I was reading about the worlds navies around the turn of the 19th century. The British dominated the seas and were very innovative during the wars with the Fren

I was reading about the worlds navies around the turn of the 19th century. The British dominated the seas and were very innovative during the wars with the French and Dutch. But then they stopped. They knew that they had the best sailing ships and knew that changing the technology will only disrupt seas in a way threatening their supremacy. And so the torpedo was invented by the Austrians, the steam and iron ships were pioneered by the French and Americans. This continued even in the 19th century - the century was of Pax Britanica was a century of catchup. In the end economics was important - Britain remained the worlds leader in industry and trade.