The Hôtel des Invalides in Paris, commonly called ‘Les Invalides’, is a historic complex in the 7th arrondissement of Paris that includes museums, monuments, and military institutions. Originally built as a hospital and retirement home for war veterans, today it houses the Musée de l’Armée, the Musée de l’Ordre de la Libération, the Musée des Plans-Reliefs, and the Musée d’Histoire Contemporaine. The site also features the Cathedral of Saint-Louis-des-Invalides and the ‘golden’ Dôme des Invalides, which contains the tomb of Napoleon Bonaparte and other notable French military figures like Marshall Foch.
Army museum
The Musée de l’Armée is located in the Hôtel des Invalides in Paris, France, and is one of the largest military museums in the world. Founded in 1905, it houses an extensive collection of weapons, armor, uniforms, and military artifacts spanning from the Middle Ages to the 21st century. The museum offers a fascinating journey through French military history, featuring exhibits on major conflicts, including the Napoleonic Wars and World Wars I and II.
The permanent collections are organised into historical sections, representing a chronological tour from ancient times through the end of World War II. The collections include weapons, armour, works of art and technology.
World War II exhibition
The World War Two collection can be found in the ‘World Wars (20th century)‘ section, which is located in the East wing of the building complex. This exhibition gradually flows from World War I to II, in between showing the French military developments like the Maginot line and the mobilisation of the Army during the interbellum.
For World War Two the exhibit is divided into several sub-sections, highlighting important periods during the war from a French perspective. Illustrated by the many artefacts on display it tells the stories of the Invasion of France, the years of occupation highlighting the work of the French Resistance and the feats of the Free French Forces (FFI) during the course of the war and the Liberation of France.
Above: As a Paratrooper of the 82 Airborne 505Parachute Infantry Regiment, Donald Sutherland received his third Purple Heart during Operation Neptune, where he took part in the liberation of Sainte-Mere-Eglise, France, in June 1944. Sutherland was wounded five times.
Above: The second version of Field Marshal Hermann Goering‘s personal emblem, created in February 1941, used during his visits to Paris and now in the collection of the museum.
Uniforms and apparel
The museum has an impressive collection of uniforms and apparel on display, often belonging to important figures of the period. We can see uniforms of prominent French Commanders like Charles de Gaulle and Generals Giraud, Leclerc, De Lattre de Tassigny and Juin. But there are also uniforms on display of notables from other Allied nations like the Polish Colonel Antoine Zdrojewski, and Soviet Field Marshall Koniev and General Rokossovski.
Visit
You can visit the Musée de l’Armée at the Hôtel des Invalides on the 129 rue de Grenelle, 75007 in Paris, France. The museum is closed on Mondays. As it can be very busy it is advisable to buy a ticket in advance and book a time slot.
Please check the museum website for more information about ticket sales and visiting hours.
