The Italian army, unlike those of the British and French, did not use tanks in combat during World War I and, by November 1918, only one training unit equipped with French Schneider and Renault tanks had been formed. Consequently, during the 1920s the Italian army had just one single tank type in its armoured inventory – the Fiat 3000. Only in 1927 was the first tank unit formed as a branch of the infantry and not as an independent organization, while the cavalry rejected the idea of both tanks and armoured cars and decided to stand by the use of horses for its mounted units. Between 1933 and March 1939, a further 2,724 CV 33 / L 3 tanks were built, 1,216 of which were exported all over the world. By the time Italy entered the war in June 1940, the army had 1,284 light tanks, 855 of which were in combat units, including three armoured divisions. Variants of the CV 33 / L 3 tanks included flame-throwers, bridge-layers, recovery vehicles, and a radio command tank. Some L 3 tanks were still in use in 1945, by both the Germans and the German-allied Italian units of the Repubblica Sociale.

It is one of the ironies of Soviet tank development that a country opposed to free enterprise and capitalism was largely reliant on influences from Britain and the USA for many of its early designs. However, unhindered by many of the tactical constraints that affected tank development in the West, the Red Army was able to acquire and develop technology that was under-rated in both Britain and the USA. From Britain, the famous manufacturer Vickers produced a Six-Ton light tank; effectively rejected by the War Office, one example was acquired by the Russians and this formed the basis of the Russian T-26 of 1931. Further British designs also influenced the later light tanks, equipment which was pivotal to the Red Army during its campaigns in Manchuria, Finland and against the initial German assault in 1941. In the USA, Walter Christie was also largely ignored as a designer but, as with Vickers, his designs came to be highly important. His influence was seen in the 'BT' - short for 'Bystrochodri' or 'Fast Tank' - series of light-medium tanks that was first introduced in 1932. The BT series saw service in Spain, Manchuria, Finland and in the defense of Russia itself in 1941. The critical aspect of the Christie design was that the vehicles were capable of operating both with nor without tracks; in the latter case eight road wheels carried the weight of the vehicle, with steering being achieved via a steering wheel acting in conjunction with the clutch/brake system.In the second of the new 'Soviet Tanks' series, Mikhail Baryatinsky provides the reader with a comprehensive account of the development and operational record of Soviet light tanks. Utilizing photographs, line drawings and speciallyprepared artworks, he provides a detailed portrait of these highly successful tanks.Aimed at the modeler, military historian and war gamer, the new 'Soviet Tanks' series is designed to provide, probably for the first time in the English language, authoritative information on the classic Soviet tank designs of the 20th century. The series will be required reading for all those interested in the development of armored warfare over the past 100 years.

The Italian army, unlike those of the British and French, did not use tanks in combat during World War I and, by November 1918, only one training unit equipped with French Schneider and Renault tanks had been formed. Consequently, during the 1920s the Italian army had just one single tank type in its armoured inventory – the Fiat 3000. Only in 1927 was the first tank unit formed as a branch of the infantry and not as an independent organization, while the cavalry rejected the idea of both tanks and armoured cars and decided to stand by the use of horses for its mounted units. Between 1933 and March 1939, a further 2,724 CV 33 / L 3 tanks were built, 1,216 of which were exported all over the world. By the time Italy entered the war in June 1940, the army had 1,284 light tanks, 855 of which were in combat units, including three armoured divisions. Variants of the CV 33 / L 3 tanks included flame-throwers, bridge-layers, recovery vehicles, and a radio command tank. Some L 3 tanks were still in use in 1945, by both the Germans and the German-allied Italian units of the Repubblica Sociale.

The M3 and M5 family of light tanks were the culmination of American tank development of the 1930s. By the time of the outbreak of the World War II, they were approaching obsolescence, as tank forces in Europe were shifting from light to medium tanks as the main element of their armored forces. First entering combat in the autumn of 1941 in the Western Desert with the British Army, the Stuart quickly proved its inadequacies. The M3 and M5 light tanks proved more suitable in the Pacific theater than in Europe, and fought successfully in many of the major battles including Guadalcanal, Tarawa and Peleliu. This title narrates this distinctive and unusual fighting vehicle's history.

The T-26 was the first major Soviet armour program of the 1930s, beginning as a license-built version of the British Vickers 6-ton export tank. Although the T-26 retained the basic Vickers hull and suspension, the Red Army began to make extensive changes to the turret and armament, starting with the addition of a 45mm tank gun in 1933. The T-26 was built in larger numbers than any other tank prior to World War II. Indeed, more T-26 tanks were manufactured than the combined tank production of Germany, France, Britain, and the United States in 1931–40. This book surveys the development of the T-26 as well as its combat record in the Spanish Civil War, the war in China, the border wars with Poland and Finland in 1939–40, and the disastrous battles of 1941 during Operation Barbarossa.