Due to the high amount of losses resulting from trench warfare (1915-1917), the German High Command demanded a design for a weapon that was easy to handle and capable of rapid fire. The result was the MP18/1 (Maschinenpistole 18/1), designed by Hugo Schmeisser and the Bergmann Company. While the entire country of Germany was under restrictions by the Treaty of Versailles, Schmeisser continued to secretly develop the MP28, MP34 and MP36. Schmeisser’s work led to the development of the MP40, a simplification of the MP38, that was more cost effective to produce and had improved safety.