More than 170,000 British prisoners of war were taken by German and Italian forces during the Second World War. Most were captured in a string of defeats in France, North Africa and the Balkans between 1940 and 1942. They were held in a network of POW...
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Japan's early successes in the Far East resulted in over 190,000 British and Commonwealth troops being taken prisoner. Japanese military philosophy held that anyone surrendering was beneath contempt. As a result, their treatment of captives was harsh....
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Within the first six months of the First World War, more than 1.3 million prisoners were held in Europe. Accommodating so many POWs was a huge problem for all countries involved. Allegations of cruelty and neglect were commonplace. Treaties covering the...
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More prisoners were taken during the Second World War than in any other conflict. Millions of soldiers, sailors and airmen – and also civilians - found themselves behind barbed wire. Their fate depended on when and where they were captured - and...
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The use of radio waves to detect objects well beyond the range of sight was first developed into a practical technology by British scientists and engineers in the 1930s. This new equipment, known as radar (an abbreviation for radio detection and...
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RAF Coastal Command played a pivotal role in the Allied war effort, most notably against Hitler's U-boats during the Battle of the Atlantic, a role which has been largely obscured by the more famous achievements of Fighter Command, and Bomber Command's...
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During the Battle of Britain, RAF Duxford was a Sector Station in 12 Group, responsible for defending the Midlands and East Anglia. It also controlled a temporary satellite airfield at nearby Fowlmere. At various times over the summer of 1940, several...
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Hunger stalked the civilian populations of all the combatant nations. Agriculture and food distribution suffered from strains imposed by the war and naval blockades reduced food imports. Some countries met this threat more successfully than others. The...
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In January 1940, the British government introduced food rationing. The scheme was designed to ensure fair shares for all at a time of national shortage. The Ministry of Food was responsible for overseeing rationing. Every man, woman and child was given a...
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The armistice declaration saw great rejoicing in Britain. This set the tone for the early annual celebrations held by ex-servicemen whose boisterous commemoration marked their victory and survival. In the early 1920s, hotels hosted Armistice Balls, known...
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In the summer of 1914, an international crisis resulted in the outbreak of a general European war. The system of international relations which had prevented such an occurrence for almost a century had fatally broken down. At the heart of this catastrophe...
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In September 1939 Europe went to war, starting the most catastrophic conflict in human history. The 1920s and 1930s witnessed rising political extremism in many European countries. In 1922 Fascist leader Benito Mussolini had taken power in Italy. Stalin...
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At 6pm on 3 September 1939, King George VI spoke to the peoples of Britain and the Empire. In his famous radio broadcast, he talked of the difficult times ahead and urged his people to stand firm. The King held the ranks of Admiral of the Fleet, Field...
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Following Italy's declaration of war on 10 June 1940, and France's surrender on 22 June, Admiral Sir Andrew Cunningham's Mediterranean Fleet at Alexandria was outnumbered and surrounded by a largely hostile shore. Admiral Sir James Somerville’s 'Force H...
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The Russo-Finnish War saw the tiny Finnish Army take on the might of Stalin’s gigantic Red Army. Despite the overwhelming odds, Finland miraculously resisted for three months with little outside assistance, but was eventually forced to sign a peace...