The heaviest tank that was built in human history is the German Panzerkampfwagen VIII Maus. It was a super-heavy tank developed during World War II by Germany. The Maus was designed to weigh in at a staggering 188 metric tons, making it the heaviest tank ever built.
The Maus was armed with a 128 mm main gun and a 75 mm co-axial gun, it was also fitted with a secondary machine gun. The tank was powered by a V-12 Maybach HL230 P30 engine that produced 1,200 horsepower, it had a top speed of 20 km/h (12 mph) and its armor thickness is up to 240 mm.
However, due to its massive weight, the Maus had trouble crossing bridges and was not able to move over most terrain. It also had a small crew of only five men, which made it difficult to operate and maintain. Only two prototypes of the Maus were built and they never saw combat, they were captured by the Soviet army in 1945 and later scrapped.
The Maus tank was not the only heavy tank built by Germany during WWII, other heavy tanks such as the Tiger II, the Tiger I, and the Elefant were also built, but the Maus was the heaviest and the most ambitious tank built by the Nazis. The Maus was also seen as a propaganda tool, it was intended to show off the technological capabilities of the Third Reich and its relentless pursuit for military power.