Watch Empire of the Seas online: Episode 4 Sea Change

Dan Snow explores how Britain emerged as the global superpower during the 19th century, building on Nelson's triumph at the Battle of Trafalgar. By 1848, the country enjoyed relative peace due to naval domination, but the growing threat posed by Germany led to Admiral `Jackie' Fisher introducing plans to modernize the force by building battleships like the Dreadnought. An arms race between the two countries ensued, which led to the 1916 conflict at Jutland in World War One, considered a strategic victory for the Allies. Last in the series

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