Leaps in naval technologies and intense rivalry with Germany spurred on massive changes to Britain’s senior service in a century famous for the biggest wars the world has ever seen. From 1890 to 1914 the increase in size, speed and power was immense as can be seen from this table. The Royal Sovereign-class ships, built during the 1890s, marked a significant improvement in ship design for its time. However, the advent of HMS Dreadnought in 1906 heralded a revolution in battleship design with subsequent improvements and technological advances. By 1914 the Queen Elizabeth-class of dreadnought battleships had made even the original dreadnought obsolete with its superior speed, armour and firepower. Below are some examples of life and changes in the Royal Navy during the period.