First World War

1st Reserve Regiment of Cavalry in training, 1914

Cavalry on the Western Front

In the First World War, the cavalry could no longer deliver the decisive charges it had performed in the past. But it continued to carry out a variety of useful roles that contributed to British success.

Horse power in the First World War

Without its hard-working horses, the Army could not have functioned during the First World War. Their contribution included carrying and pulling supplies, ammunition, artillery and even the wounded.

Army horse care in the First World War

During the First World War, the Army relied on its horses to perform a wide range of jobs. The requisition, transportation and care of these animals was therefore of huge importance.

Jan Smuts: The warrior-statesman

Field Marshal Jan Christiaan Smuts successfully led troops against Britain in the Boer War. He later commanded the South African Defence Force fighting alongside British soldiers in several First World War campaigns.

Peace and commemoration

After the Armistice in November 1918, millions of soldiers hoped they would soon go home. But demobilising so many troops was a huge task. How best to mark the Allied victory also became a subject for debate.

Celtic plaid brooch taken from the body of a Sinn Féin rebel, 1916

Easter Rising

On Easter Monday 1916, Irish nationalists launched an armed revolt against British rule in Ireland. Although quickly suppressed by the British Army, the rising was a seminal moment in modern Irish history.

Egypt and Palestine campaign

The struggle against the Turks in Egypt and Palestine began with a test of endurance and engineering in harsh desert terrain. It evolved into a fast-moving mobile campaign, which resulted in Allied victory and the fall of the Ottoman Empire.

Warrington Road in the Ypres Salient, 1917

1917: Year of stalemate

In 1917, Germany adopted a defensive strategy on the Western Front to counter the growing strength of the Allies. Despite launching several offensives, and suffering heavy casualties, the Allies achieved mixed results.

Herbert Kitchener: The taskmaster

Field Marshal Herbert Kitchener was famous for colonial victories in the Sudan and South Africa. Later, he helped build Britain’s first mass army during the First World War.

Carved figure of a sergeant of the King's African Rifles, 1917

East Africa campaign

Throughout the First World War, British Empire soldiers fought against a small German force in East Africa. Led by Colonel Paul von Lettow-Vorbeck, the Germans inflicted many casualties and avoided defeat in the field.

Turkish prisoners after General Brooking's victory at Ramadi, September 1917

Mesopotamia campaign

During 1914-18, British troops fought the Turks in Mesopotamia. After many setbacks, they finally took Baghdad in March 1917. This marked the high point of a long and tragic campaign fought in a harsh climate.

March past of the South Persia Rifles, c1918

Persia mission

In June 1916, a British military mission began recruiting a local force in neutral Persia. Its goal was to bolster Allied interests and prevent enemy influence in the region.

Explore First World War events

Mission accomplished? Comparing First World War battles

Secondary

1 Jun 2024 - 20 Jul 2026 FREE

Mission accomplished? Examining First World War battles

Investigate four key battles through primary sources and decide whether they can be considered victories or defeats.

Secondary

1 Jun 2024 - 20 Jul 2026 FREE

Recruitment and conscription

Analyse recruitment posters from the Museum's collection and multimedia recreations of First World War parliamentary debates to explore the history of Army recruitment and conscription.

School students getting to grips with the handling collection

Secondary

1 Jun 2024 - 20 Jul 2026 FREE

World at War: Soldiers of Empire

Discover more about the contributions of soldiers from the British Empire in the First and Second World Wars.

A British medical orderly treats a wounded German soldier, c1916

Secondary

1 Jun 2024 - 20 Jul 2026 FREE

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

Explore artefacts and sources on the causes and treatment of injuries and illnesses on the Western Front during the First World War, and assess the impact of these innovations.

Primary

1 Jun 2024 - 20 Jul 2026 FREE

Poppies to remember? (virtual)

Discover some of the stories of Remembrance held by the Museum, the evolution of the poppy as a symbol, and how it is used today.

Part of a First World War propaganda poster showing a soldier and a munitions worker

Primary

1 Jun 2024 - 20 Jul 2026 FREE

Your Country Needs You! Propaganda and recruitment (virtual)

Explore how advertising and propaganda work, particularly focusing on recruitment campaigns of the First World War.

Secondary

1 Jun 2024 - 20 Jul 2026 FREE

Trench medicine: Illnesses, injuries and their treatment

Explore artefacts and sources on the causes and treatment of injuries and illnesses on the Western Front during the First World War, and assess the impact of these innovations.

School children taking part in a Remembrance workshop

Primary

1 Jun 2024 - 20 Jul 2026 FREE

Poppies to remember?

Discover some of the stories of Remembrance held by the Museum, the evolution of the poppy as a symbol, and how it is used today.

Your Country Needs You! Propaganda and recruitment

Primary

1 Jun 2024 - 20 Jul 2026 FREE

Your Country Needs You! Propaganda and recruitment

Explore how advertising and propaganda work, particularly focusing on recruitment campaigns of the First World War.

Talk

27 Jun 2025 FREE

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

Jessica Meyer examines how new ideas and technologies helped to push military medical care forwards during the First World War.

Talk

1 Aug 2025 FREE

The Centre for Experimental Military Archaeology: A work in Progress

Military historian Andrew Robertshaw provides a fascinating insight into the work of the Centre for Experimental Military Archaeology exploring historic soldiers’ day-to-day lives through practical experimentation.

Explore First World War learning resources

Indian Army troops travelling upstream on a barge, Mesopotamia, c1916

Timeline

First World War

Cavalry on the Western Front

Horse power in the First World War

Army horse care in the First World War

Jan Smuts: The warrior-statesman

Peace and commemoration

Easter Rising

Egypt and Palestine campaign

1917: Year of stalemate

Herbert Kitchener: The taskmaster

East Africa campaign

Mesopotamia campaign

Persia mission

Explore First World War events

Mission accomplished? Examining First World War battles

Recruitment and conscription

World at War: Soldiers of Empire

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

Poppies to remember? (virtual)

Your Country Needs You! Propaganda and recruitment (virtual)

Trench medicine: Illnesses, injuries and their treatment

Poppies to remember?

Your Country Needs You! Propaganda and recruitment

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

The Centre for Experimental Military Archaeology: A work in Progress

Explore First World War learning resources

India, Empire and the Army: Interactive Timeline

Walter Tull: A Soldier’s Story

West Indian Soldier: Interactive Timeline

Virtual Exhibition: West Indian Soldier

BlackPoppyRose at the National Army Museum

Poppies and Remembrance: Gallery Trail

First World War: Gallery Trail

Virtual Exhibition: The Unknown Warrior

Make Your Own Remembrance Wreath

Make Your Own Gift Tin

Operation Science: Supply Drop

Health and Medicine in the Army: Interactive Timeline