The Origins of the Tank

Available for over a year

How did century-old 'landships' developed from agricultural tractors evolve into the armoured giants of the modern battlefield? Today, we trace the lineage of the tank, from its origins in the trenches of WWI to Second World War behemoths and their modern battlefield descendants. For this, we're joined by Mark Urban, historian and writer specialising in defence and foreign affairs. With him, he discusses the all-important question: in an era of drones, missiles and precision strikes, does the tank still have a place on the battlefield? Mark's book is called "Tank: The 10 War Machines That Changed the World and the Remarkable Men Behind Them". Produced by James Hickmann and edited by Dougal Patmore. All music from Epidemic Sounds/All3Media. Dan Snow's History Hit is a History Hit podcast.