Germany could present a Spanish venue as a success because the conference would meet outside London and Paris. Kaiser Wilhelm II and his advisers missed the advantage contained in the specific choice of Algeciras. The delegates would sit beside Britain's maritime operating space and far from any equivalent concentration of German land power. The geography of a supposedly neutral venue could therefore shape bargaining power before formal negotiations began.
Notable Point · 1:07:34-1:08:58
How the Algeciras venue favoured British sea power
Holding the conference in neutral Spain appeared to satisfy Germany, but choosing Algeciras placed the negotiations beside Gibraltar and within easy reach of British fleets.