World War I: Tanks are used for the first time in battle, at the Battle of the Somme.

The Battle of the Somme, also known as the Somme offensive, was a battle of the First World War fought by the armies of the British Empire and the French Republic against the German Empire. It took place between 1 July and 18 November 1916 on both sides of the upper reaches of the river Somme in France.

The battle was intended to hasten a victory for the Allies. More than three million men fought in the battle, of whom more than one million were either wounded or killed, making it one of the deadliest battles in human history. It illustrated the deadly potential of mechanized warfare that began in the mid-19th century.

Indian bicycle troops Somme 1916 IWM Q 3983
Indian bicycle troops Somme 1916 IWM Q 3983 (Source: Wikimedia Commons)
The Battle of the Somme, July-november 1916 Q724
The Battle of the Somme, July-november 1916 Q724 (Source: Wikimedia Commons)
Schwaben Redoubt aerial photograph 10-05-1916 IWM HU 91107
Schwaben Redoubt aerial photograph 10-05-1916 IWM HU 91107 (Source: Wikimedia Commons)
Bataille de Verdun 1916
Bataille de Verdun 1916 (Source: Wikimedia Commons)

Watch: Battle of the Somme - WW1 Documentary

From the Banijay History channel.

Sources and further reading: Wikipedia — Battle of the Somme, World War I, Tanks in World War I (CC BY-SA). Images: Wikimedia Commons.