SHORT ITINERARY
A total immersion in History. Visitors leave the modern world to travel from the 1870s, when the earliest tensions arose (the loss of Alsace-Moselle and the birth of a “spirit of revenge”, maritime, colonial and economic rivalries, the division of Europe into two blocs, the arms race, and so on) that contributed to the outbreak of the First World War, to 1939 and the eve of the Second World War.
- From 1870 to 1914: birth of the “spirit of revenge” among the French, and pre-war mentalities.
- From 1914 to 1918: Marne 1914, the tranches, Marne 1918, the beginning of the end, and victory.
- From 1918 to 1939: illusions of victory and the construction of memory.
The objective here is to help visitors come to an understanding of the Great War by setting it in its overall context. The visit begins with a look at how present-day society sees the First World War, goes on to reveal the event as it was, and finishes with the ways in which the conflict continues to resonate in the modern world. The museum seeks to encourage visitors to question their preconceptions, and its scenography is designed make them do so, as, for example, they are plunged into the midst of armies marching off to war in the summer of 1914. The immersive scenography uses the most innovative technologies, bringing all five senses into play: objects to touch and handle, and olfactory and sound ambiences await visitors throughout the itinerary.
A unique fresco created by the famous graphic novelist Jacques Tardi will adorn the walls of the area introducing the visit. A long-time friend and travelling companion of Jean-Pierre Verney, the two collaborated on the “Putain de Guerre” series of albums devoted to the First World War.
