World War I was the first war in which tanks were used and those vehicles quickly became the weaponry that turned the tide in what then became modern warfare.
Though it was the UK that actually brought the first tanks into the war after developing its infamous Little Willie prototype, many countries were developing their own at the same time.
These are just a few of the hundred or more World War I light tanks that were used during that period and that went on to be even further developed into bigger, stronger tanks by the time the second World War started.
- The British Tanks - With Little Willie starting it all off, the British brought the first World War I tanks to the battlefield as the Mark 1. This tank became one of the most influential war vehicles of the time, as it opened the door for tank warfare and all the new tanks that would follow. The British later brought the Medium Mark A “Whippet” into production, a World War I light tank tasked with supporting the heavier Mark I’s and its successors. The Mark IV, a heavy WWI tank designed to be more powerful and durable than all its predecessors, was possibly the best tank that made it to the battle, and the one most feared by other armies.
- The French Tanks - The French were next in line as the developers of some of the most influential World War I tanks. The Schneider CA1 was their first tank, a heavy tank designed for trench warfare that was cumbersome but powerful. It was followed by the Saint-Chamond, which was even bigger, and one of the heaviest tanks used during WWI. But it was the Renault FT that was so important. Considered the world’s first “modern” tank, it was the first World War I light tank with a rotating turret, another design feature that would be adopted by many tank designers in the future.
- The German Tanks - Despite it being a source of some of the best cars and other vehicles today, Germany only produced one World War I tank and only 23 of those, as it were. The A7V Sturmpanzerwagen was a heavy tank with a unique idea, as it contained a crew of up to 25, six machine guns, and a forward-facing gun. Shaped like a box, it was like an armored infantry. The idea was not continued, however, and Germany used mostly Allied tanks that had been captured and repurposed for their own needs.
Though today many countries throughout the world have developed bigger, better, and more powerful tanks, these few models were the only WWI tanks that made it to the battlefield in any capacity.
By WWII, that changed entirely as hundreds of more advanced tanks were designed and built all over the world.