HISTORY commemorates the 100th anniversary of World War I with a new four-hour miniseries focusing on the game-changing weapons that were introduced during a transitional time in war history.
Tanks were the first armored fighting machine to be used on the battlefield. These "land ships", as they were first called, were championed by Head of the British Admiralty Winston Churchill. Adapted from an American tractor with caterpillar tracks.
While most people think the Blitz originated in WWII, the truth is that the first Blitz happened during WWI. Bombs were delivered from giant airships designed by Count Ferdinand von Zeppelin.
The Germans, ignoring international treaties they signed, were first to weaponize a chemical. In this case, it was chlorine--a highly toxic ingredient used in the manufacture of chemical dyes of which they had a huge supply.
The Atlantic became a killing field as German submarines took on the might of the dominant British Navy. The stealth and silent killers were able to sink 5,200 ships by war's end, and nearly brought Britain to its knees.
