A comprehensive illustrated examination of the development and combat performance of Russian/Soviet battle tanks from World War I to the end of World War II.
 
In this, the first of two highly illustrated volumes examining the history of Russian and Soviet battle tanks, Steven J. Zaloga focuses on the history of Russian tank development from the time of Imperial Russia through the Soviet period. Early Russian tank development began with other armored vehicles, such as trains and cars. However, by the time of World War II, the Soviet Union was in the vanguard of worldwide tank development. It produced 30,000 tanks in the 1920–39 period.
 
Expanding on material published in Osprey series, including New Vanguard, Duel and Campaign, Russian and Soviet Battle Tanks 1915–1945 explores the concepts and production of tanks such as the T-34 and KV. It describes the experiences of the crews who saw combat, the performance of each tank in battle, and how the Russian and Soviet armored fighting vehicles compared with the enemy armor it faced, as well as the key lessons learned from combat that lead to new concepts and technological breakthroughs.