Jackie Fisher: anti-war deterrent, not a hesitant wartime commander

Was Jackie Fisher a pacifist, and can his caution be compared with George McClellan's wartime hesitation?

Fisher hated war and sought to deter it through overwhelming strength, but once fighting began he favored rapid, decisive action rather than McClellan-style delay.

Fisher wanted the Royal Navy to be so strong that an opponent would choose not to begin a war. That position differs from absolute pacifism because he would not surrender essential interests simply to preserve peace. Once war existed, he believed delay multiplied casualties and therefore wanted to strike quickly at the enemy's decisive vulnerability. The comparison with McClellan fails because Fisher's prewar caution did not translate into a reluctance to act during war.