It all started with the return of King Sombra, an event for which Equestria was entirely unprepared, most scholars having reassuringly agreed that his banishment was permanent. Nonetheless the dark lord did indeed return, by his magic quickly reconquering his lost kingdom in the Frozen North, equally reappeared with him. Having sworn vengeance against our solar sovereigns who had imprisoned him, he then immediately turned all the resources of his Crystal Empire towards war, converting most of those under his power into soldiers and binding them directly to his will.
To call Equestria unprepared for this turn of events meanwhile would be the greatest of understatements. We had been at peace for centuries, sullied by nought but the occasional internal conflict, all quickly resolved. Even before this, war had been far flung from our present ideas: something fought far off on the borders, impacting only on the gleaming ranks of the Solar Guard or else fought by lone heroes. Mostly therefore our available forces as Sombra made his initial moves, first taking the form of probing skirmishes, were more honour guards and walking trappings of tradition than actual warriors.
For these lapses we reaped only bloody defeat, such as…
…Gradually however we learned what it was to wage total war. Bound together, as one loyal to the princesses which guide us, all roused themselves to that effect. If not a soldier then a supporter, a medic, a farmer or some other form of producer, all combatants on the ground or in material and in martial spirit. Modernisation followed, industrialising and mechanising, necessarily taking up the slack left by the absences of those at the front. More of everything was required and this grave need birthed even greater inventions to fill the void. Key examples of this include the alchemical combustion engine, the…
…The war meanwhile became one of attrition, both sides evenly matched in their will to succeed, the forces they could deploy and the material they could bring to bear against their enemies. Small victories and small defeats, all underpinned by vast losses, were the result. The situation in the heartlands of Equestria was not much better, equally beset by scarcity, whilst overwork and hardship reigned in the constant race not to fall behind. It would be here as opposed to on the frontlines that the leap forward to change the tide would be made, even more surprisingly coming out of the little barely-a-town of Ponyville.
It is now that the story switches to microcosm, becoming one of just three mares, one representing each of our empire’s united races. The first of these was Applejack (a distant relation by familial legend, but the Apple family is so vast that this is somewhat hard to substantiate): a simple earth mare working on her family farm, ever trying to increase its output whilst other members of her clan were in the service. The second of these was Fluttershy: by all accounts a quiet pegasus (making her involvement in the origins of the tank most legendary) and member of the medical corps, running a recuperation clinic in the town. Finally the third was Rarity: unicorn, boutique owner and seamstress who gave up all she had, turning to making uniforms and combat webbing for the troops. This trio, barely aware of one another, sharing only really the same hometown, would be the originators of the tank; the weapon which would win the war.
How these three came to meet is largely a subject of legend, lost to reliable history, but nonetheless when they did they united around a single purpose: not as lofty as ending the conflict, but having seen its results they wanted to stem at least a little bit of the bloodshed. This simple concept solidified as armour, going far beyond the archaic suits in use by our forces. Motorisation followed, necessitated by weight, taking as its base the basic agricultural tractor. Thus the tank was born, seeing its first use in the defence of Stalliongrad as little more than modified farm machinery, later truly militarised through the addition of modern weaponry. (As a side note: the name tank is supposed to have originated later when Imperial Air Marshall Dash compared the original slow moving and heavily armoured vehicles to her favoured pet).
After the machine’s united inception however, its three creators would diverge down different paths, differing in what they saw as being the tank’s purpose and therefore how it should be tactically employed, such considerations in turn affecting design. These debates continued when Sombrite forces began to employ similar devices, marking the advent of true tank warfare. The ideas of the three founders would lay the foundations of the three styles of their new martial art: earth, air, and magic. These would likewise spawn a myriad of variations in tank construction, often specialised towards a particular style. This can be discerned from a tank’s designation…
…Following the Crystal War our solar sovereigns would usher in further changes to the Empire, with the aim of consolidating those created by the conflict and safeguarding Equestria’s future. Whilst Princess Cadance would be elevated to command over the annexed Crystal Territories, Princess Luna would take on a greater number of internal responsibilities, starting with an overhaul of the nation’s education system. Rather than continuing to rely on the ad hoc and antiquated system of localised private and public schools, the Princess of the Night would create a framework of interconnected institutions. Within these a standardised structure of accreditation and a more than varied curriculum were formulated in order to be a more effective counterpart to cutie marks, facilitating the flourishing of future generations. Central in these policies was and is the Ministry of Education, first led by…
…It is at this point that these two seemingly disparate stories converge. Following the conclusion of the war a vast quantity of military material which had been produced remained unused, not least of all in the form of scores of fighting vehicles, rapidly made obsolete by continued technological development. Spearheaded by the Ministry of Education and facilitated by these surplus units, tanking would be rejuvenated as a national sport, taking military practice and war-gaming rules as its basis. Although niche this proved popular, with central government funding helping even the smallest academies to host their own teams…
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Dawn stretched out where she sprawled, a wide yawn filling her face, briefly sitting up straight before slumping back into her cocoon of pillows. The windows to her little room all stood closed, veiled by blinds, leaving the world shadowed except for the cosy illumination of a bedside lamp. Despite all this comfort sleep had not been forthcoming, but now finally her eyelids felt heavy.
‘That’s enough of a history lesson, for tonight at least’ she whispered to herself, pushing aside the folder whose contents she had been reading: a thick tome ironically entitled From martial art to national sport: a brief history of the tank by Toffee Apple. Through another broader yawn she made a mental note to thank the author of the coursework, at the same time reaching out a forehoof to flick off the light. This action however reminded her weary frame of its various aches and bruises, the inevitable result of three hours of straight practice. She curled back up in response, pulling her covers in tighter about her. ‘We’ve got a long way to go, but it was at least a good start, so long as I don’t let the side down.’ Weirdly what pains she had were less than secondary; almost in fact seeming to be a good thing, their presence somehow feeling like an achievement as she drifted off into much needed sleep.