Britain receives snippets and signals softly

Britain's intelligence collection concentrated on the German Navy, which itself received only fragments of the political and military decisions driving the crisis. British naval reports therefore passed on an already incomplete picture. Without a central government intelligence organization or a comparable army collection programme, information gathered by ambassadors became especially important. On 9 July, Grey told Germany's ambassador that he saw no reason to take a pessimistic view of the situation. Reassuring language could encourage Berlin to underestimate British resistance when it lacked a visible military warning alongside it. Smart power combines conciliatory diplomacy with a demonstration of military resolve, such as a conspicuous fleet mobilization or exercise announcement.