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Kuwait: U.S. 1st Armored Division M1A1 Abrams tanks Under cover from archers, a storming party crossing the drawbridge of a medieval siege tower brought to a castle wall. Mark I tank A British World War I tank surrounded by soldiers in a devastated village with ruined buildings at the Western Front. French Renault F.T. light tank, 1918. A French tank and soldiers in helmets move through a cobblestone street lined with buildings, dispersing crowds during the Silesian uprisings in Kattowitz, Poland, circa 1919-1921. Diagram showing side-view illustrations of six German World War II Panzerkampfwagen tanks (series I, II, III, IV, V Panther, and VI Tiger), each labeled with its model, primary armament, and a human silhouette for scale. German tanks A U.S. tank destroyer with soldiers aboard crosses a shallow stream at the German border during World War II, with a second tank and arched bridge in the background. tank
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Tecumseh. Battle of the Thames, Ontario, Canada, and the death of Tecumseh. Col. Richard M. Johnson with the Kentucky volunteers on left battle with Tecumseh and his Native troops. Native American Shawnee chief. North American indian. (See Notes)
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tank: References & Edit History

Additional Reading

The tanks and armoured vehicles of both World Wars are discussed in Richard M. Ogorkiewicz, Armour: A History of Mechanized Forces (1960, reissued as Armoured Forces: A History of Armoured Forces and Their Vehicles, 1970). The history of various types of vehicles from World War I to the end of World War II is presented in books by Duncan Crow (ed.), such as AFVs of World War One (1970), British AFVs, 1919–40 (1970), British and Commonwealth AFVs, 1940–46 (1971), American AFVs of World War II (1972), and Armored Fighting Vehicles of Germany: World War II (1973). A useful reference source for German tanks, armoured vehicles, and self-propelled guns is Peter Chamberlain and Hilary L. Doyle, Encyclopedia of German Tanks of World War Two, rev. ed. (1993).

Illustrated histories of Soviet and Russian armour are provided in Wolfgang Fleischer, Russian Tanks and Armored Fighting Vehicles, 1917–1945 (1999); Fred Koch, Russian Tanks and Armored Vehicles, 1946 to the Present (1999); and Andrew W. Hull, David R. Markov, and Steven J. Zaloga, Soviet/Russian Armor and Artillery Design Practices: 1945 to Present (1999).

Popular histories of U.S. armour are offered in books by R.P. Hunnicut, including Sherman: A History of the American Medium Tank (1978), Abrams: A History of the American Main Battle Tank (1990), and Bradley: A History of American Fighting and Support Vehicles (1999).

Jane’s Armour and Artillery (annual) describes all current tanks.

Richard Marian Ogorkiewicz The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica

Article Contributors

Primary Contributors

  • Richard Marian Ogorkiewicz
  • The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica
    Encyclopaedia Britannica's editors oversee subject areas in which they have extensive knowledge, whether from years of experience gained by working on that content or via study for an advanced degree. They write new content and verify and edit content received from contributors.

Other Encyclopedia Britannica Contributors

Article History

Type Description Contributor Date
Modified link of Web site: HistoryNet - Profiles in Cold Steel: The Making of Tanks. Aug 13, 2026
Add new Web site: Imperial War Museums - The development of the Tank In the First World War. Aug 16, 2024
Add new Web site: HistoryNet - Profiles in Cold Steel: The Making of Tanks. Jan 16, 2024
Revised caption to identify a General Lee tank. Jun 24, 2019
Add new Web site: GlobalSecurity.org - Tank. Dec 18, 2016
Add new Web site: History Learning Site - Tanks and World War One. Jul 31, 2016
Add new Web site: Firstworldwar.com - Tank. Jul 31, 2016
Bibliography thoroughly revised. Dec 28, 2011
Add new Web site: How Stuff Works - Science - Tank. Sep 21, 2011
Photos added of M3 General Grant tank and of Challenger tank. Mar 10, 2011
Article thoroughly revised. Jan 04, 2011
Image added of a British tank on the Western Front, World War I. Jan 04, 2011
Media added. Dec 30, 2008
Article revised. Oct 18, 2000
Article added to new online database. Jul 26, 1999
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