Who invented the army tank?

The idea behind the army tank was first proposed in 1914 by Ernest Swinton, a colonel in the British Army, and William Hankley, secretary of the Committee for Imperial Defence. The earliest prototype was developed by the Landships Committee organized by Winston Churchill, who was then the minister for the British navy.

The first prototype of 1915 was nicknamed "Little Willie," but it was not until its successor, "Big Willie," was unveiled in 1916 that the vehicle was used in battle.

Production of the vehicles was highly classified and shipping crates containing them were simply labeled "tanks," hence their somewhat unusual name.