Fisher's funeral could become a semi-state occasion attended by British royalty and foreign representatives, possibly including Kaiser Wilhelm II or senior Germans. That gathering creates a rare opening for direct diplomacy before the July Crisis. It also allows the Royal Navy to celebrate Fisher's achievements through a grand fleet review. Even older battleships could be temporarily crewed and polished to fill the review's rear ranks, although some might be unfit for actual operations. The display would make Britain's naval resources conspicuous while presenting a stronger impression of immediate readiness than those reserve ships justified.
Notable Point · 1:06:14-1:13:27
Fisher's funeral and Battenberg's deterrent diplomacy
Fisher's imagined death creates an early-1914 diplomatic gathering and a fleet review that could turn commemoration into a conspicuous warning about British naval power.