The Royal Navy had begun investing in oil facilities before 1914, but the network was not complete when war arrived. Both world wars can be understood as conflicts fought during technological transitions, when major powers had to finance the next system without abandoning the existing one. Britain hedged by supporting coal while building oil capability. The technology was visibly coming, but testing, infrastructure, and reliable large-scale practice had to mature before it could safely support capital ships.
Notable Point · 51:39-55:19
The First World War caught an incomplete energy transition
Projected wartime shortages reflected an oil network still under construction when war forced Britain to support old and new systems together.