Why Is The Tank Important In Ww1

689 Words3 Pages

THE TANK
World War One, also known as the Great War, was one of the most devastating wars in history. From 1914-1918 the world was plunged into hell on land, in the air, and on the sea; the globe was caught in a constant battle. WW1 served as an open door to new technological advancements off and on the battlefield. One of these great advancements developed during the war was the tank. The tank was one of the most effective machines in WW1, and in order to establish its significance research will be conducted to explore its background and how it developed throughout the war and the role it played. World War 1 generated new demands for armoured self-propelled weapons which could navigate any kind of terrain, prevent major damage being inflicted …show more content…

The tanks first appeared at the Battle of Flers-Courcelette in September 15 1916, and It was the first battle that the tank had ever been used. Tanks in WW1 played an extremely important role as they increased mobility on the Western Front and consequentially broke through the immobility of trench warfare. the tank played the vital role of a mobile armoured vehicle that could withstand basic cannon fodder and conduct necessary operations. By 1918 Britain and France had produced 6,506 tanks between each of them and both focused on quantity over quality. Whereas Germany learnt to deal with WW1 tanks very effectively by creating their own version of the tank, and focused on quality over quantity, and made only 20 of them. During the Battle of Amiens in 1918 72% of allied tanks were destroyed in just 4 days. 6 days before the end of World War 1 the British Tank Corps only had 8 tanks left, and most were damaged. From its development in 1916 tanks have played an imperative role in warfare and have helped in many operations and battles in history, but none as important as their role in WW1.
The tanks held a great significance in ww1 as they caused trench warfare to become obsolete. This is because the tanks could move over the trenches and into enemy territory; This prevented enemy forces from inflicting damage to the tanks. Most primary sources state that the tank could simply roll over the trenches and inflict significant damage upon the enemy forces. This machine majorly contributed many significant battles such as the battle of Amens by exposing its capabilities and significance to the war effort thus proving its worth as part of an all arms