Timeline

Key figures

Origin and history

The Musée de l'Armée is a French national museum located in the Hôtel des Invalides in the 7th arrondissement of Paris. Created in 1905 by the fusion of the Artillery Museum and the Historical Museum of the Army, it aims to present the history of conflicts from the perspective of the military history of France. Its collections cover a period from Prehistory to World War II, divided into six large time-thematic spaces, including the Department of Ancient Arms and Armours (XIIIth-17th centuries) and the Modern Department (from Louis XIV to Napoleon III).

The Artillery Museum, created during the Revolution, was installed in the Invalides in 1872. It was based on two major collections: the Crown Warden and the Princes of Condé, enriched by the Louvre, Vincennes, and gifts such as those of General Vanson or the Prince of the Moskova. The Historical Museum of the Army, founded in 1896 by La Sabretache and chaired by the painter Édouard Detaille, completed these collections with objects from the Universal Exhibition of 1889. During World War I, the museum remained open and enriched with conflict-related objects, including Prussian flags displayed in the courtyard of the Invalides.

In 1940, in front of the German advance, the director Augustin Eugène Maraux organized the evacuation of the most precious pieces, including the relics of Napoleon I. The trucks carrying these objects were attacked near Etampes, and the Germans recovered some of the collections, such as the Vogelgreif cannon, which had been repatriated to Koblenz. After the war, France and Germany engaged in cross-relationships, symbols of reconciliation. The museum then underwent major renovations, such as the ATHENA plan (2000–2010), which modernized its departments, including that of the two world wars and the historic Charles-de-Gaulle, inaugurated in 2008.

The museum also houses the tomb of Napoleon I in the Dome des Invalides, as well as the burials of Marshals like Foch and Lyautey. Its collections, with nearly 500,000 objects, include weapons, uniforms, emblems and art works. The museum collaborates with other institutions, such as the Musée de la Cavalerie à Saumur or the château de l'Emperi, and carries out ambitious projects for 2024–28, including a journey on the Cold War and another on colonial history, aimed at "soothing memories" through a shared historical approach.

The Invalides site, still partially dedicated to a military hospital, also houses the Plan-Relief Museum and the Order of Liberation Museum. The Army Museum offers temporary exhibitions, concerts in Saint Louis Cathedral, and participates in national events such as Heritage Days. Its restoration workshops (textile, metal, leather) preserve unique pieces, while the Society of Friends of the Museum (SAMA), founded in 1909, contributes to its enrichment through donations and cultural actions.

Recent acquisitions include works such as France Forever d'Alexander Calder (1942) or a 17th century wheel gun. The museum continues to innovate, as with the restoration in 2016 of Vizir, the naturalized horse of Napoleon I, or the creation of the Insolite Cabinets dedicated to military figures and musical instruments. Its outreach is based on varied programming, combining history, art and memory, while adapting to contemporary issues of transmission and reconciliation.

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