In anticipation of the 75th anniversary of VE day on 8th May 2020, we will explore the Imperial War Museum, a museum of modern warfare, from World War 1 to the present.  We will start our tour with some of the iconic (and very large) symbols of wars, such as the huge naval guns that guard the entrance to the museum and those inside the museum atrium, including the World War 1 Nery gun, a spitfire, a Russian tank and World War 2 V rockets.  We will talk about how these objects were used in war and then how they came to represent and immortalise certain national views of those wars.  We will reflect on the unintended consequences of war, from its impact on our understanding of mental health to its impact on animals and its catalyst to scientific development. 

We will then focus specifically on the World War 2 galleries exploring different theatres of this huge global war including; the war in the air, the war at sea, the campaigns in North Africa and the momentous D-Day campaign.  Throughout we will place what happened at a strategic level in the context of real people, soldiers and civilians, and how they experienced war.  This is a tour interested in strategy, tactics and human impact, you do not need to know all about weaponry or be a military historian!

Note: Please be aware that this is a daytime tour (unlike our normal evening programme) so please make sure you can attend.