Why was the Pz. I originally designed as a training tank?

The Pz. I was originally designed as a training vehicle for the newly formed German panzer divisions. It was intended to serve in this capacity until more powerful tanks, specifically the Pz. II, Pz. III, and Pz. IV, could be developed and put into service.1

Because the German army was prohibited from using tanks following World War I due to the Treaty of Versailles, the Pz. I represented an early effort to rebuild the nation's tank forces after Adolf Hitler came to power in 1933. While it was lightly armed and protected, it eventually saw combat in the Spanish Civil War and was used in large numbers during the early invasions of World War II before being rendered obsolete for combat roles.1