World War I, a time when battle tank manufacturing was in its absolute infancy, offers us but a glimpse of the powerful, versatile, and lethal armored vehicle technology that would rapidly progress before the outbreak of World War II. These early-era tanks, to our modern sensibility, are fascinating in their simplicity though they offered soldiers of the time an opportunity to travel at higher speeds, traverse difficult landscape, and be equipped with dynamic and mobile weaponry.

The Mark IV (pronounced "Mark Four") was a British tank of World War I. Introduced in 1917, it benefited from significant developments on the first British tank (the intervening designs being small batches used for training). The major improvements were in armour, the re-siting of the fuel tank, and easier transportation. A total of 1,220 were built: 420 "Male", 595 "Female" and 205 Tank Tenders (unarmed vehicles used to carry supplies), which made it the most numerous British tank of the War.

The Mark IV was first used in mid 1917 at the Battle of Messines Ridge. It remained in official British service until the end of the War, and a small number served briefly with other combatants afterwards.