Social SciencesStrategyInnovationInnovation StrategyMilitary HistoryMaritime HistoryMaritime StrategyMilitary TechnologyNaval WarfareTechnological ChangeTechnological InnovationCoal HistoryForeign Military OperationsMaritime PowerMaritime Resource ExploitationMaritime TechnologyMaritime WarNaval Warfare Technology
Abstract : Technology is often cited as a key aspect of the revolution in military affairs and a decisive factor in military operations today. A study of the transition by the Royal Navy from coal to oil, stimulated by First Lord of the Admiralty Winston Churchill and Admiral Sir John (Jacky) Fisher, reveals a more complex story. Although technological change was a great success--every navy soon switched to oil--it did not constitute a strategic advance for Britain. It was an achievement that represented a grave risk to a nation which possessed large coal reserves but no oil. This example suggests how technological innovations alone do not spark a revolution in military affairs.