ELI5: Explain Like I'm 5

Tanks in the Cold War

During the Cold War, which was a time when the United States and the Soviet Union were not friends and didn't trust each other, tanks were very important. Tanks were big, heavy vehicles that could move through rough terrain and carry a lot of weapons.

The United States and the Soviet Union both had a lot of tanks, and they were always trying to make their tanks stronger and better than the other side's tanks. They wanted to be sure that if there was ever a war, their tanks would be able to defeat the other side's tanks.

One of the biggest challenges in the Cold War was making sure that tanks would still work in cold weather. The Soviet Union was a very big country with a lot of snow and freezing temperatures, so they had to make sure that their tanks could handle that kind of weather. The United States also had to worry about cold weather, especially in places like Alaska and Northern Europe.

To make sure tanks could work in cold weather, they had to be specially designed. The engines had to be able to start even in freezing temperatures, and the tracks and other parts of the tank had to be able to move smoothly even with ice and snow on the ground.

Tanks also had to be protected against other types of attacks, like missiles and bombs. This meant that they were often covered in thick armor that could withstand explosions and other kinds of damage.

During the Cold War, both the United States and the Soviet Union invested a lot of money and resources into developing and building better tanks. They wanted to make sure that their tanks were the best in the world, and that they could protect their countries if there was ever a war.

Thankfully, there was never a war between the United States and the Soviet Union during the Cold War, so the tanks were never used in battle. But the tanks were still important, because they helped to show which country had the most military power and influence.