Were ancient war elephants effective in battle?

For centuries, armies brought elephants onto the battlefield like living tanks. They could smash formations, terrify infantry, and turn a battle into chaos — but there was a serious problem: elephants could also panic, run wild, and become a danger to their own side. So were they actually effective weapons, or were commanders gambling on fear? This episode goes into the battles, tactics, and brutal reality behind one of the ancient world’s strangest weapons.