Part of the Coronel problem lay in pressure inside the Admiralty. Battenberg was distracted because Fisher was stirring a political campaign against him in pursuit of the First Sea Lord's post. Senior-office politics added to the burdens on wartime decision-making without becoming the battle's sole cause. Institutional conflict affected the attention available for an operational crisis.
Notable Point · 3:44:53-3:45:10
Fisher's political campaign distracted Battenberg during the Coronel crisis
An internal struggle for the First Sea Lord's office diverted Battenberg's attention at a moment when the Admiralty faced an operational crisis overseas.