Inside the Soviet T-34: WWII’s Game-Changing Tank

Military historian James Holland climbs inside a fully operational T-34—one of the most iconic tanks of the Second World War and a symbol of Soviet resistance.

Introduced in 1940, the T-34 played a critical role in repelling Nazi Germany’s invasion during Operation Barbarossa. With its powerful 76.2 mm gun and revolutionary 60-degree sloped armor, the T-34 set a new standard in tank design. But as James discovers firsthand, life inside the T-34 was as brutal for its crew as it was for the enemy.