How did the Treaty of Versailles restrict Germany's use of tanks after World War I?

The Treaty of Versailles, signed in 1919, explicitly prohibited Germany from manufacturing or deploying tanks as part of the military limitations imposed to prevent the nation from again posing a threat to Europe.12

Following the war, the German army was restricted to 100,000 volunteer troops, and the production of several categories of heavy weaponry—including tanks, armoured cars, submarines, and military aircraft—was strictly forbidden. These measures were intended to ensure Germany's disarmament, though the treaty's provisions were later challenged and eventually bypassed by the German government.123

After Adolf Hitler rose to power in 1933, the German military began to clandestinely rebuild its tank forces, often masking development programs under the guise of civilian projects, such as tractor manufacturing. By 1935, Hitler publicly reintroduced conscription and accelerated the rearmament program, leading to the development of the Panzerwaffe and the eventual fielding of the series of battle tanks known as the panzer.43