A century ago, Santa was getting ready to leave a lot of politically incorrect toys under the tree, as shown by this sampling of popular war toys from the December 1915 issue of Popular Mechanics.

With the European conflict serving as inspiration, there was “hardly a new war tool of importance which has not to some degree furnished a pattern for a child’s bauble.”

One of the “most ingenious toys” was the machine gun. “This is mounted on a tripod, is 22 in. long, and has a businesslike appearance.” It even shot real wooden bullets, about two inches long, which were fitted to a tape and passed over the barrel, being able to shoot a hundred times without reloading. Other lucky youngsters might get an automatic rifle capable of firing 10 shots in three seconds, with a range of about 20 feet.

And “with all of these death-dealing implements, hospital and ambulance provisions are needed,” including an ambulance powered by a clockwork mechanism, complete with stretchers.

And naval battles were not overlooked. The offerings including a dreadnaught that is blown apart in a realistic manner when torpedoed.

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