Dans les coulisses de la Paix exhibition at the Musée de la Grande Guerre

From June 8 to December 8, 2019 the Musée de la Grande Guerre takes us behind the scenes of the Peace. After a year commemorating the centenary of the First World War, the museum highlights the Conference of peace gathered in Paris that led to the Treaty of Versailles.

With the wonderful Dans les coulisses de la Paix exhibition, the Musée de la Grande Guerre helps us understand more about peace, from June 8 to December 8, 2019!

We all know the dates of the First World War: 1914 – November 11, 1918. But the Musée de la Grande Guerre wanted to remind us the date of June 28^th, 1919, the day the Treaty of Versailles was signed, a day that will be celebrated all over the world. And for good reason, it will end 7 months of negotiations between the warring countries!

It’s hard to imagine that Paris has been the world’s capital for 7 months, welcoming hundreds of political leaders and experts from 27 countries to write texts of peace and set up a new map of the world. The United States dream of a peaceful world along with the Société des Nations or League of Nations.

Yet, “what is a t stake for these seven months of negotiations of the Conference of Peace is absolutely extraordinary. Never this many countries have been gathered together before for such a vital conference. The tasks to accomplish have never been these many and essential”, the exhibition curator, François Cochet, reminds us before adding “the 7 months from November 1918 to June 1919 are the founding months of our current, diplomatic and international culture”.

For this exhibition, about 130 items have been gathered in 300sqm including copies of documents ratifying the Treaty of Versailles and signed by Japan and the Kingdom of Serbs, Croats and Slovenes (Coll. Archives of the Minister of Europe and Foreign Affairs), Maréchal Foch’s pea jacket, the inkpot and dip pen given to Georges Clémenceau and used to sign the Treaty of Versailles and made by jeweler Vever, a gouache by Raoul Dufy called “Esquisse pour un drapeau”, 1919-1920.

Around these historic items, the Musée de la Grande Guerre planned a virtual reality experience to take us to the negotiations and the signing of the Treaty of Peace at the Palace of Versailles during a 3-minute video clip, as well as a dynamic map that will show the alterations of the borders of Europe from 1914 to 1920.

If the exhibition is rather in-depth, it suits children thanks to staging and entertainments created for young passionate from 8 years old!

An exhibition to discover what goes behind the scene of peace!

Please note that it's been over 4 years since our last visit, so the place and experience may have changed.