November 11 – The End of World War I

November 11 – The End of World War I

11 November 2024

​World War I (July 28, 1914 – November 11, 1918) was one of the most widespread armed conflicts in human history. The war unfolded between two opposing alliances: the Triple Alliance (Italy, Austria-Hungary, and Germany) and the Entente (Russia, Britain and France).

The main causes of the war included rivalry between Britain and Germany for global dominance, territorial disputes between France and Germany over Alsace-Lorraine and competition between Austria-Hungary, Germany and Russia in the Balkans.

The Russian Empire joined World War I on August 1, 1914 on the side of the Entente.

The war officially ended with the signing of an armistice between the Entente and Germany on November 11, 1918, in the railway carriage of Marshal Ferdinand Foch in the Compiègne Forest. Soviet Russia withdrew from the war by signing the Treaty of Brest-Litovsk on March 3, 1918.

In August 2014, marking the war's 100th anniversary, the Tsarskoye Selo Museum Reserve opened the first museum in modern Russia dedicated to this tragic period of history. It is located in the Sovereign's Martial Chamber, conceived by Emperor Nicholas II as a pantheon of military glory. The exhibition presents about 2,000 items.

The exhibition acquaints visitors with this period, showcasing Russia's role in World War I. It highlights such key moments as major operations of the Russian army, the heroism of Russian soldiers and officers, the emergence of new theaters of war (air and submarine), the creation of new types of troops (road ones). It also tells about the activities of the parties preparing the conclusion of a separate peace.

Among the exhibits there are authentic items of arms and everyday life of the participants of World War I as well as documentary and photographic materials from the museum's collection. They include the whole range of machine guns of that time, uniforms of different countries, personal items of those who was at the Great War, awards and weapons. There is an exact replica of the Nieuport 17 French fighter plane used during World War I in the center of the exhibition. You can also see an authentic Ford automobile from the 1910s and samples of military equipment (howitzers, armoured car) displayed in the courtyard.

Museum Address: Saint Petersburg, Pushkin, Fermskaya Road 5A, Museum Website