This gallery looks at the deployment of Britain’s armies around the world, from the age of empire to the modern day. Many of the objects on display were collected by soldiers and reflect their interactions with different cultures and customs.
From 1812 to 1815, Britain was at war with the United States. Militarily, the conflict ended in stalemate, but it had a lasting impact on the communities of North America.
Between 1856 and 1860, British-Indian forces joined the French in a military expedition against Imperial China. Their victory further opened up China to Western traders and greatly weakened the Qing dynasty's imperial regime.
From 1798 to 1801, an Anglo-Ottoman alliance competed with the French for control of Egypt. Their victory resulted in French troops withdrawing from the region and also helped safeguard Britain's possessions in India.
One of our most popular paintings is a depiction of the Battle of Isandlwana by Charles Fripp. Here, we take a closer look at the artwork to discover more about this infamous British defeat.
Following a series of fractious disputes, the British invaded Upper Burma in late 1885 and overthrew its king. While the country was quickly annexed to British India, a guerrilla war ensued that rumbled on for the best part of a decade.
This brief conflict in 1852-53 was largely provoked by the East India Company, which was hungry for new territory and resources like teak and rubber. It ended in a British victory and saw Lower Burma become a province of British India.
Frontier clashes between British India and the Burmese Empire escalated into a full-blown war that lasted from 1824 to 1826. This conflict resulted in parts of Burma coming under the control of the East India Company.
In 1880-81, the British fought a brief war against the Transvaal Boers in South Africa. The Boers had rebelled against British control and went on to inflict several stinging defeats during their successful fight for independence.
In 1900, British and Indian troops joined an international expedition sent to relieve the diplomatic quarter of Beijing, which was under siege by the 'Boxers' and their Imperial Chinese allies.
Matthew Taylor reveals the untold story of the Colonial Marines, formerly enslaved African Americans who fought for, and found freedom with, British forces in the War of 1812.
Journalist Fergal Keane recounts the harrowing events at Kohima in 1944 and considers the impact on the defeated soldiers of the Imperial Japanese Army.