History Essay: How Tanks Have Changed the World

It is World War One, and you are an infantryman, hiding in the bloody trenches while bullets fly right over your head, then suddenly a huge vehicle is coming right at you. This vehicle is known as a tank. These armored vehicles were created by the British during the first world war in hopes of breaking the stalemate the Western Front sat on. When tanks were first deployed on the battlefield, they served as infantry support. Thus, the creation of the tank greatly changed the world through warfare, as it ended the stalemate of the Western Front, replaced horse divisions, allowed the creation of strategies such as Blitzkrieg, created more mobility in armored divisions than ever before, and created a new way to counter infantry.

The creation of tanks led to the breaking of the Western Front stalemate, and the replacement of horses. “The ensuing trench warfare, which ended the usefulness of armored cars, brought forth new proposals for tracked armored vehicles.” (Britannica.com) Due to the extreme stalemate brought forth by trench warfare, new proposals were created for new mobile armored vehicles. Eventually, in late 1916, the British deployed the first tank onto the Battlefield. More of this new vehicle was put into production. With time, this new vehicle would replace the currently used cavalry.

The creation of the Tank led to new military strategies becoming achievable, such as the lightning fast strategy of Blitzkrieg, or lightning war. “Blitzkrieg is a term used to describe a method of offensive warfare designed to strike a swift, focused blow at an enemy using mobile, maneuverable forces, including armored tanks and air support. Such an attack ideally leads to a quick victory, limiting the loss of soldiers and artillery. (History.com) With the creation of the extremely mobile Panzer divisions, the Germans in World War Two were able to destroy their enemies through the strategy of Blitzkrieg. The strategy of Blitzkrieg is to attack the enemy through extremely quick motorized divisions, specifically tanks. Without tanks, this strategy would not work.

Tanks created a new mobility never seen before in Warfare as well as made a new way to beat infantry. “Most of these resulted from attempts to make armored cars capable of moving off roads, over broken ground, and through barbed wire.” (Britannica.com). The attempts at creating tanks were made in order to make a new armored vehicle that was able to be much more mobile. As armored vehicles were stuck to roads, and rather useless, a vehicle that could move freely whether on the road or not, seemed like Science Fiction. But, that Science Fiction was to become a reality.

In conclusion, the creation of the Tank greatly changed the world by breaking the western front stalemate in the Great War, replacing cavalry such as horses, creating strategies such as Blitzkrieg, created more mobility among armored vehicles than ever before, and created a new way to counter infantry units. The creation of tanks greatly affected multiple aspects of the world, specifically in warfare such as in the Great War, military strategy, and armored mobility. Tanks have completely revolutionized warfare. In a matter of just over 100 years, we have created a new vehicle capable of more than ever before, and replaced the old with the new. From Science Fiction to reality.