Inventor: British Military

• Made its debut in WWI (1916)
• Redefined infantry warfare

On September 15, 1916, the tank made its debut on the battlefield.  Although they were not effective in their first battle, they paved the way for armored vehicles in the future.  The idea of a weapon protected by armor goes back to Leonardo da Vinci's sketchbooks, where he designed an armored chariot.  The modern tank uses its tread to navigate on the land and holds a turret that can rotate 360 degrees as to fire in any direction.  Some even have mounted machine guns for more firepower.

The development of the armored tank has left an indelible mark on the art of warfare.  In World War II, the Germans utilized tanks along with their infantry to gain many victories early in the war.  Today, tanks are an integral part of the US' ground forces.

Picture from Encarta Encyclopedia

SOURCES:

"Tank". Microsoft Encarta Electronic Encyclopedia Edition 2002.

• This article included helpful information on the beginnings of tank warfare.