Armor and Siege Weapons

Listen to "Armor and Siege Weapons"

Armor has been used throughout history as a way to siege or breach a stronghold. For example:

• The Greeks used helepolises, which were massive siege towers with nine stories of catapults, ballistas, and ranged infantry.
  
• 2000 years later, another major advancement was made in World War I with the invention of the "tank". This tank (the most famous of which was the Sturmpanzerwagen A7v) had a variety of problems and was introduced too late in the war to be effective.
  
• In World War II, tanks were again used in a much more effective way. The Germans used tanks in their blitzkrieg lightning warfare by concentrating them in a small area, and breaching through the enemy lines. Later in the war, the US copied this strategy with their own light Sherman tanks.
• During the Cold War, the US developed M1 Abrams tanks to counter the Russian T-90s. This tank is still dominant today, although experts believe that it will become obsolete within the next 20 years.

For more information, read Extreme War by Terrence Poulos and watch the Tanks special on The History Channel

Military History Podcast is sponsored by Armchair General Magazine