Lord West looks at how a revolution in naval technology transformed ideas of warfare, contributed to the arms race and laid the foundations for victory in the First World War.

During the early years of the 20th century, one man dominated the Royal Navy. Admiral Sir 'Jacky' Fisher revitalised the Mediterranean fleet, pressed for social reform and promoted the introduction of torpedoes and submarines.

And in 1904 Fisher finally achieved a lifelong ambition, becoming First Sea Lord and professional head of the Royal Navy. Now he was able to develop new technology even faster. His crowning achievement was HMS Dreadnought, a battleship so powerful that it effectively made every other warship in every other navy redundant.

With Britain's navy pre-eminent, to level the playing field like this was dangerous. And it was to play a part in the pre-war arms race, but Britain's victory in that arms race would also make possible victory in the war which followed.

Lord West discusses Fisher's contributions, not least to the history of world oil. For it was he who persuaded a young Winston Churchill to convert the Royal Navy to oil power - altering the arc of history in South Wales, whose coal industry went into decline; in the Middle East; and around the world.

Producer: Giles Edwards

First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in June 2014.