The tank is an old idea but a young invention. With its characteristic combination of firepower, armor, and mobility, it revolutionized land warfare in the 20th century. This book examines the history of the tank as a weapon and symbol in Germany, from the emergence of initial plans to the end of World War II. Through contemporary war images, armaments, operations, and depictions of the tank, the book describes the significance of this weapon system within the German armed forces. It becomes clear that idealized notions of the tank often overshadowed its actual military effectiveness. The tank weapon system became an indicator of soldiers' perceptions of technology, a symbol of the defeat in 1918, as well as of the Blitzkrieg campaigns of 1939/40 and military hubris. The tank represents the intersection of man and machine.