The Navy of today owes much to developments in strategy and technology that can be traced back as far as the late eighteenth century. In this first program these developments are examined from their beginnings in Admiral Nelson's fleet to the modern fighting force that was the Navy during World War One. From sailing ships to submarines and aircraft carriers, how did the British Navy achieve its reputation as one of the most powerful at sea?
The end of World War One meant victory and hardship for Britain in equal proportions and it was to be the same for her Navy. The removal of funds and scrapping of ships was a sign of the times until a new threat began to loom heavy on the horizon. In 1935 Hitler rejected the Versailles Treaty and began re arming his nation. The Royal Navy, by now a greatly reduced organisation, met the challenge head on and began to rebuild itself.
When war returned in 1939 the Royal Navy became the rock to which a fearful Britain clung. But no one weapon or tactic would decide the outcome of this conflict. The Navy's ultimate victory, through many battles and shifts in power, would come from new ways of fighting all coming together in this new war.
The siege of Malta plays an integral role in this fourth chapter of the Navy's long history. The programme looks at how, without the Navy leading convoys of vital supplies, this island would have been lost to the enemy. We also examine the changing role of her battleships and how they became floating batteries of heavy artillery employed to fire mercilessly upon shore defences.
After the war in 1945, just as it had been in 1919, Britain was facing economic hardship. One of the responses to this hardship was to once again reduce it's naval fleet. Ships were scrapped or sold and thousands of men were demobilised. But the Navy's history had taught them one thing - to be prepared. The Cold War was just around the corner.
With the loss of most of her colonies, Britain had to adjust to the idea that it was no longer a great world power. It became America's loyal ally and one that would benefit from their new focus in one very important field. This chapter in the Navy's history was one of enormous technological advances all influenced by one thing - nuclear power - and America had the resources to exploit it to the full. The race was on to develop a nuclear arsenal and the Royal Navy would once again prove to be a vital component in this effort.
The Royal Navy has always been a reflection of the state of Britain as a nation. Economic strength is mirrored in naval strength and this episode in the Navy's history would prove to be no exception. Old ships were scrapped and new types of vessel, ready to fight a new type of war, replaced them. But a conflict was looming on Britain's horizon that would once again call for the Navy to do what it had proved it could do best - fight a war at sea.
As the series draws to a close we examine the relevance of the Royal Navy in a post Cold War world where the boundaries are blurred and the enemy rarely fights face to face. A nuclear race, wars fought over oil and religion, and the crumbling of the Soviet Union; all brought fresh challenges. For the modern Navy, as it has always been, it is the ability to change and face each new challenge head on that will be its strength."